The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: darkbrowneggs on February 18, 2014, 10:13:58 pm
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A young friend bought about ten or tweleve weaners just as the winter started, they are kept outside and are ruining the land so I am trying to convince her to send at least some of them off to slaughter. She hasnt got a tagging gun or tags Suggsestions as to cheapest quickest source please. She may not be keeping pigs again after this
PS apparently some are registered Berkshire females coming up for six months old. Do you think there may be a market for these. She cant remember the lines at present though presumably has some paperwork somewhere.
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Oh dear sounds like your young friend needs some serious guidance.
Weaners for the butcher need a metal tag or slapmark for slaughter, for this she will need a herdmark. The easiest way would be to find somebody local who already had the taggers which she could borrow and disinfect before and after using. Tags have to be ordered try Fearings think you can order individual ones. For a few pigs a slapmarker is probably too big an expense.
The pedigree Berkshires, hmm, I presume our young friend is not in the BPA therefore you will need to check if the pigs are still listed as registered as a recent breed survey was done and any not accounted for by BPA members are generally 'killed' off the register. If they are still on the system they can be sold as pedigree but they will have to inform the BPA of the change of ownership. The paperwork they have for them is very important, without it they're just black gilt pigs! If they have been killed off they will need to contact a Berkshire pig BPA rep to try to help get them reinstated but if they are untagged, untattoed or notched it is unlikely to be successful.
Hope you can convince this person to shift these pigs before they start interbreeding with each other as this will now be the main worry given their age so swift action is really needed.
HTH
Good luck. Its very good of you to offer assistance.
Mandy :pig:
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Don't worry - I have talked her out of a pig breeding and sausage making enterprise using two white "pigs" she got from pre-loved as the stud boars. She is happy to buy a tag gun, as her next plan is a herd of pedigree herefords, though I am currently trying to convince her sheep and chickens are the way forward. Are Fearings as cheap as anyone. if so I will recommend a multi purpose gun from them plus enough metal tage sot see a lot of these off.
She is registered and I "think" has paperwork in place as she is intent on doing it seriously, though as I say young and full of enthusiasm not like those of us who have had life and experience knock it out of us, and I don't want to be too downbeat with her - its lovely to remember how full of life and hope one can be.
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Well that's a good start. Do you mean Hereford cows? or pigs, these seem to be only available in America and are not a breed recognised by the BPA. Though some budding entrepreneur hoping to make a fast buck will no doubt import some, bastardize them with one of our native breeds and flog 'em as pedigree!! ::) Try steering her to one of our more native breeds Saddlebacks would be a good choice google Clash Herd Caron Stewart.
Fearings are as good as anybody but you can google other suppliers once you get the drift of what you're looking for, Supplies for Small holders who comes on here can probably help.
HTh
mandy :pig:
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No Hereford cows. She has a cow and calf and is talking about having her flushed and implanting embryos in a herd of bought in heifers. As I say enthusiastic, but I think she'll do okay once she gets a bit more experience
But unless she gets shot of some of the pigs there'll be no grass for anything.
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I doubt a pig tag gun will do for enormous cattle tags. Every manufacturer seems to produce their own specific design, alas!
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Yes just had a look. she will need one gun for the pigs and metal tags and another for cattle, but if she does the lushing thing she wont need to buy that yet :innocent:
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Also tell her she'll have to register online with BPEX before the pigs go for slaughter, because movements are done electronically now http://www.eaml2.org.uk/ami/home.eb (http://www.eaml2.org.uk/ami/home.eb)
Does she have an abattoir in mind? Worth checking with them a couple of weeks before the intended move, because some can have waiting lists. Ours is currently booking a fortnight ahead.
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if you buy tags off earing they usually give you the pliers free.nice strong metal ones too.i used rubber z tags for pigs and they were fine through the slaughter. im not sure of english rules but is slapmarking an option?
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Yes you can slapmark on each shoulder but the marker and pins set are quite expensive.
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my metal fearing tagger does cattle and pigs, . dont go for plastic bendy ones though. you need the metal pin to get through big ears.