[Gregoz]

Good evening Piggie Lovers!!

What are your views on the best time to put a gilt in pig?
Any difference between breeds?

In the wild a boar would serve a gilt at around 5 months when she becomes sexually mature- should we replicate this??

Be good to hear opinions and reasons

[harmony]

A general rule of thumb is to farrow down between 12 and 14 months but I would also take into account the size of the gilt so if she is well grown aim for 12  and if not leave longer. Under 12 months they either make good mothers or don't but often are not well grown enough to milk so lose a lot of condition. Yes, traditional breeds are slower in growth but there again you get variations in breeds and breed lines.

[Gregoz]

Hey Harmony,
I think we had another discussion some weeks ago around a gilt being too old to get in Pig and we looked at 14 months as getting on a bit
This has cast up my thinking that is a year a bit late? Would 8 months be better?

Just me thinking...

GB

[harmony]

I think we are slightly at cross purposes. You asked about best to time to serve and I answered in terms of farrowing down. To farrow at 12 months you would put the boar in at 8 months.

[Gregoz]

Yes, my misunderstanding!
So 8 months to the boar, a year to farrow

[Marches Farmer]

I put my GOS gilts to the boar at 11-12 months.  This means that by the time they farrow they'll be well grown and, with the correct feeding during lactation, will keep their condition.  Commercial pigs are generally put to the boar at around 8 months old, but then they produce perhaps three litters before going to cull, whereas my GOS will produce 10 or more.

[harmony]

Commercial pigs are generally hybrids, too lean to sustain any more than three litters as they don't recover enough condition between litters. Other people have traditional, modern or cross bred. You really have to look at your pigs. pigs also continue to grow so gilts will grow on after they have had litters. Sometimes I will leave my lops a bit longer before putting too the boar because I know they can have large litters as gilts but generally I farrow around 12 months of age. We have a large white gilt and she is very well grown but I would expect that for a modern breed. They convert food into growth better than a traditional breed.


There is no standard size at a given age = just look at classes in the show ring. Pick any animal or breed and there will be size differences.

[roddycm]

I've just started with pigs and we put our girl to the boar at 8 months as she was well grown. She surprised us by growing a whole lot more while pregnant! We weaned at 8 weeks and put her back in with the boar. She i's now expecting her second litter. We kept a daughter back and have purchased a pietrain boar. We will put the gilt in pig at around 7 to 8 months as she has grown like a weed! I think if you feed them well they continue to grow well... a bit like putting ewe lambs in lamb!

[Gregoz]

Nice one Roddcm!
It's the kind of insight I was looking for!
How many piglets off her first lot and what breed?

[Marches Farmer]

It may be worth considering that, like putting ewe lambs in lamb, farrowing when quite young may mean mothering problems.

[Gregoz]

Surely the skill here is putting the pig in-pig at the right time? That was my question
Naturally, gilts would be served at 5 months. Some (here) think that at 14 months gilts are getting too old for their first litter. 
I wanted to know, through experience ( not rules of thumb) what has worked with others and what was the breed and circumstances

[roddycm]

Nice one Roddcm!
It's the kind of insight I was looking for!
How many piglets off her first lot and what breed?

She's a Hampshire × and we put her to a landrace! She had 7 guessing she will have more this time but 7 was good for her first time as she reared them very easily!

[harmony]

Nice one Roddcm!
It's the kind of insight I was looking for!
How many piglets off her first lot and what breed?

She's a Hampshire × and we put her to a landrace! She had 7 guessing she will have more this time but 7 was good for her first time as she reared them very easily!

Lots of modern pig in there so I would expect her to be well grown. More well grown than a traditional. However my first time lops farrowing at a year of age rarely have less than 10.

[Marches Farmer]

Horses for courses, I guess.  For me a good temperament and 10 litters of up to 15 piglets make starting a little later well worth the cost and effort, particularly since pigs on our farm have some dramatic winter weather to contend with.  I know that if the sows can survive and be productive for that long then they are very robust and this will hopefully translate into excellent health in the piglets.

[Fowgill Farm]

Gregoz bear in mind Roddy's pigs are 'commercial' modern breed crosses and traditional breeds mature more slowly. i look at putting my GOS in pigs around 10mths old.
Mandy