The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: lad-eng on August 25, 2008, 11:38:18 pm

Title: begineer advice,food, habits, pedigree papers etc. pietrain 10wks old
Post by: lad-eng on August 25, 2008, 11:38:18 pm

hi all

i have just come home with three pigglets does it matter that i didn't get the papers. (will the pigglets from these pigs sell ok).

i bought a bag of feed from the breeder i have bought the pigs from, so i am feeding them this twice daily, but is it ok to introduce veg and fruit, if so much can i give them, and is there anything i shouldn't give them. other than meat.

does anyone know if i can feed them crabapples, if so is it ok to give them to um now, or should i wait a while.
thx
leigh

Title: Re: begineer advice,food, habits, pedigree papers etc. pietrain 10wks old
Post by: gavo on August 27, 2008, 02:26:35 pm

Hello again,

   With the BPA (British Pig Assn) the main thing is to ensure that your pigs are birth registered by 10 weeks of age. The best bet would be to give them a call and ask them - they should be able to look your breeder up in their records. A pedigree pig will either have a tattoo, ear notches or a tag detailing their herd and number (separate to the mandatory Defra/Dard etc. requirements). If your pigs are birth registered then the breeder can obtain pedigree certs for you (they will cost him/her £6 per pig).

As for feeding veg etc. the main thing to bear in mind is if you feed fruit and veg treat it as one quarter the value of the pig feed and don't feed them all fruit and veg. e.g. if your little ones are getting 2lbs a day you could give them 1lb of meal and 4lbs of fruit and veg - however if they are too small then they simply wouldn't be able to eat it all. If you can get hold of breads/pastries/dairy then treat it as half the value but keep an eye on them as they can get too fat on this sort of diet.

...and remember a happy healthy pig is an outdoor pig.


Cheers

Gavin

Title: Re: begineer advice,food, habits, pedigree papers etc. pietrain 10wks old
Post by: Rosemary on August 27, 2008, 08:17:29 pm

Thanks, Gavin, that's really useful information on the conversion rates.

Title: Re: begineer advice,food, habits, pedigree papers etc. pietrain 10wks old
Post by: lad-eng on August 28, 2008, 12:14:37 am

ye i have signed the paperwork and sent it off, and they are all ear tagged. the guy did mention he would get me the papers if i really wanted them, but he said i didn't need them.
does thes paperwork effect the price of pigglets i will get from these gilts, or if i was to sell them at auction at finishing  weight (110kg i think) will i get less for them.

Title: Re: begineer advice,food, habits, pedigree papers etc. pietrain 10wks old
Post by: gavo on August 28, 2008, 02:10:13 pm

Hello,

  If your just selling them on for slaughter to a commercial abbattoir then it doesn't matter whether they are pedigree or not. Your price will just depend on how well you've finished them. With a commercial porker people like a lean pig - roughly speaking around 7-8mm of fat on them.

Cheers

Gavin