[hughesy]

I would say about 10% of our customers like their pork on the fatty side but even they want it marbled through the meat and not a dirty great slab of fat on the back of their chops. The majority want leaner meat but most expect a bit more fat than supermarket pork. Fat covering on a pig is entirely down to feeding and nothing to do with breed. It's a lame excuse to say it's normal to have a big fat covering because it's a traditional breed, you've fed them too much. And if you have to trim an inch of fat off your chops etc you've very likely spent money on feed to produce waste which is going in the bin.

[FiB]

I would say about 10% of our customers like their pork on the fatty side but even they want it marbled through the meat and not a dirty great slab of fat on the back of their chops. The majority want leaner meat but most expect a bit more fat than supermarket pork. Fat covering on a pig is entirely down to feeding and nothing to do with breed. It's a lame excuse to say it's normal to have a big fat covering because it's a traditional breed, you've fed them too much. And if you have to trim an inch of fat off your chops etc you've very likely spent money on feed to produce waste which is going in the bin.

Yep.  But  I am struggling to find out what the right amount is..... They clear their trough in about. 5 mins, have  1.5 kg per pig per day and act like starving monsters........ Too late for this lot but always seeking to learn form mistakes.... I'll report back next week when I get the rest back. It may be that I had some guzzlers that were eating more than their fair share. Cheapest pigs yet anyway :-)

[devonlady]

I would say about 10% of our customers like their pork on the fatty side but even they want it marbled through the meat and not a dirty great slab of fat on the back of their chops. The majority want leaner meat but most expect a bit more fat than supermarket pork. Fat covering on a pig is entirely down to feeding and nothing to do with breed. It's a lame excuse to say it's normal to have a big fat covering because it's a traditional breed, you've fed them too much. And if you have to trim an inch of fat off your chops etc you've very likely spent money on feed to produce waste which is going in the bin.

In the bin, my boy, in the bin!!!! Render it down in a moderate oven and, if you like, render it further and you will have the loveliest lard for frying, pastry making etc. and the dogs will love the "scritchins)

[hughesy]

Devonlady I don't need to make lard as my Saddlebacks don't carry too much fat. I wouldn't have the time or the facilities to do it anyway. Nor would the effort and time involved be financially worth it but that's another subject entitrely

[Marches Farmer]

Weaners and growers should act as though they're starving - ask any mother of a teenage boy whether they turn up their nose at food!  When they're weaned I expect them to clear their feed in 20 minutes, reducing gradually to ten minutes before slaughter.

[shygirl]

In the bin, my boy, in the bin!!!! Render it down in a moderate oven and, if you like, render it further and you will have the loveliest lard for frying, pastry making etc. and the dogs will love the "scritchins)

do you not have dogs? try making some soap, or feed it to the wildbirds.

in my opinion the best way to finish your pigs is to feed by eye and feel their bodies. feeding by weight only will give variable results as pigs, individuals, weather, environments are all so different.
you should be able to feel their ribs and spines to a certain degree and its then not difficult to judge how much fat is covering them. if you cant feel them at all then you've fed far too much.
with a mixed bunch of 7, you will need to feed different amounts but this can be done if you can feed them all the basic ration, then bring those needing extra individually through a gateway/into a trailer for more feed. we spread the feed widely over the ground and trained them to come to call/bucket so we could manipulate the ones we needed into position. it takes time but its worth it. handling is easier if they are used to it from a young age.
have you thought about butchering your own pig occasionally, just ask for the carcuss to be split and collect it yourself from abattoir. you learn so much about fat dispersal this way.

[hughesy]

I totally agree about feeding based on the pigs condition. I'm feeling mine and assessing their condition from not long after they're weaned and adjust the feed amount accordingly. in a group of pigs there will always be the ones that get more than their fair share but they are usually the biggest and the first to go so haven't had a chance to convert their food into fat. The smaller ones in the group soon catch up once the greedy ones have gone. I want to be easily able to feel the backbone and ribs as it's much easier to put a bit more weight on than to take it off. Plus with the price of feed who wants to be feeding too much anyway?

[daveh]

Have today collected my two large blacks from the abattoir. For the past couple of months they have been getting approximately 3 pounds of sow rolls per day each together with a small round washing up bowl full of windfall apples. I was advised after last years pigs had two inches of back fat to cut down their rations and to give a lower protein feed. The current pigs came back with one inch of back fat and I am delighted with them.

They are butchered by a friend in the village who used to be a butcher by profession. He was of the opinion that the smaller of the two pigs would be acceptable to a high street butcher but not to a supermarket where any fat is a no no. (And presumably any hint of taste!) The larger of the two pigs was oversize for commercial pork but that's the size we intentionally take them to as we make our own bacon. We would take them larger but the abattoir has a maximum size of 100kg live weight.

Regards, David

[mowhaugh]

Dropped our first batch of LBs off at the abattoir this morning, getting nervous now!

[hughesy]

If you keep an eye on the pigs condition throughout their growing period and feed accordingly there won't be any surprises when they come back from the abattoir. If you're producing to sell the meat you need to be in control of what you're producing. Unless of course you're turning the whole lot into sausages .

[MKay]

If you look up my post last year on mixing pig feed. Might have to search for the ingredients but shouldn't take more than a few phone calls.

Also take away their ark. Just give them a round bale of hay(cheap bale of last years hay) to nest in. They will use the excess energy to stay warm rather than laying down fat.

Mine do just fine in the Scottish highlands without arks. They just come in the steading for Dec-march and farrowing.

[FiB]

If you look up my post last year on mixing pig feed. Might have to search for the ingredients but shouldn't take more than a few phone calls.

Also take away their ark. Just give them a round bale of hay(cheap bale of last years hay) to nest in. They will use the excess energy to stay warm rather than laying down fat.

Mine do just fine in the Scottish highlands without arks. They just come in the steading for Dec-march and farrowing.

Mmmmmm tricky    But we have not replenished their straw (the ground is super dry ) so may have a bit of that effect. Thanks all, they've been on half rations and  extra carrots and apples this week. Going on Friday so fingers crossed.

[Sasha]

I always feed by eye depending on what they're looking like.  My first attempt at fattening this year (Saddleback boars) turned out really well.  I fed them equal amounts of nuts, rolled oats and rolled barley topped up with sugarbeet and they finished up at about 75-80kg liveweight at 6 months old with hardly any fat on them at all.  I was surprised because I'd been told by a local farmer that they're a fatty breed.

[shygirl]

just a reminder that if you mix your own feeds, then you need a license...... of course im sure you meant you put different grains in different troughs...

[hughesy]

Sasha the Saddleback is only a fat pig if it's fed too much just like any other.