The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Hilarysmum on March 04, 2010, 09:33:04 am
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I know pigs should never be fed onions, although I dont know why. Our accidental pet pig who is the best fed on the holding, was found happily munching on a load of boiled onions I had thrown onto the compost heap (and buried). I have never known a pig to actively search out and eat onions. Does anyone know if it will have any adverse effects. So far he hasnt been sick and his output is normal. Thanks
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In my pig book is says pigs can eat onions as long as they're cooked!!, not sure about raw ones though!!
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As far as I know onions, daff bulbs etc are poisonous to animals. Whether cooking changes that I dont know.
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I have never had any trouble with raw or cooked onions I have fed to pigs.Now Daffs tulips crocus all of those are poisonous to pigs and you ??? ::) :farmer:
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Just had a bit of a search and it seems onions are ok for pigs but advisable not to feed them on the run up to slaughter in case it taints the meat!
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Our pigs wont touch onions or leeks, I haven't heard anything about pigs not being supposed to eat onions..Have heard they shouldn't eat parsnips tho ...
Debbie
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Thanks all much relief here. Pig is fine, although his flatulence is a bit ripe at present. I read it somewhere pigs not being fed onions; shall stop worrying now. I know parsnips can cause blisters in the mouth.
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I was told, cant remember who by, not to feed them onions! but I do give them parsnips, never heard about danger there!
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The "not to eat onions" might come from a story that does the rounds of a farmer who grazed his pigs for the final months before slaughter on an onion field after harvest. The pigs found and polished off all the remaining onions. When killed the meat was inedible, tasting strongly of onion and nothing else.
I have not fed onions (we don't grow them) but would not worry about a few.
I have fed parsnips from the veg patch occasionally - most of our pigs don't like them but someone will always eat anything! - without ill effect, but suspect that this is also related to large quantities eg putting a herd on a field of parsnips might cause blisters. If someone has further details then I would be interested in knowing this.
Have just googled, and found a study which fed ionions (not for nutrition or taste) which does tend to indicate no problem
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18364076
Stonehead (who is very experienced) also has a blog on this
http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/can-pigs-be-fed-with-onions/
Farming friends quotes the Pigsite on parsnips - which tends to indictae that it is the top of the parsnip that causes issues
http://farmingfriends.com/pigs-cant-eat-parsnips/
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Yes I read stoneheads too, I only get a few onions so will give them then, parsnip dont come with tops on and mine all eat them, no probs to date!
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Our Saddlebacks won't touch raw onions or leeks, but like them boiled. Our parsnip crop has failed for the last two years so we haven't tried them - a sore point.
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I musta been lucky I cannot remember anything our pigs wouldn't eat I got into trouble on RCC for this but I assure you its the approved way of dealing with the yard cats.I shall etta goo I've a sow about to farrow I shall etta nod me eaad at the wall fost I'm otta tonup chips its all goo and then I've a ketch "o" kittens to dround.Hey up how do you drown your mini moggies then.Well I git 2 2gallon pails half fill one wi watter and fill the other to ower flowin I drop em in the half full pail and put the full pail on top When I goo to feed the pigs I empty the half full pail on the barley meal Saves me diggin a ole to berri em.Oooooooohhhhhhhh. ??? :farmer:
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Sorry Wizard I find that sort of humour rather lacking in taste.
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Sorry Hilary's mum It is not intended as humour it was in yesteryear how it was done my Grandfather and Father always did it that way
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Everyone had a cat then to keep the mice down, my Mum grew up believing that each time the cat had kittens the mother killed them because my mum and her sisters looked at them, how sad. It wasnt until years later she realised it was nothing to do with looking at them and it was in fact my grandfather that had drowned them, sadly it happened then it was the only way they knew how.
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Sadly my father in law is the same, he drowned an accidental litter of pups the other year! :'( >:(
We had an accidental litter whilst he was in hopital, the terrier got the spaniel and had 8! i took it upon myself to find every a home!
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does your father in law know he could go to jail for drowning pups or kittens. :(
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Did you read my post sabrina or are you another bunny hugger No offence but do read the written word Then comment on what you think you have read if you must. I doubt father would be much bothered about going to goal he died in 1975. You are right Dixie it was the done way I have not been drowned yet but I am told its a much better way of being dispatched than being thrown at the barn wall.Since you seem to want to know I will tell you I think cats are the worst of all pets they stalk and kill birds They climb up to the nests and awk out the fledgelings and kill them in fact they are horrid bloody things are cats,Not a friend of the gardeners either :farmer: I assure you
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Sadly my father in law is the same, he drowned an accidental litter of pups the other year!
does your father in law know he could go to jail for drowning pups or kittens.
Did you read my post sabrina or are you another bunny hugger No offence but do read the written word Then comment on what you think you have read if you must. I doubt father would be much bothered about going to goal he died in 1975.
Wizard Sabrina was quite clearly answering Daniel Stocks.
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i have no idea?? but it doesnt stop traditional old farmers from doing thing the their way some just dont move on with the times, and laws for that matter! i think its awful some of the techniques they use on animals
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In our former part of Dorset the local vets offered farmers free speying for cats and dogs to help control the unwanted kittens and puppies in the local sanctuaries. They were extremely disappointed at the very small number who took up the offer.
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yep I remember those days too. My Mum used to leave the mother cat one kitten to look after so that she didn't fret too much. - she was a softy.
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That was also done by a lot of folk in the country.There were no bunny hugging softies People couldn't afford it.Some still can not even now but theres the Blue Cross now.and refuges as well :farmer:
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'Bunny huggers' is such a great expression.
You could divide any room by bunny huggers and non-bunny huggers
I think i might save the concept and use it at work when things get boring.
Back to the original subject - or almost - isn't there a book about the onion eaters or is that the lotus eaters?
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No think its the Lotus Eaters, didnt they live somewhere warm???
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Hey up Hilary'smum I haven't heard of that one Now let me take you back 60yrs or so The cattle food came in 140lbs sacks (10 ston) around 63kg to you maybe.For me do it in the eaad int wot is woz you know.This bag would contain Dried sugarbeet pulp nuts and things called LOTUS BEANS they were a large flat kidney bean type maybe a foot or more long and 11/2" wide of a dark chocolate brown colour with small even darker seeds in.Us boys could swap these beans for all sorts because they had a most peculiar flavour and extremely sweet.I have looked in Wikki and Brittanica There are 200,000 species in Legumes but I have as yet failed to find a match.The word Lotus also brings to mind Lotus Blossom which is an aquatic Plant often mistaken for a water lily.There hows that for a load of useless info and its only Tuesday ;D :farmer:
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Ps Whats that lass warm ent felt any outside for the ages of a crow ;D