Author Topic: Bloody piglets! (with pics) (Read 5969 times)

welshlass181 · « **on:** September 01, 2011, 01:45:06 pm »

After trying to keep the little buggers in Piglet Alcatraz (which i must add worked for a while) they've now found a new way out. Went to the field the other day and all 10 were running amock around the field annoying the 4 that they're meant to be seperated from. They're due to be weaned next week and we've been considering our options. Yesterday hubby goes to the field to find all 10 piglets and momma pig in the main field. Not sure how it's happened but the gateway that has been up since before the piglets were born was ajar and the piglets had got through easy and momma had obviously bardged her way through.

Hubby was on his own with our 8 year old son so there wasn't much he could do about it so he got a massive feed ready for them all (so no fighting) and fed all 15 of them in a row

we put haylage down on the floor as normal and put the food in a long line so there was plenty of space. The piglets were eating by the boars muzzle and by my big KK female and there was no hassle.

I've just got my hands on some tin sheets that i am going to be making panels out of to make a pen in the nice grass that we have outside the field so hopefully over the weekend they'll be out there getting fattened up ready to go. We're thinking of keeping 2 or 3 of the castrate boars to rear for bacon and kill next year but nothing has been decided yet.

Not the best of photos as they're always on the move

we were mixing all the feed up now with milk powder (just to get it used so no waste) for mum and babies and it soaked into the haylage which they munched on through the day.

I'll be glad to see the back on these ones i can tell you

we'll be much better set up when the next litter arrives.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2011, 02:45:52 pm »

They're looking great Michelle

That's piglets for you though, mine do the same

Our dog takes the job of piggy sitter and keeps them where they should be (and puts them back through the fence when he reckons they've been out long enough

)
As long as they've plenty of space and a choice of beds to sleep in they should all be fine. Mum won't be as protective now they're bigger and fending for themselves so she shouldn't get as stressed - it just sounds like my place, a big pig 'love in'

welshlass181 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2011, 03:18:06 pm »

There are 2 large wooden arks and 2 plastic arks in the field (that originally had 4 pigs in it) and the pen has a plastic ark in it. 5 arks should be enough

the one in the pen is about 40 meters away from the other arks.

Glad they're looking ok as it's my first litter and we're still feeling our way through. We'll have block pens (hopefully) for the next lot lol

white-blazes · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2011, 08:31:12 pm »

Our piggy enclosure is lined with electric rope, they soon learn not to go near it

Tell me why you put down haylage, do pigs eat it? Do they eat hay? (sorry to appear thick)

little blue · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2011, 08:35:19 pm »

Quote from: HappyHippy on September 01, 2011, 02:45:52 pm

it just sounds like my place, a big pig 'love in'

and mine!

they look just fine...

And whiteblazes, my kune kunes eat hay, haylage & straw....

welshlass181 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2011, 09:39:25 pm »

Mine prefer haylage to hay

i use it to soak up the milk juices and it encourages them to eat it. Believe it or not i've got elec wire running around the entire field and inside and outside momma's pen ...... they still get out lol so now i've given up trying to keep them in and focusing on getting them fat enough so they can't get through

and then there is the runt ....... bane of my existance !!!

white-blazes · « **Reply #6 on:** September 01, 2011, 09:58:59 pm »

Thanks, never realised they ate hay and haylage. Mine have enough grass and roots for now, and will be gone mid-November so hopefully well before we need to get the haylage out

welshlass181 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 01, 2011, 10:17:59 pm »

My grazing sucks

so we're using the haylage as a bulker for them and plus it'll get them used to eating it over winter

Beewyched · « **Reply #8 on:** September 01, 2011, 10:28:29 pm »

My KKs love hay, haylage & silage - basically anything grass based. They also have a pick thro the straw in their housing too

Fowgill Farm · « **Reply #9 on:** September 02, 2011, 09:34:58 am »

Welshlass
thank you for making me laugh and cry at the same time!
Your piglets look like chaos but so so happy.
We sadly lost our 7yrold lady Delia

this week and i have been heartbroken, we thankfully have mad crazy piglets too and they have been a blessing for taking my mind off the big D. I'm sure she's up in piggy heaven causing mayhem and grumbling on.
Lovely pictures and a lovely tip on the use of haylage.
bestest
mandy

welshlass181 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 02, 2011, 11:05:30 am »

They're little buggers i tell you lol the runt can still get through the fencing as he sort out ducks the elec fence and squeezes through. The other ones are to fat to get through where he does so you watch them take a running jump to get to the bigger holes !!!!!! They got met with a hose pipe yesterday when they did it and boy did they jump. Water doesn't hurt them but it don't ha;f make them jump

naughty bloody piglets lol

Sry to hear your sad news FF

and re haylage when they eat the meal thats on it they have no choice but to take some haylage so they get some roughage in their belly

little blue · « **Reply #11 on:** September 02, 2011, 07:39:13 pm »

Mandy, very sorry to hear about Delia

sleep well big pig

Beewyched · « **Reply #12 on:** September 02, 2011, 09:16:56 pm »

Such sad news about Delia, she'll be rooting away happily in the meadows over the Rainbow Bridge.
Thinking of you Mandy

welshlass181 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 02, 2011, 09:36:44 pm »

Went to tesco enroute to the field tonight and bought lots of fresh veg and fruit for the piggies

got met with 10 screaming piglets and 5 grunting adults

everybody are still getting on ok and sharing the food well. The piglets seem happy enough and were creating havok as normal lol momma pig wasn't stressed about them or anything so i think we're on a winner. There is defo enough food for everybody (probably to much just now) but we have to be totally sure that everybody is getting enough.