[emmamus]

I'm getting my first weaners next week (3 oxford sandy and blacks) and have a couple of questions I can't find answers to in the books. Can anyone help?

Is it safe to bulk order food?

1. Are pigs likely to be picky and refuse to eat the brand I buy?
2. I'll be storing food in a stable. I'll put open bags into a rodent-proof bin and we do have a cat, but unopened bags can't go anywhere rodent proof. Does this make it a bad idea to bulk order?
3. I've been offered half a ton of 20 kilo bags of Heygates for £150. I'm in South Wales. If I collect individual bags, the best I can find is £8.95 for 25 kilos of Mole valley own brand. I've done quite a bit of calling round for prices, but does this sound sensible?

Will they be ok with buckets of water, or do I need a trough? I'll be around for most of the day and will replace with more water when needed.

Thanks very much for any advice.

[Fowgill Farm]

Feed normally has a 3mth use by date on it. When you pick the weaners up ask the seller for a carrier bag full of their regular food and mix it with your chosen brand. Pigs don't turn their nose up at much.
I buy a tonne at a time bagged stored on a pallet in a stable and have had only minor rodent probs so don't worry about that unless you're really infested with the buggers! We put rat poison under the pallet just in case.
The heygates is at a really good price imo,the mole valley is robbery!
Buckets will not be ok they will just tip them out you need a proper preferably heavy trough, we use belfast sinks (put bricks in them to stop falls in & drowning) or heavy rubber trugs. It soon stops being fun when you're filling up a water container for a hundreth time, its also wasteful and given the weather in Wales you'll soon be swiming in your paddock from all the rain and flung water!
Have a read of Pig management articles on the gos website www.gospbc.co.uk
hth
Mandy

[Eve]

I bought a cheaper brand of feed once as it was new and on offer - the pigs did eat it but with considerably less enthusiasm than they had for Dodson & Horrell, so I went back to their usual after that 


Buy those black rat poison boxes and lots of poison blocks. We have one poison box underneath the metal feed bin. Our unopened bags are in our garage where little mice can get in, they nibble at the bags at times but don't cause a major problem.


For water we use several black rubber troughs that fit in car tyres. They often knock one over for fun so having a few makes it easier. The tap is 200 yards away so we use an aquaroll for transport.


Enjoy your pigs 

[emmamus]

Thanks very much. I'll get the half tonne and the rat poison.

Thanks also for the info on water. It's so tricky tell from the books what you are definitely going to need and what is just a nice to have. I'll sort out something a bit more robust than buckets!

[hughesy]

If at all possible you need drinkers that they can't tip over. In hot or dry weather they'll tip it over as soon as you've filled it to make some mud to roll in and it gets very frustrating in no time at all. Old belfast sinks are good especially if you can set them into the ground a bit so the pigs can't get their snout under.

[Websters Farm]

If at all possible you need drinkers that they can't tip over. In hot or dry weather they'll tip it over as soon as you've filled it to make some mud to roll in and it gets very frustrating in no time at all. Old belfast sinks are good especially if you can set them into the ground a bit so the pigs can't get their snout under.

+1, an old belfast sink, buried halfway in to the ground, sure stops them constantly tipping it over.

[Porterlauren]

With regard to water, you need to use something that is relatively 'immovable', or the pigs will just throw it around for fun. We use galvanised water tanks, but have also used belfast sinks etc. Buckets need filling 20 times a day on a hot day as the pigs keep flipping them over to wallow.

With regard to food, I've tried a few types of food over the time we have had pigs, and in general they will end up eating anything, although they may be slow to switch in some cases.

I currently buy my food for £250 a ton / £125 half ton, although it comes lose, in a half ton sack. £150 for bagged food is pretty good going. I'm also in South Wales.

Rodents fecking love pig food.

[Clarebelle]

Feed is more expensive here so can't really compare. But I just use a big bucket with a heavy rock in the bottom and the pigs have never tipped it over even when scratching against it, which they do a lot! I fill it up with a watering can but the tap is a couple of meters away, if it was further I'd get something better!

[Sasha]

I'm paying £8.45/25kg bag individual here (north east) so I think the half tonne you're quoted is good.

Re the water situation - I use the sturdy round horse buckets in a couple of tyres for most of mine which I've found is the easiest thing so long as I can get the tyres.  I have the odd pen that are sods and have got corner mangers drilled into the wall at floor level but another pen with 3 gos gilts that are fine with just a bucket on the floor and never bother with it.  Just depends on the pigs attitudes I guess as to what they're like.

[mowhaugh]

Just keep a good eye out for the rats, the problem with most rat poisons is they will only eat them if there is no alternative, so if there is pig food available to eat, the poison will be left.  Also, with a cat, make sure the poison you choose is safe in case your cat finds a dozy one and eats it.

Have fun with your pigs, I'm sure you'll love them.

[MarthaR]

Hi emmamus

Whereabouts in South Wales are you?
I'm in Abergavenny and Locks in Allensmore (just south of Hereford) is the supplier I use for pig food. They mill their own on their farm and do growers, sow pellets and rolls depending on what you're after (as well as other feeds). All the % etc are listed on the bag so you can see what you're getting. 
I have used them successfully for the last year with weaners, gilts and now sows - £7.50 for 25kg bag and discount for bulk / unbagged half tonne. They will load up bags for you if you go to them.
May not work if you're not near me, but thought worth a mention.
Martha

[oor wullie]

That seems a good price for feed.  I paid £320/ton for finishers, the half ton price was about 10% more and growers/weaners were more than the finishers.

If you are relying on a cat for rodent control put the pallet ontop of a couple of blocks to raise it another 100mm off the ground.  The normal gap under a pallet is just a touch too small for a cat to get under which means the underneath of a pallet can be a safe haven for rodents.

[emmamus]

Thanks, everyone.
mowhaugh I'm a bit further south than you, but I'll have a look at your supplier.

One last slightly silly question:

With a Belfast sink, what do you use to seal the plug hole? I thought a plug might just be a fun toy for the pigs to pull out?

[Porterlauren]

Locks is good.

I use a place in LLantarnam, near cwmbrawn, if that's any closer to you?

£250 a ton / £125 a haf ton.

[wayfarer]

You are right a plug is a good toy for the pigs - they love to throw it around and then watch you try to find it in the mud 

The only thing which stopped this happening for us was to keep the sink as full as possible. They didn't like rooting around in deep water.