The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: WinslowPorker on March 26, 2010, 09:43:40 am

Title: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: WinslowPorker on March 26, 2010, 09:43:40 am

Hi all :pig:

Another amateurs question i am sure to many of you, but just wondering at what point do you stop feeding pigs before they go for slaughter? i assume they need a couple of days to empty their bowels??

Thanks

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: HappyHippy on March 26, 2010, 09:49:23 am

I wouldn't fancy having to try and sleep within a mile of any pigs that hadn't been fed for a couple of days  ;D ;D ;D
Maybe other people do it differently, but I usually feed them the night before, just not on the morning of the 'deed' it has the added bonus of making sure they'll follow me and the bucket when we get to the abbetior (not a pig board in sight ;)) We have had some which broke out of their pen on the morning of going to the abbetior and gorged themselves on apples - I was expecting the abbetior to have something to say about it, but luckily it didn't seem to matter.
Everyone will have their own ideas about what's best - if you're in any doubt I'd suggest a quick phonecall to your abbetior to double check with them.
Hope this helps.

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Fowgill Farm on March 26, 2010, 10:31:59 am

We generally feed ours the nite before around 4pm , they go off the next morning around 6am and we've had no problems. HTH Mandy

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: JulieS on March 26, 2010, 10:59:43 am

I usually feed mine the night before, then give them a little to encourage them into the trailer just before heading off the next morning.

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: dixie on March 26, 2010, 01:01:16 pm

Same here, the night before and just a handful to get them loaded!

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: WinslowPorker on March 26, 2010, 02:08:15 pm

Perfect, thanks guys. It was one of those conversations we had and just did not have a clue on the answer! they are boisterous enough now at 3 months old when they want food, so god knows what they will be like in 3/4 months time!!

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: langdon on March 26, 2010, 09:38:51 pm

i tell you now you think there mad for it now!!!!
wait untill then, blimey we are new pig keepers we have three british saddlebacks, one is ready to go
next month for pork and gosh going in to feed them is crazy but good fun, please im not trying to put you
off, you will love it all along the way ;)
what breed have you? good luck and happy pig keeping ;) :pig:

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: dixie on March 27, 2010, 06:00:21 pm

You can teach them not to barge and be patient, they learn very quickly! my boar is now 18 months old and large!!! he waits patiently at his pallet for dinner, I cant take chances with him, but he learnt easily!

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: sabrina on March 29, 2010, 07:22:45 pm

I fed mine the night before and the morning they went each got an apple  :pig:

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: JulieS on March 30, 2010, 09:28:23 am

You are right Dixie, they soon learn.  Teach them how to wait now and it will make life a lot easier and more enjoyable for you ...and them.  :)

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Eve on July 06, 2010, 11:59:50 pm

How do you teach them to wait and by what age are they trained? Ours only live to six months, but their enthusiasm for food can make the trip to the trough a challenge at times!  :)

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Wizard on July 07, 2010, 08:06:33 am

Hello WP Seems to me there is quite a lot of ways to interpret this question!By some of the answers. I always gave them a 1/2 tea the night before they were to be slaughtered the next day,They tend to fret if they don't get fed at all.With out you are worried about cleaning tharmes what is the point of no food? :farmer:

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Daisys Mum on July 07, 2010, 10:14:34 am

Dixie please tell us how you teach them not to barge at you when you go in to feed, mine are only 8 weeks old now and are pretty pushy, sometimes even biting at my feet so never go in without my neoprene wellies. They were VERY nervous when I got them and it was hard to get near them then so I was perhaps too soft on them. I just couldn't bear to have pigs that I could not get near, one of them threw himself down on my feet this morning for me to rub his belly so now I have them allowing me to handle them what is the best way to teach them manners?
Sorry for hijacking your thread WP.  ;)

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Hilarysmum on July 07, 2010, 12:26:22 pm

I'm teaching mine to sit before they eat ..... :D :D

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Wizard on July 07, 2010, 12:30:38 pm

 I observe it is not wearing a napkin  ;D Has it washed its hands ? It's a grand look set of rashers on the hoof intit? ;D :farmer:

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Hilarysmum on July 07, 2010, 12:33:56 pm

Damn I forgot the napkins but it was lunch alfresco

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Wizard on July 07, 2010, 05:38:50 pm

Ah he looks well on it suits him Dinner out  :D :farmer: :wave:

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: suziequeue on July 07, 2010, 10:04:04 pm

Desperate to know how to train them to wait for their food.

Our 4 month old Tamworths are just the same as Daisy's Mum - very nervous when they were young but now getting confident and bargey - but great fun.....

I would LOVE to train them to sit and wait at their feeding area. At the moment when I get in the gate I shout "go go GO" and they go skittering off to the feed area but there's more argey bargey there and feed usually ends up on somebody's head!!

Susanna

Title: Re: How long before the pigs take their final hourney do you stop feeding??
Post by: Hilarysmum on July 08, 2010, 07:53:21 am

I think in my case its more of a fluke than training