The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: MiriMaran on March 08, 2010, 08:56:34 pm

Title: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: MiriMaran on March 08, 2010, 08:56:34 pm: Very exciting we have 2 Gloucester Old Spots gilts arriving on Thursday. They are 3 months and are £50 each. So we will keep them for 3 moths slaughter and then hopefully get a couple of Oxford Sandy and Blacks.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 09, 2010, 06:59:58 am: MM cant wait to hear all about them.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: JulieS on March 09, 2010, 07:23:31 am: Fantastic! Please post some pictures :) :) :)
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: MiriMaran on March 09, 2010, 08:10:32 pm: Will do. I am possibly going to do a project with Oliver's class as they pigs progress and then take in some sausages for them so they can taste the difference.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: dixie on March 09, 2010, 08:56:53 pm: Fantastic, spotties are my fave ;D
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: little blue on March 09, 2010, 09:39:49 pm: Brilliant! Bet you're all dead excited... will have to come and visit... !!
And what a great idea re the school project
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 11, 2010, 07:07:36 am: Great for the kids in Oliver's class, they will be able to see exactly where pork comes from then taste a real sausage.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: MiriMaran on March 11, 2010, 08:09:37 pm: We now have two little GOS in the field. One with lots of spots and one with hardly any. Will try and post photos as soon as i have the time.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: MiriMaran on March 14, 2010, 08:24:11 pm: As promised photos the piggies. If the photos haven't uploaded properly the links will work. I seem to have lost the ability to upload photos since my photos have been stored on Picasa instead of photobucket.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ubZsV4A-WrQ/S51AdejIEvI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/h0hGjfZ7myY/s640/004.JPG (http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ubZsV4A-WrQ/S51AdejIEvI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/h0hGjfZ7myY/s640/004.JPG)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_ubZsV4A-WrQ/S51AZz6Bw2I/AAAAAAAAA2I/pxefi8a7-G8/s512/014.JPG (http://lh6.ggpht.com/_ubZsV4A-WrQ/S51AZz6Bw2I/AAAAAAAAA2I/pxefi8a7-G8/s512/014.JPG)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_ubZsV4A-WrQ/S51AY1aRUYI/AAAAAAAAA2E/3pOnBNDGbqs/s512/003.JPG (http://lh6.ggpht.com/_ubZsV4A-WrQ/S51AY1aRUYI/AAAAAAAAA2E/3pOnBNDGbqs/s512/003.JPG)
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: enzyme on March 14, 2010, 09:18:25 pm: Very nice, this is my plan for next year.

I would be intrested in seeing any figures for costs you might be recording for the project?
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: spoon on March 14, 2010, 10:36:28 pm: cracking little things love em
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: Malc on March 14, 2010, 11:42:14 pm: Fine looking pigs - and £50 sounds and looks like a bargain, especially as I read recently that GOS are becoming hard to come by. Apparently there's more demand for stock than the existing sows can produce. That's got to be good news. I'm keeping fingers crossed there's a Saddleback bandwagon some time soon.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 15, 2010, 07:32:45 am: oooooh lovely, our next litter is due this week, after seeing your pictures am getting excited.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: JulieS on March 15, 2010, 09:57:17 am: They look gorgeous :love: :pig: :love:
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: MiriMaran on March 15, 2010, 08:19:25 pm: Thanks everyone - we're very pleased with them.

Enzyme, I did do a breakdown of the costs on a previous thread. It must have been about September time. I don't think I have the figures. All I can remember is that we only did sausages, gammon and bacon from 2 British Saddlebacks. We got 1300 sausages and by selling half of them we recouped all costs. We did our own butchery so that saved a bit and got free veg from a market stall, which made up a quarter of their diet.
Title: Re: New Weaners arriving this week
Post by: Hilarysmum on March 16, 2010, 07:02:05 am: If possible shop around for feed suppliers. It may be that you could team up with other pig keepers to buy in bulk, so very much cheaper.