The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: HesterF on April 21, 2013, 10:58:14 pm
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Sorry, I'm sure you've answered these loads of time before but couldn't find them.
How much area wise would you need for a pair of weaners, just to grow on until slaughter? We've got an area with some old and very overgrown hazel trees but I don't know whether it's big enough for a couple of pigs so I was trying to work out how much to fence off around it.
I've heard all the tales of pigs destroying trees. These hazel trees probably need coppicing or something - they're mainly hundreds and hundreds of branches (various sizes from a few cms thick to good solid branches) shooting up. What would pigs do to them? Would they just chew round them or try and knock them over or what?
Will pigs be happy without any grass? From what I've seen, they just dig it up anyway but do they like it prior to digging it up?
Thanks,
Hester
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Hester
Hi, I am by no means an expert on pigs, but have just finished fencing off out first pig field today (exciting stuff)
My old neighbour used to keep pigs on a commercial basis, and his killed all the trees in his field, including a rather stunning and very very old oak tree :(
The pigs will totally destroy all the grass and from then on be more than happy rooting about in the bare earth.
I have put asside a 25m x 25m plot and hope to run 3 on that..... but have no idea what the norm is lol !!
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I'd say that the more space they have the better (and the less chance of them rooting up your trees ;))
We give at least a third of an acre to get 2 weaners to pork weight and needed it last year because the weather was so wet ! (The wetter it is, the quicker they turn it to mush and the longer it takes to recover :-\)
So ideally, 1000 square meters would be about right for two weaners IMHO.
As to them rooting up trees, providing the trees are well established (over 10 years old) they shouldn't really root them up, but if the ground is wet and all vegitation in their paddock is gone - they might be more interested in the trees.
HTH
Karen
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Karen are you sure you mean 100 sq mtrs, that's only 10 x 10 I would have said that was way too small. :wave:
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Ooops ! Sorry meant 1000 square meters ::) (changed on the original post now ;))
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The previous owner here ran pigs on an 8 acre field and they managed to damage the roots of a 300 year old oak to the extent it came down in a gale .....
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Our pigs don't dig trees out but they use them as bum rubbing posts and snap young saplings like twigs...grrrr....all now have metal protectors round them.
Our smallest paddocks are 18mtrs by 12mtrs and our largest ones are 50mtrs x 30mtrs,
Pigs adore :love: fresh grass and if theres good growth they'll be content nibbling it (this is GOS) we find they only start to dig when the grass is short and of poor nutritional value. One paddock has an old tree trunk and fence posts plunged into ground to use for a good scratch!.
HTH
mandy :pig:
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Our saddleback dig. They do eat grass but prefer to consume the roots first. This is despite having read somewhere that saddlebacks are noted for their grazing habits! It doesn't matter how much space they have they will turn it all over. They're not happy until they've ploughed every available inch. A group of 8 four month old growers turned over two acres in about a week recently. They're just doing what comes naturally so if you want grass, don't put pigs on it.
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Thanks all! I saw the 100 square metres earlier and was surprised how small that was. 1000 square metres is just over 30m by 30m which sounds pretty doable and less surprising!
I picked up some ducks last year from a place that had pigs and a couple had escaped and you could see the devastation they'd caused in just a few minutes on fresh grass. It looking like a bulldozer had been through. This particular area is about the only area we have that is not good quality grass so that's why we'd be happy to have pigs on it but I was worried that they'd miss out on the grass. I guess traditionally they were kept in woodland and that's what this is like - lots of interesting things under the trees to turn over. I was wondering whether there was a plot big enough that they'd just happily live on grass, but clearly not....
H
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just a thought..... would they eat grass cuttings ?
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Love grass cutting don't swamp them cuttings though and make sure fresh
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Mine eat the cuttings quicker than I can cut it. :roflanim:
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That is good to hear. I have a huge amount of grass cuttings every week. More than is good for current compost heap. So with a bigger heap and pigs I can get rid of it all.
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That is good to hear. I have a huge amount of grass cuttings every week. More than is good for current compost heap. So with a bigger heap and pigs I can get rid of it all.
Its not as eay as that, less is more 90driver, too many and you'll make them ill, we gauge as one mower box of cuttings per pen of 3 pigs so don't expect them to eat all your cuttings. Also be aware of whats in your cuttings,eg sharp thorns, bits of plastic, leylandii trimmings etc.
so takie care
mandy :pig:
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Mandy
Ok thanks for that.... My mower box holds about 3 wheel barrow loads ... I am guessing that is too much !! ;D
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I would guess that I usually put in a barrow load per adult pig and they seem ok with that. They tend to go away for a sleep and finish them off later.
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I think it does depend on the breed, but I agree with Mandy. we have GOS and they do eat the grass and rub on trees. We have had a little scrapping of the top layer of grass but no actual digging.
You would be welcome to come and have a look at our set up. If it would help.
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Oooh, Eastling, I might just do that - maybe I'll wait until your duckies have hatched too! Husband is keen to start this year but given the amount we (mostly I) have on at the moment, I'm trying to stall him. Just don't have time to get the fencing sorted, let alone anything else.
H
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I know that feeling ! I think i've done well today, got OH to jet wash stables out and i've cut the grass! You would be more than welcome to come and have a cuppa and a chat. and hopefully see the duckies :fc: Send me a pm when you are ready and i'll send address.
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Hester.... Mmmm time !! I so know that feeling. I have lived here for 13 years, so many jobs have got knocked back a season year after year !! And as of 3 weeks ago pigs were going to next years again. But encouraged and inspired by TAS, I now have a stunning pig enclosure with running water .... Did not take much effort, very enjoyable to actually get it done !
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Hi Eastling,I am just teetering on the edge of getting some pigs myself I am brassed just outside of Canterbury.I would be very interested in seeing your see up would it be possible to arrange a meeting at some point.
Thanks Graham.
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Maybe Graham and I should hook up and visit you at the same time (and then we could go and see his geese which I'd also love to visit)?
I impulse decided to create a pumpkin patch/asparagus bed last week so hired a deturfer for the weekend. Assumed our tiller would cope with the breaking up - hmmm, no - and after digging about 30m2 of the 150m2 patch, have decided that time is most definitely not on my side. More cash will be thrown at it in the form of a rotavator tomorrow (hopefully). Another job that is taking longer than anticipated. Still got to arrange for the manure load and get the rabbit fencing up before they stop selling asparagus for the season. Arrrgggghhhh. Very impressed by anybody who can manage to create a pig pen (with running water) in just three days - it takes me longer than that just to clean my childrens' bedroom (mind you it's never all in one hit and tends to get messed up more quickly than I can tidy).
H
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Hi
Just let me know when you want to come. We are about most days. Would be interested in picking your brain about geese to Graham.
Hester a rotavator is the way to go, we hired a petrol one much easier. Can't comment on childrens rooms but my husband does a good impression of a teenager with clothes on the floor!
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3 days ??? Did I say that..... Mmm although in truth if you had everything you needed ready then our patch could of easily been done in 3 days. 1 adult and one able bodied teenager. But as a single parent, something has to give.... My kids have to do their own rooms, which of course means they are an embarrassing mess.... But the eldest (15) is getting the hang of it !
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Hi Eastling and Hester F,I would be very interested to come and visit you.Pigs are very new to me it would be very interesting to see how its done properly.Gloster old spots are a breed that also interest me.
How are you doing with your rotovating Hester,I have a 7' howard rotovator that goes behind my John Derre if you realy stuck.
Graham.
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Hi Graham J
Don't know that I do it properly but everyone says the girls a just a little spoilt!! They are great characters and quite fun to watch, when they are a wake! I have only had them just over two years. Had trouble finding a boar locally but have seen a gosxosb who is lovely but don't have a tow bar or trailer.( on the to do list!) No luck with AI either. As I said you are welcome to come and have a look.
Hope Hester hasn't rotavated herself into the ground!
Jackie
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Hi,yes I would love to come and take a look,I will try and arrange something with you next week.I think I will be tied up fencing and moving my sheep this week.
Thanks Graham.
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Rotavating done - Jewsons rock, both their turf cutter and rotavator did just what is said on the tin, unlike HSS's versions of the same last year. Manure man let me down - coming later in week, I hope - but nearly there. Which is good because I've ordered my asparagus crowns to arrive Friday. Just got to get the fencing sorted which should be a quick job. With the long weekend ahead, I might be feeling more on top of things by next week.
90driver - did misread your 3 weeks for 3 days but you should have left me super impressed!
H
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Pumpkin patch for pigs - all that turf cutting then rotavating. Will you have to weed the plot when the pumpkins are growing.
I plant mine in a patch that was once cobbled but for many years used as the dung heap. The soil is just 4-6 inches deep so I build a mound with manure and soil, cut the grass immediateley around each mound and plant a pumpkin in each. If the grass grows after in the autumn then it is a nice surprise to find a pumpkin hidden away. Oh - I mark each plant with a stick so I can water it but they do throw down roots as they go and these seem to get through any grass.
It is not that I am lazey not turning over all the ground and digging up the old stone ( on sand) layer - but I discovered this works a couple of years ago and stay with it. The grass look OK at other times of the year too - rather than bare earth.
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Hi,how big do you build the mound up,do you leave a hollow in the top for watering.What sort of proportion of manure do you add to the soil.Very interesting.
Graham.
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1:1 mix but I guess that depends on what soil and manure mix you have. My thinking is to max water retention of the mound- large wheelbarrow load dumped on bare lightly dug soil will do it. I'll plant in a depression but the mature plant will take up moisture from roots thrown off the long leaders. initially the exposed mound gets sun and thus heat near the roots - gets the plant going. Not bothered if grass covers it after that as it can help retain water compared to exposed soil. I do the same with courgettes and butternut. - All pig food :pig:
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.......how big do you build the mound up,do you leave a hollow in the top for watering.What sort of proportion of manure do you add to the soil........
We have horses and plant our pumpkins, courgettes, squash, straight into the muckheap. We have two piles of muck; last years and this years - the young plants get planted onto 'last years'. We mark the plant with a tall stick so we know where to water, and that's all we do until it's time to harvest them. We get a huge crop and it's great fun following the trails and finding yet another Butternut Squash, or pumpkin, then another, then another....
.............. :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: ..............
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We have horses and plant our pumpkins, courgettes, squash, straight into the muckheap. We have two piles of muck; last years and this years - the young plants get planted onto 'last years'. We mark the plant with a tall stick so we know where to water, and that's all we do until it's time to harvest them. We get a huge crop and it's great fun following the trails and finding yet another Butternut Squash, or pumpkin, then another, then another....
.............. :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: ..............
We do the same with our winter pig poo heaps, one from last winter matured and ready for planting up and this winters to stir up and leave to rot too. get some lovely pumpkins!
mandy :pig:
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Hi,very interesting.I take it now is the time to plant them.Do you germinate them in pots or plant the seed straight in the heep.
Thanks Graham.
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Not sure how far north you are but maybe start the seeds on a window sill and plant out in a couple of weeks. Or if your heap is in full sun and you can make a clear plastic tent or some glass over it's top then plant a seed and remove the "cold protection when the nights warm up.
OhLaLa describes the fun of finding pumpkins and other squash so well.
Look what I grew (second from the left) - just joking
(http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7rsdAg18ByY/UI7k3eD5qSI/AAAAAAAACvg/g_MM6oS705g/w571-h428-p-o/P1010009-1.JPG)