The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: School Farmer on October 06, 2012, 03:22:30 pm
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Can anyone tell me how to find a new home for Sid and Peppa the Vietnamese/oxfordsandy/saddleback cross 2 year old pigs we have? We were given them as piglets for the school and were expecting them to be small, but they grew and grew. They are a breeding pair and very friendly, particularly with children. Unfortunately, we have had so much rain their pen in 3 ft deep in mud and they are having to learn to swim. We need to build a new smallholding site but Sid and Peppa need a new home fast. We are willing to give them free to anyone who can provide a good home, I don't want to ship them to the meat factory straight from school as I have 200 children who might never speak to me again. We are in Ascot Berkshire -any help gratefully received.
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Do you need someone to house them whilst you build their new accommodation?
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No, I think they should go to a new home and stay there. Maintenance men at schools are interesting breeds, you can never be sure how long its going to take them to complete a job. Once we are up and running again, I will purchase two sows, that way we will have planned piglets rather than those that get born in the middle of prize giving!
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I'm sorry but I couldn't justify keeping a boar. You may have a problem with rehoming him, The girl I could rehome for you as a breeding sow and not for meat.
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ideal opportunity for a hog roast?
kids need to learn the full story of farming really, the notion of going off to so and so's farm for the rest of their lives rarely exists.
or sell the meat to parents and donate the money to charity/school funds.
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I agree that a hog roast would be a great idea. The problem is that these pigs came to us as pets and as such have been treated that way by the children. When we replace them when the enclosures are built, I fully intend to do the hog roast and selling to parents bit. The children will be informed that this is what is going to happen and I am sure that they will go along with it, they are quite an understanding lot. This time round however, they have formed inappropriate attachments to the pigs and I need to let them know we have found a new 'home' for the pigs, the fact that Sid and eventually Peppa end up as hog roasts once they have left the school premises is not something the children or one or two staff need to know at this point!
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What a predicement, sorry you have been caught out in the micro pig saga. As they are not pure, it is unlikely they will be taken on as breeding stock. Have you advertised them locally, chances are they will end up as meat pigs whether you know about it or not. Have you tried any farm parks as they are free, they might just be taken on. How desparate are you for them to go. Why don't you send out a letter to the parents asking for suggestions, explain the situation and ask them to come up with ideas, add that the meat line is a possibility. parents shouldn't complain about this if they have been asked for ideas as to what to do. You never know someone might have a farm and be willing to take them.
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Thanks for the advice, unfortunately I offered them to parents and no one has come forward. I have an advert up locally and no replies so far!
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I'm 'aving them :)
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Good for you, Kitchen Cottage :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup:
TAS to the rescue again ;D
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Great news Kitchen Cottage :thumbsup:
Sally
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Well done Kitchen Cottage,
I will eat the meat my pigs produce in any form but seeing them being hog roasted maybe a step too far, someone elses pig, fine.
Andy
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I'm 'aving them :)
Yay!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :pig: :pig:
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dare i ask, school farmer, where they came from? anyone selling OSB's crossed with pot bellies with the label 'small' is having a laugh >:(
you are not the first school to have been caught out like this and its a shame for kids, staff and the pigs
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I am so glad that this has been resolved so well in, this instance.
But I agree with Wendy - what on earth was the "breeder" thinking of (apart from the obvious £ ::) ) selling piglets of this cross-breeding to a school? :rant: For that matter, what were they thinking of making such a bizzaire x-breeding in the first place :o
School Farmer - if you are going to get some new pigs in the future, please contact the BKKPS who will be able to sign-post you to a responsible breeder, who will provide you with ongoing support & aftercare (you can also join as a member without owning pigs first - the website is full of helpful advice). There are some other "newer to the UK" recognised breeds that are also fairly small & Wendy or Rispain will be able to provide you with some more info if you PM them.
:love: :pig: :love:
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Well I've seen piccies of them and they look like kune kunes rather than crosses..... and I'd say about 103kilo's.... I say this because we have a Kune Kune (Mr Darcey from The Only Way is Essex no less!) at my city farm and he weigh 103 kilos and they look like him..... They are VERY VERY VERY fat..... would anyone be thinking of eating piggies such as this..... :innocent: I am assuming they would only be good for sausages..... they are REALLY REALLY fat and it will take ages to get this off without it being cruel. I'm going to put them in a large outside paddock.... for now :innocent: :roflanim:
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KC is that the big white with a lid outside paddock. :roflanim:
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I wish! just picked them up
1. not domesticated
2. not bucket trained and stroppy
3... just wait till I post the photo
4. I'd say 130 kilos.
an hour and a half and a few "benny hill" moments to load them
old adage..... if it looks too good to be true.... it probably is....
They are kunes and MAAHOOSIVE.
I'll do photos tomorrow
Lady disposing of the was lovely, but they came with less instruction than an ikea shelf unit :roflanim:
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But look at it from the pigs point of view ;) They've lived in one place all their lives, suddenly someone they don't recognise comes in with a really scary looking metal box and expects them to get in it, chases you round for a while (becoming increasingly frustrated along the way ;)) then takes you somewhere you don't recognise, no familiar smells or sights ........ you'd not be feeling your best either ;) :D
Just saying ;) :innocent:
Give them a couple of days to settle in and they might be different - looking forward to the pics :thumbsup: (If you can't figure out how to resize them you can email them to me and I'll post them for you if you want)
Karen :wave:
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old adage..... if it looks too good to be true.... it probably is....
ask for your money back then ::) ::)