The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Clarebelle on June 19, 2014, 08:32:19 am
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Well, finally got my first weaners. My friend kindly went over to mainland to pick them up and deliver them to me. However, the breeder has given me an intact male and a female.
So now I'm stuck with a male and female pig who I do not want to breed from. Is it too late to ring the male (there is no vet here)? What age will he become sexually mature? I'm guessing this is when he will need to go to slaughter, which I'm also guessing is earlier than I would have kept him on otherwise?
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What breed are they? I would off thought most breeders would off sold pigs in same sex pairs makes it a lot easier for the new keepers
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Our GOS boars generally go to slaughter at around 22 weeks, the gilts 2 or 3 weeks later. Never castrate our boars (they grow faster if you don't). Might get a bit of scrapping if you had more than one boar (teenagers showing off in front of the girls!) but they should be away before you have any problems.
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They are bog standard white pigs. So you think the boar should go off to slaughter at about 5 months with the gilt following at about 6 months?
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They are bog standard white pigs. So you think the boar should go off to slaughter at about 5 months with the gilt following at about 6 months?
No because the gilt will stress badly on its own for the last month. We successfully kept a male & 2 females together until 22wks old and then sent them to the butchers. Sexual maturity can be as early as 16wks before that its just playing, keep them together and if you see him sniffing round her as they get to 16wks, separate them but so they can still see & hear each other and then send them off together, a journey in the trailer together won't matter.
HTH
mandy :pig:
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wev kept mixed groups and the boys seem to get randy about 5 mths judging by the muddy footprints. :o i dont think they were working but more thinking about it, and smelling a bit boarish with the excitement.
if you send them off by 6 mths it should be ok. hybrids should be ready quicker than that anyway.
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Thanks guys! :thumbsup: