The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: County Dangler on February 28, 2014, 11:25:44 am
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After the help i have had so far i thought i'd post a few pictures to let you know how we are getting on after a week of being pig keepers.
I built the pig house out of 8 x 5'6" 4" posts, 4 8x4 sheets of OSB3 and some roofing panels a mate had knocking about. It's a bit big for 4 weaners so i halved it internally with the use of half a dozen bails of straw.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u170/thebigmansphotos/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/8825B695-6FE8-4C1C-BE53-32F104A282B0.jpg) (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/thebigmansphotos/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/8825B695-6FE8-4C1C-BE53-32F104A282B0.jpg.html)
I also bought a bit of guttering to collect the rain water from the roof so i didn't have to cart any water about (i intend on covering the ibc to save any algae etc)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u170/thebigmansphotos/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/1F5D63DF-32D4-4181-8AD5-3E765595DEA2.jpg) (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/thebigmansphotos/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/1F5D63DF-32D4-4181-8AD5-3E765595DEA2.jpg.html)
There enclosure is 40m x 50m for which we put up a stock fence, again using 5'6" 4" posts and sheep netting. We've also put a 2 string electric fence up to keep them off of the fence. After a few whacks from it they seem to have got the idea and are giving it a wide berth. They don't come within a foot of it now.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u170/thebigmansphotos/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/AF21639E-1A3C-47D9-A9A5-96F236F2DA7E.jpg) (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/thebigmansphotos/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/AF21639E-1A3C-47D9-A9A5-96F236F2DA7E.jpg.html)
We picked them up from a place about 30 miles up the road and decided to use the landy rather then the stock trailer and to our suprise they seemed quite settled.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u170/thebigmansphotos/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/D7E3E753-064D-42EA-A50B-1E7CBAC3ABF3.jpg) (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/thebigmansphotos/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/D7E3E753-064D-42EA-A50B-1E7CBAC3ABF3.jpg.html)
They are from a pedigree herd but we didn't bother having them registered as they are getting sent for pork in 4 months or so. After a couple of days to settle in the seem happy as larry now. I can see why folk get attached to them though. They really are lovely little things. And they really seem to be getting stuck into there food. I'm sure they have grown in less then a week!
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u170/thebigmansphotos/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/C616E4FD-2BBB-4FCF-BE4A-A6BAACAC317C.jpg) (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/thebigmansphotos/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-02/C616E4FD-2BBB-4FCF-BE4A-A6BAACAC317C.jpg.html)
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Brilliant pictures. Be warned it is addictive!!
Before you know it, you will be fencing off bigger pens for more pigs ;D ;D
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Happy little piggies :thumbsup:
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Look well reared pigs :thumbsup:
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Nice piglets. Saddlebacks are the best.
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really like those pics and good set up
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Lovely pictures. Be prepared for lots of time wasting watching their antics.
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Beware less than a year ago I had TWO pigs, I now have 29!!!!!!
Tomorrow is the difficult bit as the first two are to be dispatched.
I'm anxious but also excited.
They are all lovable.
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Lovely happy pigs.
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Thanks for the encouragement guys. A week on and they are settling in lovely. Rather then doing a runner from us they now charge over at full speed and follow me around squawking and grunting whilst i check the fence. The electric fence seems to be working well, they don't seem to go within a foot or so of it.
I do have a question regarding fruit and veg though if anyone would be kind enough to offer there thoughts?
We picked them up at 7 weeks, so they have just turned 8 weeks. Now i gleaned from prior questions that fruit and veg should be fed in a 4:1 ration to a max of 50% of there ration of dry although for the moment we are only planning on using 25% of there ration, so based on a pound of food peer month of there life (1lb x 2 months x 4 pigs = 8lb) at present we are feeding 3lb of weaner pellets, 3lb of rolled barley (they were weaned on barley so we bought a bag to start them off on but intend on cutting it out when the bag has gone) and for the remaining 2lb we are giving 8lb of mixed fruit and veg. As i mentioned in a previous thread i have a source of free fruit and veg and both weeks i have been in i have picked up a lovely mix of everything you would find in a green grocer-about 10 cases so far more then we need for the minute.
The piglets always eat there dry ration first then seem to wolf down any fruit and softer veg-tomatoes, apples, pumpkins, avocado's, peppers, squashes, bananas etc... but tend to leave the harder stuff like swedes and carrots. could that be because they are still small, not far from being weaned and still developing or are they just being fussy buggers? We also feed half and half, so half of each ration in the morning and half in the afternoon so perhaps that has a bearing?
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Sounds like you're on the right track to me. We feed ours on a similar basis. Ours are fussy too, always going for pellets first, then any nice stuff like apples or carrots, and only if they're still hungry will they go for things like turnips or greens. I've found that if I need to get rid of some stuff they don't particularly like I give it to them first thing in the morning when they're really hungry and hold back on the goodies till they've eaten the boring stuff. They're just like kids really ;D . You'll come across the odd thing that they won't touch ours hate curly kale and parsnips. When your porkers are getting closer to finishing it's a good idea to check their condition by feeling their backs and around their ribs and adjust their feed accordingly.
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Thanks for your advice. I might try that over a couple of mornings and see if they eat any more.
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Braw set-up and braw pigs :thumbsup:
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I just had to google Braw. lol. Thanks.
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I just had to google Braw. lol. Thanks.
:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
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Mine were same with food. They loved juicy food like tomatos, cucumber, fruit but wouldnt eat things like carrots, brocolli etc
Look grand pigs
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Thanks folks.
We are going to try and give them just the fruit and veg in the morning for the next week or so and see how they get on that way. As we have a pretty much unlimited supply of free fruit and veg it would be daft to not make every attempt to get the buggers to eat it.
Mrs CA has been and given them a mixed bucket of fruit and veg this morning and says they spent a good 15 minutes in the trough so thats a good sign, but she still thinks they've got the hump about it. I'm sure they'll get used to it.
I'll let you know how we get on.