The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Sudanpan on March 21, 2012, 08:02:10 pm
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What I mean is this is the first major measurable difference we have noticed between the lop-eared (GOS and GOS x OSB) pigs that we have kept previously as against our tamworth x large whites this year. :pig: :pig:
We use the electric white tape for our pig enclosure. As the pigs get bigger I move the fence back so they get more area to rootle around.
The lop-eared pigs would not cross the original fence line for at least 24 hours after I moved the electric tape. They would come right up (as in millimetre perfect) to the original line, but no further - even if I tried to coax them over with treats. They would eventually pluck up the courage after 24 hours or so. This would happen each time I moved the tape.
At the weekend I expanded the pig paddock for our prick eared pigs - as soon as I moved the tape clear of some juicy looking grass the piggies were in and chomping! They established to new perimeter position immediately, without having to 'test' the fence. So, from my experience I would reckon that proves they use their eyesight to a far greater degree ;D
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Yup, I notice the difference with mine too ;D
The Berkshire beats the Large Blacks to the feed every time as she can see exactly where she's going (it does mean though that when/if they ever get out, they can see where they're going and it's usually in the opposite direction that you want ::))
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when we call our pigs, our gos runs to where you normally stand, whereas our tamworths just come in a straight line to wherever u r. shame.
i do love our tammies eyes, so pretty and thoughtful. our pigs r often v freerange, and as dorothy walks by the kitchen window, she stops and peeps to see if im washing up! lol our gos used to go round to the patio and sit there, so they do adjust ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
i wonder what lops looked like 100 yrs ago, r they exaggerated today, in the way pedigree dogs are? a bulldog a hundred years ago looked nothing like one today.
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Don't know about eyesight, but the Wiglet Sisters have learnt damn fast how to escape from their pen! Thought I had secured the gate properly 2 days ago, then found it pushed open at the bottom-no piglets. Crashing crazily through the wood (and the broom), I found them grazing peacefully next door....Yesterday afternoon, caught them testing the gate in the same place-smart Wiglets! I am trying to work out just how much land to let them rummage through while they are still so young.
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Yep, our Saddlebacks are both lops and they too will not cross the line where the white tape has been.
To facilitate moving them when I want to, I put a 'box' of four hurdles in the fence ring, so that when I want to move the pigs I can. I take down the electric fence, leaving the pigs still in situ with only 4 small hurdles still standing in the wide open space, move the plastic posts and tape to the new pasture and then open the 'gate' (hurdles). The pigs will then and only then leave the old patch - which has been bare of electrickery for some time - and move into the new one... providing I have a bucket of nuts. No pig nuts = no pigs following me :D
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Meg's semi-lop : when you call her, it can take her ages to hear, but then she starts to run to where she expects you, catches sight of you as she bounces and her ears flip up (honestly, anyone who doesn't at least grin fit to split their face seeing Meg come a-running is beyond all hope!) and adjusts course. She tilts her head to look at you out of the underside eye, bless her. :love: :pig:
4 of her 5 Saddleback cross piglets were lop, the boar I butched a few weeks back was prick to the point of pinned-back. (Don't know why, it was a Deerpark boar, so no mixed genes there.) What was very noticeable when he went, was how the remaining pair of gilts were - and still are - much more jumpy. I think it's because Brave could always see what was making that noise, so could reassure the blinkered girls that it was just Her with Treats or Nosey Collie or Clumsy Hen or whatever.
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We had our tammy out in a wood a few years ago and just like Sudanpan says the pigs would not cross where the electric fence had been. Totally exasperated after 4 hours I gave up, Lucky our tammy was well named that day :pig: :pig:. When we needed to move pigs in future, the electric fence was taken down a few days before and the pigs were left to realise that the fence wasn't up any more, made life sooo much easier.
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you cant get any more lop eared than the British lop and all the crosses from hot lips are very prick eared
crossed with a Hampshire when hot lips goes into a canter the ears do back and they can see and boy does she take advantage of that :farmer: