The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: sabrina on January 25, 2020, 05:49:49 pm

Title: Pigs Back
Post by: sabrina on January 25, 2020, 05:49:49 pm

Our 2 pigs went to Dingwall on the 19th of this month. Our local butcher got them Friday morning and we collected them today. Butcher was full of praise for the meat.He wanted to know how old they were, how I had kept them and what I fed them on.  These pigs were a new breed for me. Landrace cross Saddleback. Very nice natured. Both female. The small paddock they had is well turned over but it will recover.

Title: Re: Pigs Back
Post by: SallyintNorth on January 25, 2020, 05:54:19 pm

Congratulations!   :trophy:  It's always pleasing when a butcher compliments one :)

My butcher in Cumbria was very complimentary about my Saddleback x OSB.  Maybe it makes a good cross!

If you have the info and don't mind sharing... How old were they, what was the deadweight, and what was did the backfat measure?

Title: Re: Pigs Back
Post by: Rupert the bear on January 25, 2020, 07:03:02 pm

Well done ! Its always nice to have compliments like that from someone one in the trade. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Pigs Back
Post by: harmony on January 25, 2020, 07:05:50 pm

Well done. As Sally said always good to hear your butcher is impressed.


Some lines of Saddleback tend to run to fat more easily than other. I think it is the Wessex lines as opposed to the Essex lines. Crossing with a Landrace will compliment the Saddleback.


OSB are slower growing than some traditional breeds and can be finished as a fairly lean carcase so again SBXOSB would be a good mix.


All that said feeding and having an eye has a lot to do with it too.

Title: Re: Pigs Back
Post by: sabrina on January 25, 2020, 08:11:39 pm

Quote from: SallyintNorth on January 25, 2020, 05:54:19 pm

Congratulations!   :trophy:  It's always pleasing when a butcher compliments one :)

My butcher in Cumbria was very complimentary about my Saddleback x OSB.  Maybe it makes a good cross!

If you have the info and don't mind sharing... How old were they, what was the deadweight, and what was did the backfat measure?

They were 7 months old, the invoice from Munro Ltd does not tell me the deadweight and all I know about the backfat is the butcher said they were lean and not overfat.

Title: Re: Pigs Back
Post by: SallyintNorth on January 25, 2020, 09:08:46 pm

Brilliant, thanks sabrina.  Backfat probably less than 19mm then, that was our local butcher's max.

Thanks for posting, it's great to get info like this from other smallholders  :-*

Title: Re: Pigs Back
Post by: sabrina on January 26, 2020, 04:30:30 pm

Quote from: SallyintNorth on January 25, 2020, 09:08:46 pm

Brilliant, thanks sabrina.  Backfat probably less than 19mm then, that was our local butcher's max.

Thanks for posting, it's great to get info like this from other smallholders  :-*

Hubby worked out that we have a 120 KG of meat back.