Author Topic: Talk to me about pigs....please (Read 9357 times)

devonlad · « **Reply #15 on:** July 16, 2015, 08:59:40 pm »

Have never bought a pig at market( have seen weaners go for £8 there). Always direct from farm and having seen both parents. If its going for the freezer don't need it to be registered. Just healthy and with a good start in life.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2015, 12:14:23 pm »

I think whoever is selling weaners for that price is doing no favours to other breeders. No wonder so many people have come out of keeping pigs over the past few years and so many rare breeds are in a perilous state.

Cosmore · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2015, 12:56:04 pm »

I would think that it is mainly commercial 'cast offs' in markets - you'd take a chance on what you were getting for £8!

. Also you might potentially be bringing in goodness knows what in illness and disease and deformity that had not been detected prior to sale or picked up in the market. Personally I'd never buy any pigs from markets, only from breeders that I knew and could see how they were kept and treated, be they either pure bred or crosses.
Yes, our pure breeds do need more support, too many have been lost already and a lot are in the 'at risk' category unfortunately.

.

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2015, 09:49:36 pm »

Thanks everyone for your pearls of wisdom. Lots of helpful suggestions and as ever a mixture of opinions.

I went to see some outdoor pigs today and now know just how much work has to be done in order to take some on.

hughesy · « **Reply #19 on:** July 18, 2015, 07:27:24 am »

Quote from: Marches Farmer on July 17, 2015, 12:14:23 pm

I think whoever is selling weaners for that price is doing no favours to other breeders. No wonder so many people have come out of keeping pigs over the past few years and so many rare breeds are in a perilous state.

It's not the seller's fault they only fetched £8 it's market forces. People shouldn't be breeding pigs if they are going to end up dumping them onto an auction where there's no demand for them. The best way to promote rare breeds is to get more people eating them, not encouraging more people to keep them with no market for what they produce.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #20 on:** July 18, 2015, 12:19:12 pm »

If you are selling a top quality weaner for £30 you are selling for under the cost of production, at least it is unless you're feeding the parent stock and piglets rubbish, in which case it wouldn't be a top quality weaner. Isn't selling at less than the cost of production what the dairy farmers have been leaving the industry for?

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #21 on:** July 18, 2015, 02:42:36 pm »

Quote from: Cosmore on July 17, 2015, 12:56:04 pm

I would think that it is mainly commercial 'cast offs' in markets - you'd take a chance on what you were getting for £8! . Also you might potentially be bringing in goodness knows what in illness and disease and deformity that had not been detected prior to sale or picked up in the market. Personally I'd never buy any pigs from markets, only from breeders that I knew and could see how they were kept and treated, be they either pure bred or crosses.
Yes, our pure breeds do need more support, too many have been lost already and a lot are in the 'at risk' category unfortunately. .

It is truly shocking. Many years ago when I was at a market they were selling broker sheep for very little around that price I think. I used to buy our large blacks from a friend of mine who doesn't keep em any more, she retired, they were the best ones I have seen in a long time though and the pork was sublime. I am thinking of keeping them again once I have the pen sorted out and a new pig arc. I have a friend who lives near me who sells large black weaners, am gonna buy two males to fatten up for slaughter ( hopefully). I agree that buying them at that price is outrageous, as a buyer you could be bringing in anything onto your farm. I try and buy direct from the breeder with any animal now (not just pigs) as I don't trust commercial sales. I have seen some people selling top quality large black weaners, from a rare Dorothy line?, for about £200 each, I thought this a tad overpriced, is it or am I overreacting? a weaner should be between 60-80 £. The guy am gonna buy em off is selling them at about £60 each, so thats not bad.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #22 on:** July 18, 2015, 03:46:50 pm »

I would think the difference there is whether they're meat-quality or breeding quality. If I could sell weaners for that price I'd be a very happy bunny!

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #23 on:** July 19, 2015, 09:09:44 pm »

Hi everyone,

I just thought that I would let you know that my research has revealed that the ivy, bracken and possibly the elder berry shrubs in my wooded area are poisonous to pigs so a wallowing spot sounds like the least of my worries.

Just thought I would let you pig keepers out there know before you harm your precious pigs.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #24 on:** July 19, 2015, 11:49:51 pm »

Pigs are usually really clever when it comes to avoiding things that aren't good for them (unlike sheep

)
I doubt the bracken will be an issue - lots of people use pigs to clear overgrown areas of bracken (they root it up rather than eat it) likewise the ivy and elder - they have a bitter taste which puts the pigs off. Unless they were absolutely starving I doubt they'd eat enough of it to have any effect on them.
If you were really worried you could cut the elder and ivy off at ground level and pull it out but I wouldn't bother trying to do that with the bracken. I'm sure others will be able to give more info on this for you too

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #25 on:** July 20, 2015, 02:42:15 pm »

If I put pigs in to clear it I will spray it first to kill the ivy and bracken and rake out as much as possible. The idea is to thin the woodland out and allow more light to encourage the grass area to spread. Removing the nettles and bracken will also allow us to sow some sheep pasture seed and encourage some nice herbage in there.

There isnt much in there right now in the way of nice grass so any pigs put in there will be fed hay and veg / fruit. I want them to rotavate it not ruin it through hunger.

I have visited two Kune kune keepers so far to check out the breed and I must say that they seem to vary quite a bit. Seems good breeding stock could be hard to obtain.

I have come up with a plan for the wallowing area so I just need fencing and accommodation. I think all this will be easier than finding the right pigs though.

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #26 on:** July 20, 2015, 03:36:04 pm »

If there are any cheese makers nearby you could take the whey off their hands and mix it with barley and feed it to the pigs. Whey is usually free as cheese makers want to offload it. Here is an article for it.
https://archive.org/stream/wheyfeedforhog/wheyfeedforhog_djvu.txt