[Marches Farmer]

When we used to buy in GOS weaners we paid by the kilo and they were usually between 19 and 23 kg at 8 weeks.  You have to build the frame first with 16% protein feed, then the flesh gets put on that.  Supermarket sausages (whatever fancy name they give them) are rubbish compared to native breed, traditionally raised and finished pork.  At 4 months their food conversion rate is slowing appreciably and they'll start to put on fat rather than grow frame.  Given lots of interesting things to eat growers will go for variety, a bit like a child given the run of a sweetshop, even though boring old 16% protein nuts are what's best for them.

[harmony]

As MF says the best conversion of food takes place when the pigs are younger. Both GOS and LB have the potential to be fatty but your infusion of Duroc might well counter this.

[verdifish]

I have a lot of whey from the goats cheese and waste milk from the cows and the goats First milk ect
and have been told by animal health not to feed it to the pigs its not worth all the paper work

Is this in Scotland Goatherd?

[gracy]

Thanks everybody. They were only 8 kg when we got them @8 weeks which is a a gain of around 12kg a month.... I thought they would balloon towards the end.....if their rate of growth is about to slow down i may be in for some very light piggys   Can't delay their slaughter as working on contract over winter and our farm sitter "don't do pigs"  I knew 95kg sounded a bit to much like pie in the sky.

Are durocs a lighter breed? They all look like LB from a distance. (the mix is 50%LB 25%durroc 25%GOS) 

[gracy]

Just to update.
The pigs finished out between 65 and 73 kg DW with the average at 69kg DW.
Not too fatty averaging 80mm except for one who was 130 mm! The meat is very sweet. Butcher did comment that the hams were unusually small.

The pasture was Rough grazing with patches of bog I'd say 60% grass (timothy, fescue and sedge) 10% Juncus rushes (they loved the tubers) 10% heather/crowberry (ate berries, flowers and young shoots) 20% spagnum moss (they didn't eat this but loved playing with it and it hosted lots of yummy insects/amphibians)

After restricting them to 1/3 acre per pig they started eating 1kg barley a day.
Total feed given between 8 weeks and 24 weeks - 82kg/pig
Total feed cost/pig £12.75 !

Next time i will probably start them on the smaller space and I will be planting field peas in the finishing field to give them a little protein boost. Me thinks they would have filled out a bit better if they had had the extra solids from the get go.