The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Cobra on October 23, 2010, 04:01:41 pm
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Auction today ended up buying two lots 8 wieners in total, bit of a bugger to load :( Eight very helpful farmers later ;D
Traveled home well and didn't attack each other (Bonus)
Out later to feed and check them, make sure they settle in ok.
Neighbours are quite curiouse ;)
(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg295/UK-Cobra/Smallholding/Pigsfirstday23-10.jpg)
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Weaners?! They'll be ready to send off soon! ;) LOL, well done for taking the first step. I'm sure they'll load better when they go on their next journey. ;D Cows look great. :wave: Lovely to see those piggies outside.
Onnyview
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lovely :) isnt it a great feeling?!
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They look great, lucky you! Neighbours obviously finding them very interesting. :D
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These have only ever seen the inside of buildings or sheds. They are having a ball ;D they have already ploughed a third of their new home :D
6 boars 2 gilts two boars are well ahead of the others so they should be first in the line, poor buggers :D
Enjoyed their first meal alfresco, very well behaved considering their two separate lots :)
Yes what a fantastic feeling, seeing them enjoying their space is very rewarding, their next trip will obviously be piggie heaven and on to my kitchen surface; so any time in between should be nothing short of quality and well cared for animals. :wave:
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Congratulations Cobra ! There's nothing in the world that beats the feeling of bringing home pigs (apart from maybe delivering piglets ;)) welcome to the happy world of pig keeping ;D
Now, please don't think I'm being negative, but be carefull with your boars, especially if they're not all brothers. They can fight to the death, so I've been told.
I recently tried putting a different boar weaner in with some of my own piglets. The new one was significantly bigger and as they are all Kune Kunes I thought it would be worth a shot to see if they got on, chilled out, happy little pigs that they are ::) Needless to say, after about half an hour the new boar moved back out. Now they were just small piglets and even then they were all for having a go. I wouldn't fancy breaking up a fight when you see the size yours are ;)
Hopefully your boars are all related, in which case just ignore everything I've said ;D
Karen
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Many congratulations - just in time for the muddy weather ;)
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lovely little piggies hope all goes well for you
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Thanks everyone their loverly ;) Cant quite believe how friendly they are, didn't take long for them to get used to me and the bucket :D
Karen: I hear what your saying and it was my concern also. Even at auction, me and me mate looked at each other in that Oh Bugger way ::) Realising we had bought two separate pens of mainly boars and thinking? Should we do two trips or put them in the trailer together ??? >:(. in the end circumstances took over, the motorway was shut due to an accident and two trips wasn't going to happen, went and had a word with animal walefare and shared our concern, they suggested doing the run together and should ok. :-\
Well a nervous ride home if I'm honest, i kept moving and avoided traffic conjestion so they had to concentrate on standing up rather than taking chunks out of each other ;D When we arrived we nervously looked into the very quite trailer ??? Looking back at us were 8 very relaxed and unaffected pigs, not even a poo in the trailer :o.
They are having a bit of a sort out and sorting who's boss and a couple of red ears, very minor stuff, other than that they are settled and very friendly, this afternoons feed was a very organised and orderly event (see pic). I'm keeping a very close eye and watching no one gets too boisterous, good thing is I have two more pens so if needs be I can open the gate and separate them.
My daughter came to auction for the first time, shes 10; she did such a great job, bless her she was so excited and loved it but got very wet and very cold it chucked it down several times. i have a small internet shop where turn my art into prints, mugs and Shirt: SO I have made this for her and ordered it as a thank you ;D (See Pic of T-Shirt) On the back it says "Oink if you love pigs" :love:
(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg295/UK-Cobra/Smallholding/2ndfeedSmall.jpg) (http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg295/UK-Cobra/Smallholding/Katiest-ShirtSmall.jpg)
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Congratulations on your first pigs. Love the tee shirt.
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;D ;D ;D
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In case you didn't realise it yet, Cobra: you and your daughter will be hooked for life! :D But don't worry, we're all pig-addicts here! ;D ;D
So what are your plans with them?
Eve :wave:
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Hi eve, the two largest will go for slaughter and the freezer first. That will leave the lot of six 4 guilts 2 boars they will also go for slaughter later on, going to be a lot of meat, that shouldnt be an issue as family are queing up for sausages lol
My friend and landlord came in with me and has three of them, It's Been great because he's had pigs and is basically taking me through it step by step and helps keep an eye; which is fantastic and very reassuring.
There's an outside chance that if one of the gilts looks good I could be tempted to keep her back for breeding, but in fairness I'm currently thinking buying a gos sow.
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love the t shirt, thats so sweet
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1 whole pig = 1 full height freezer, Cobra, time to get yourself registered on e-bay! ;D You must have a big family! ;D ;D
They'll be going at the right time to make air-dried ham and salami's (summer's too warm). And happy fat pigs taste sooo much better! Given the weather today you're probably all sitting there soaked but with a warm feeling from gazing at a the new oinkers. They're great creatures, pigs, aren't they!
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Love it. Nice to see them relaxed and enjoying the fresh air.
Here's my caption for the t-shirt pic: 'Even old cows love pigs!'
And another: 'Moo-ve over, we were here first'
:D
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1 whole pig = 1 full height freezer, Cobra, time to get yourself registered on e-bay! ;D You must have a big family! ;D ;D
I'm already looking including FleeBay ;) Got a couple and yes family and neighbours are all very keen. think Ill have plenty left over :D
Ive been also spending time looking at sausage making and different cuts etc, although I may not be quite so enthusiastic after a day or two in the kitchen ??? ::)
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Love it. Nice to see them relaxed and enjoying the fresh air.
Can we start a slogan thread for the t-shirt pic? Mine is 'Even old cows love pigs!' :D
Looks like you've kicked it off Nicely :D
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Congratulations- Well done you I remember the pleasure of seeing my first pigs, even now when I buy in a couple I spend hours watching them do their piggy things and being happy, and if they have to be eaten - well they would have been anyway, and if we couldn't eat them they wouldn't even have had a chance to exist.
All the best and enjoy all of it
Sue
Dark Brown Eggs
PS love the T-shirt
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You can never ever have too much good home grown free range pork.
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oh i so agree! we still have pork in the freezer and our next lots of pigs arrive at the weekend.....