The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Small Plot Big Ideas on July 05, 2013, 09:41:42 am
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I had planned to wait until spring next year before we get any weaners but I'm getting impatient and right now I can't see any reason why we shouldn't get a couple at some point in the next month or two.
With my lack of experience I thought it worth asking here if anyone had any good reasons for me to be patient a little longer and wait until early next year?
Obviously they will make a right mess of their patch but we have around 1 acre+ of woods which is already well fenced into 3 or 4 separate areas so they could be moved from section to section through the winter. Surely by taking this approach the ground will recover from their attentions fairly quickly over time?
I would probably get 2 (or maybe 3?) Tamworths as I had a "pig day" at Yearle Tamworths (http://www.yearletamworths.co.uk/) last year which was extremely informative (and very enjoyable too). We already have an old corrugated pig ark that was left by the previous owners of our house so we're not completely unprepared! :)
I may not be quite as ready for dealing with the paperwork but at least we already have a CPH number
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I would say don't get weaners for the first time that you need to over winter. If you do get them now then they will be gone again before the bad weather sets in.
I am on my second set, 3 OSB's last year and now 2 GOS and have found both lots fairly easy to keep. A good water supply is essential, although that can be by watering can if thats what you are prepared to do, and somewhere nice and cosy for them to cuddle up with plenty of straw. Mine don't have access to much fruit and veg although they enjoy it when they do have it, but seem to get on fine with sow and weaner nuts.
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If you can find some that you can finish before Xmas then go for it, but like Bionic said, I wouldn't bother with over-wintering. Alternatively, wait until spring.
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Hi Richard :wave:
I don't have a huge amount of experience with "big pigs", but I'm pretty sure that if you get a couple of weaners now, then they would be ready by Christmas (so avoiding keeping them through most of the bad weather).
Looks like you've done most of the groundwork - attending a pig keeping course etc & have ready made housing & a decent area to keep them in :thumbsup: To be honest, raising a couple of weaners is a good start - it's when you get down to breeding the more intricate stuff starts ;)
You'll need to register with eaml for movements etc & contact your local AH for your Herd Number once you've got your weaners, scource a reliable (& hopefully cheap) feed supplier & ensure you have a way of ensuring they have a constant water supply. If the breeder has (& should really) wormed them, then you shouldn't need to deal with any meds. Make sure you will have suitable transport to take them to the abattoir when the time comes - what you need to do about booking them in, tagging etc. Oh, & that you have access to a vet that treats pigs, as many of them don't, just in case :fc:
I would advise going to a breeder rather than a Mart for you first purchases - as you can see the welfare condition of the sow etc & you have a contact for aftercare advice & support.
As for the breed - everyone has there own "favourites" - if you can afford to buy from a registered rare breed it'll support the continuation of the scarce lines, but if not there are some great cross-breed that make marvellous sausage & bacon.
Sorry, I've been good so far ... but, I've got to put a word in for the wee guys ;) ... I would recommend consideration of Kunekunes for a 1st timer - very docile & easy to handle, hardy, very cheap to feed (compared to most breeds), don't cause as much damage to the ground as "big pigs" - by scale of size (don't ever believe that they don't dig) BUT they probably wouldn't reach meat weight by Christmas if you get weaners.
Whatever you go for - let us know how you get on :love: :pig: :love:
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Sorry folks :bouquet: :bouquet: - you both posted while I was still rambling ::)
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Get them now. I've done butchering pigs in the summer when there are loads of flys around and its not good.
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Unless I am wrong I suspect the intention here is to send them to the abattoir, in which case the flies while butchering won't be a problem.
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Getting weaners now means that they will go in October / November, so hopefully before the big freeze so your land should be ok. Depends on if it is light and free draining or heavy clay?
As you are aware Tamworths will 'gently' plough the ground for you and wading through mud wont be the best fun so you want them to go before it gets really bad.
Getting the date close to end of November beware of the Christmas though most butchers are focused on turkeys and you will end up either with lazy cuts or having to take them through Christmas.
Apart from that have fun
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Beewyched, thanks for the good information. I had my heart set on Tamworths because Sarah at Yearle Tamworths did such a good job of convincing me last year. However I might consider Kunekune especially as I beleive they are more likely to "graze" the grass rather than "churn up" the ground!
Bionic, you are quite right in that they would go to an abbatoir as I don't think we'll be brave enough to take on the butchering as well, at least not the first time around anyway!
Hassle, that's a good point about the dates which I hadn't considered. I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world if we kept them through until early January but it would be best to make sure I had them booked in somewhere well in advance!
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Beewyched, thanks for the good information. I had my heart set on Tamworths because Sarah at Yearle Tamworths did such a good job of convincing me last year. However I might consider Kunekune especially as I beleive they are more likely to "graze" the grass rather than "churn up" the ground!
They will Richard, trust me -they can make a field look like it's from the Battle of the Somme just as good as any breed - it's just that it's proportionately less because of their size! :love: :pig: :love:
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Hi
Just down the road from you south of M'bro.
As the others have said getting weaners now would mean butchering mid Octoberish which is generally a bit quieter. We send our porkers at 22-24wks so based on this you would be able to book them in with your butcher provisonally when you get them as babies.
As the others say Tammies will root like buggery and you may find them boisterous for a first go at pig keeping, they are alovely breed but for a first timer i'd be tempted to go for one of the big dangly eared breeds as they're a bit dopier (sorry my babies GOS :love: ) so long as you can check them twice a day, make sure they have a wallow and good supply of drinking water, you should be ok. Make sure your fencing is up to scratch any pig given half a sniff will escape at will, they're clever little divils! And when its hot you may find the need to shade your metal ark think oven!
Other than that go for it. If you need more info there are laods of good books and you've already been on a good course at Yearle, have a look under pig management section on the GOS website www.gospbc.org.uk (http://www.gospbc.org.uk)
all the best
Mandy :pig:
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...Tammies will root like buggery ....
thanks - I'm trying not to let this bit worry me but if I'm honest I think you might be right! Of course there is always one way of finding out - it might just be the hard way though!
Luckily the patch I have in mind is well established wood land and I think some previous owners had pigs (possibly Berkshires?) on it about 13-14 years ago
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Unless I am wrong I suspect the intention here is to send them to the abattoir, in which case the flies while butchering won't be a problem.
Eh hum. Even if the intention isn't to butcher the pigs at home, believe you me, they still have flys in abbatoirs.
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Go for it now, if you're able to - and well done on choosing Tamworths. They have an undeserved reputation for being "boistrous" as someone said. I've had lots of different breeds and found others much more difficult to manage - particularly OSBs and GOS.
Tamworths were my first breed, and I'br stuck with them, but tried others alongside them as a comparison. They're extremely intelligent and inquisitive and have far more personality. Just try not to get too attached - have two boar pigs to start off, because you'll know you can't keep them forever.
Good luck, and please message me if you need any advice.
Liz
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Go for it now, if you're able to - and well done on choosing Tamworths. They have an undeserved reputation for being "boistrous" as someone said. I've had lots of different breeds and found others much more difficult to manage - particularly OSBs and GOS.
Tamworths were my first breed, and I'br stuck with them, but tried others alongside them as a comparison. They're extremely intelligent and inquisitive and have far more personality. Just try not to get too attached - have two boar pigs to start off, because you'll know you can't keep them forever.
Good luck, and please message me if you need any advice.
Liz
Agree ;)
Dont let the reputation that goes before Tamworths put you off. They are a lovely breed and yes they will root a lot but they are always busy and great to sit and watch :).
Nothing against OSB's but the one we had was a nightmare and actually really nasty if not in pig so she managed to put me off the breed completely! I wont tar them all with the same brush though because no experience other than her!
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Agree with the last two posters,with your location there are lots of good breeders of tammies in your area.Go and see several breeders before buying see there set up, and there pigs, interact with them before deciding ,and please buy registered pigs if only for the provenance .Enjoy them when they are growing and enjoy them in the after life
regards bb
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Don't forget opinions are like a********, I mean like pigs on this part of the forum and everyone has one :innocent:
Blackboab has it about right find a local person and if they are nice get your pigs off them, then any problems (of which there shouldn't be any, but with animals you never know) you won't feel guilty if you have to get them over.
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another thing you might want to think about is at what time you're going to send them to slaughter, I know our local abattoir gets booked up solid in the run up to Christmas and you need to book them in well in advance so you might want to avoid the seasonal rush. I held my last 2 over til January this year but the next 2 are going sept/oct time.
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yearle tamworths are excellent stock, id personally recommend them, they also taste superb.
tamworths in woodland wont get as destructive as just in a muddy paddock as the tree roots hold the soil together more, and there is more for them to do with fallen leaves etc.
if you dont feel ready, why not buy a butchered pig for the freezer whilst you research some more? theres a lot you can learn about cooking/processing the meat that is interesting.
yes, there is a xmas rush for the butcher, so aim for before butchering before end of november.
we kept our tamworths out all year round and sent them off about 7 mths. feed goes up and growth comes down during winter but it is achieveable. but wind, rain and cold isnt the most pleasant environment for them if you can help it. they will stand there and shiver. so a good shelter is a must.
why not get some older store pigs that will finish a bit sooner? - say 4 mths old (most breeders will have these if they sell pork) they will be more expensive due to the feed the have eaten already but will give you a bit of experience. they may not be as tame as your own weaners tho,unless they have been handled alot but use a pig board/race to load them etc and they should be no problem.
tamworths were our first ever pigs, and werent difficult though it was a learning curve. if you spend time handling them, scratching bellies, teaching to roll over etc you can get fabulous relationships with them, one shout and they will come galloping over to you. they are quite vocal though. the hard bit is sending them away if they are your new best friends :gloomy: :wave:
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wind, rain and cold isnt the most pleasant environment for them if you can help it.
Its not the most pleasant environment for you either and if the weather is bad it could well put you off of doing it again
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If I was starting out I'd get weaners in May, to be finished well before the bad weather (with the exception of 2012, which was all bad weather). If putting them in woodland beware of allowing unrestricted access to a large amount of greenery - too much in a young pig can cause impaction in the get.
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:wave:
We got three Berkshire weaners in mid June and I don't regret it. We are thinking ours will be ready in October, so end of October -Mid November if you got some now.
Best advice I can give as a first timer is get boys (they are already boisterous) and find a good local breeder. Choose a pig you like the idea of (you won't have them for long).
Go on! ;D
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Thanks to everyone for the useful comments, I may not follow all of the advice but that doesn't make it any less appreciated or valuable! ;D
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Thanks again for the all the advice - here are a couple of pictures showing the results :excited:
Can't quite believe how chilled out they were on the drive back and now they're here the space looks huge although I'm sure that in time they'll get plenty big enough to give it a good trashing!
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ahh congrats!
where did you get them from, very bonny :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Got them from Sarah at Yearle Tamworths (http://www.yearletamworths.co.uk/)which is just outside Wooler, Northumberland
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i thought they looked like her stock. excellent choice. Enjoy them!!
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Looking good ... Congrats
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Wow lucky pigs. They have a great place to run around in. By the way, what's that green stuff? :-J [size=78%], don't seem to have that round here anymore.[/size]