[Declan]

Is there a best time of the year to buy weaners or is it generally a year round thing? To compliment the poultry, sheep and goats that we've got Im looking for two weaners to start with. Should i wait until spring time?
Declan

[manian]

hi
we're newbys with regard to pig keeping  but were advised to wait till spring for our first ones. - we couldn't wait
we got our first batch last september (2010)  and had a baptism of fire when the snow came in november. they went at the end of jan/feb

our next batch came end of feb and were ready as porkers by july and were bigger ( meaty those not fatty) and were ready sooner

it really depends on you. we couldn't wait so got them over winter...... but they do take more looking after. they were peeing in the ark during the snow so went through more straw, we fed them more to help keep warm, and had to defrost their water two/three times a day. this year may not be so bad....
it was alot easier with the spring ones...... but it hasn't put us off, we are getting some more for the winter love them and miss not having any at the mo

HTH
Mx

[Fowgill Farm]

If you can wait until spring/Easter i would do that and raise a couple of porkers to kill out in September, that way you get to see if you actually like pig keeping and your pigs get the best of the weather alledgedly ;)In the meantime get a few good piggy books, have a good scroll and read thro the topics on here, come and ask us all your seemingly daft questions(they're not) and make preparations, fencing, housing,water, food storage, transport etc, theres a lot more to keeping pigs than meets the eye. have a look at the GOS website getting started articles they'll point you in the right direction and try and visit a keeper near you, the various breed sites have member lists and most will talk piggy with you all day long 
HTH
Mandy 

[HappyHippy]

Ditto everything Mandy said 

[robert waddell]

YES A REPEAT OF EVERY THING Mandy has said          but remember weaners are available all year round  the peak demand is spring which can lead to disappointment  the breeder may be struggling to feed a lot of weaners over the winter period  but if you have the resources and enthusiasm  the earlier the better

[Fowgill Farm]

yes Robert is right, if you want them in Spring reserve them NOW. Most breeders take forward orders. You can take them thro winter it depends where you are in the country In the south you're likely to be a bit milder than us in the frozen North!
Mandy 

[pikilily]

I totally support everything said already. We have only had two lots. First lot (2010) bought in June away in November last year (just before the snow hit !!!) this year bought in April, away in August.  If I had delayed getting last years weaners away, by even a week, i would have had to keep them till February because we were snow and ice bound that whole period.

From now onwards i will always go for spring piglets.  Even if i pay premium spring prices, it is offset by less expence for overwintering and possible extended keeping!
Emma T

[SallyintNorth]

I echo everything everyone else has said and would a couple of things about planning the timing of when you want to get them butched.

If you want to do any home curing of largish pieces, you want to be slaughtering as the colder weather comes and not in spring or summer - it's too warm then for curing anything too large to go in the fridge.  (Unless you have a convenient 10 deg C cave or cool room!)

If your butcher is like mine, you won't be able to book them in in December or January.  (So for home-cured ham, November would be the latest to get them butched, really.)

And just in case you haven't worked it out from what everyone has said - if you buy 8-week old weaners, most breeds will reach pork weight in 4-5 months, ie, at 6-7 months old.  A little longer for Kune Kunes (HH will tell you more exactly.)  So if you want to home-cure a leg, get your weaners in June or thereabouts, slaughter October / November.

I'm basing that on my own, so far very limited, experience - so maybe others will jump in now and tell us both something different! 

[benkt]

I also find it works out a bit cheaper if you aim for slaughter around October time as then you get the most out of the free windfall apples and allotment leftovers to help keep those feed bills down.

[Penninehillbilly]

I also find it works out a bit cheaper if you aim for slaughter around October time as then you get the most out of the free windfall apples and allotment leftovers to help keep those feed bills down.

Do they taste of apple and does it save on apple sauce? 
(very useful post bTW )

[SallyintNorth]

I also find it works out a bit cheaper if you aim for slaughter around October time as then you get the most out of the free windfall apples and allotment leftovers to help keep those feed bills down.

Do they taste of apple and does it save on apple sauce? 
(very useful post bTW )

In my experience, yes and yes. 

[ballingall]

It depends on what suits you best really.

I am limited to when I can get weaners as they increase my movement standstill's. Because we show the goats from May to September, I prefer to have weaners outside that time frame to make things easier. Got them in September last year, and (just!) managed to get them done before Christmas. We got delayed in sending them away because of the snow.

Other comments are right- it is easier to get them in spring and keep them through the better weather. One thing to remember is that they are better fed in daylight- in winter that means someone needing to be around to feed them by about 4:30/5pm. If you are working as well that's not always easy!

Getting the weaners in September did wor out ok, and they also benfitted from the windfall apples and windfall plums too.


Beth

[Tiva Diva]

Ours are quite happy to be fed at ANY time of the day or night - they very quickly learned what the head torch meant! It is a lot easier checking fences in daylight though. Ours are pretty hardy and didn't mind the snow, but it is a pain keeping their water defrosted.

[Declan]

Thanks for all those replies- i think i'll wait til spring. The poultry and goats keep me busy and now we have 14ewes in lamb. I will get all my preparation done and wait til spring given everybody is saying its going to be a harse winter.

Thanks again

[Fowgill Farm]

Well done Declan
Clear planning and prepararion are the way forward.
Good luck with your ewes. lots of info on the sheep forum.
Keep checking on the piggy forum and don't forget to ask about anything you think of.
bestest Mandy