The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: ruives on April 14, 2008, 03:36:51 pm

Title: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: ruives on April 14, 2008, 03:36:51 pm: I was hoping someone out there could help me????

I picked up two Male (not castrated) Tamworths about 3 weeks ago, I was told they were about 6 months old (which would suggest they are ready to go to slaughter) but they were running with 3 month old ones and I am not sure if I maybe have picked up two yonger ones than was first suggested.

To let you understand my doubts - I am 5'10" and the pair of them just come up to about my knee (about 2' high)

This is the first time I have ventured into pigs so am still learning, can anyone help me out how to work out their age? I am slightly concerned about getting them off to slaughter too late, after reading some of the posts about "tainted meat" that you can get from older Boars.

Hope you can help me out

Scott
Title: Re: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: Hilarysmum on April 15, 2008, 12:27:37 pm: Firstly boar taint although not a myth is rare. It was often mistaken for the taste produced by feeding fishmeal to pigs.

Up to 8 months old doubt you will have any problem. However to tell the age of a tamworth or any pig have a look inside its mouth if it has permanent corner incisors its 6 months or more. Yours dont sound big enough to be 6 months to me.

Otherwise weight them to see if they are heavy enough for slaughter. To weigh a pig using an oldfashioned imperial tape measure (or convert the metric to imperial) measure around the waist just behind the front legs then from between the ears to the base of the tail. Multiply the waist measurement by the length measurement. Divide by 12 gives a rough idea of the dead weight of the pig. This is what you will get back frmo abattoir and includes head trotters etc. If piggies weigh less than 50 k by this method I should wait a little longer.

HM
Title: Re: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: pigsatlesrues on April 15, 2008, 02:58:00 pm: Wow HM! Brilliant!

Where do you find all these little gems? Very useful indeed.

Kate :pig:
Title: Re: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: ruives on April 15, 2008, 05:11:47 pm: Thanks for the advice, have measured one of them, waist is 29" and the length between ears and tail is 31", my calculations say it is 75kg dead weight :'(, would this be right???

Really enjoying having them around, would like to keep them until end of summer at least (Sep/Oct)

Would there be any problems in doing so?

Sorry for all the questions
Title: Re: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: Hilarysmum on April 15, 2008, 08:55:51 pm: Mmmm 75 k deadweight sounds a bit high, perhaps I have given you the liveweight calculation. Knock off 25% for deadweight just in case.

You can keep them for as long as you like. My friend did a working tamworth boar at 2 years old, he was huge and delicious. Problem was only that could only one chop at a time in my huge Le crueset frying pan /

We never neuter and have never had boar taint. We send them off around 9 months old.
Title: Re: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: ruives on April 16, 2008, 07:26:20 am: Just an idea but if I am using imperial measurements to size the pig, would the weight worked out be imperial (lbs) also?

That would make him 34 kilos?? And give me more reason to keep the pair of them a bit longer, ;)

Just a thought....
Title: Re: Working out age of my Tamworths
Post by: Hilarysmum on April 16, 2008, 08:10:47 am: Yes stupid me, sorry should have said for the weight in kilos divide by 2.2 So sorry. In that case I have given you the correct formula.