The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: welshlass181 on March 08, 2011, 02:48:44 pm
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Well i say family there are only 3 of these ones staying :)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/Weeners.jpg)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/Mommapig.jpg)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/Piglets4.jpg)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/Piglets3.jpg)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/Piglets2.jpg)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/Piglets.jpg)
Can i get some opinions on the arks please? They're 8x4 sheets and the base is 8x5 twin skinned with ply on the inside and a the solid panel you can see outside. They have a waterproof membrane between the skins and we're going to treat the outside wood and then put a run of felt over the apex to keep it watertight. Are these ok? There are 5 weeners in one and momma and 3 piglets in the other one. I can take bad comments aswell as good ones x x
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Again i hope this works :yum:
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/th_Video0198.jpg) (http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/?action=view¤t=Video0198.mp4)
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/th_Video0199.jpg) (http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/shellsam/?action=view¤t=Video0199.mp4)
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What a lovely family :-) arcs look good wouldn't last with my lot BSB but for kunes I would think they'll be great.
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cracking pictures :wave:
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Thank you :) we're really new at this and obviously still learning. They tested the fence when they first got there so we were really glad we chose to have the ring of elec fence just to make them aware that they cannot go any further. What i forgot to say was that there pens are a temporary housing for them. As soon as we've done the perimiter fence they'll have the whole feild to roam (and when piglets have weened off mom) there is just under 2 acres for them to turn ..... not just the piddley bits of pens
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Piggy paradise then! I agree the ring of electric fencing is essential else piggies will find an escape route. You might find it best to section your field with more electric fencing and rotate them around which gives the ground a chance to rest. Unfortunately I can't as I've horses so mine rotate round pens. Your set up looks good.
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Piggy paradise then! I agree the ring of electric fencing is essential else piggies will find an escape route. You might find it best to section your field with more electric fencing and rotate them around which gives the ground a chance to rest. Unfortunately I can't as I've horses so mine rotate round pens. Your set up looks good.
The plan is to get them to turn the whole field so we can drain it then re-seed it for my horses :) the land is very wet and having a tractor come onto it will just compact it down more ...... more compaction = more reeds :( once the fence is done we could even think about getting more to turn it quicker. Everything is still up in the air just now nothing is set in stone hehe (apart from 6 piggies are destained for the freezer)
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you will need a big freezer ;D ;D ;D
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Lol I've a few saddlebacks if you're in the Market for more :-)) I've 20 weaners so if I don't sell some I'm goi g to need to hire several catering freezers!!
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Our fields have springs that feed our stream, so are very wet in winter and although drained our neighbour used the fields for some years for his cattle who have wrecked the drainage system. Therefore in the damp bottom areas we were inundated with sedge which was taking over the grassland. Pigs have cleared masses, its taken years and tends to be only the sows who clear it, but a huge improvement. Your piglets should do a really good job.
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Our fields have springs that feed our stream, so are very wet in winter and although drained our neighbour used the fields for some years for his cattle who have wrecked the drainage system. Therefore in the damp bottom areas we were inundated with sedge which was taking over the grassland. Pigs have cleared masses, its taken years and tends to be only the sows who clear it, but a huge improvement. Your piglets should do a really good job.
There are only 2 small boars the rest are females :) to be honest as soon as the boars are at the right age we've taking them out and into a pen to fatten until they get slaughtered. Don't want any inbreeding going on with my lot hehe
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They're gorgeous :love: I've got a real soft spot for Kunes ;)
Your wee sow is just so pretty !
The arcs look fine, just keep checking them as the piglets get bigger for space and any damage that might come from pigs rubbing on them.
The only thing I would say (and I don't want to upset you) is that you might find you have to move them quite regularly as they'll turn the amount of space they have there over pretty quickly :-\
For a quick, simple trough (for piglets and small weaners anyway ;)) get a bit of guttering and fix it to a couple of pieces of chunky flat wood, this helps keep it upright. You don't need to worry about ends, just stop the feed 6 inches from the end of the guttering. Also for water troughs, the tyre bowl drinkers from Supplies from Smallholders (on here) are GREAT ! Really easy to fill, keep clean and have survived really well so far with all of my piggies ;)
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They're gorgeous :love: I've got a real soft spot for Kunes ;)
Your wee sow is just so pretty !
The arcs look fine, just keep checking them as the piglets get bigger for space and any damage that might come from pigs rubbing on them.
The only thing I would say (and I don't want to upset you) is that you might find you have to move them quite regularly as they'll turn the amount of space they have there over pretty quickly :-\
For a quick, simple trough (for piglets and small weaners anyway ;)) get a bit of guttering and fix it to a couple of pieces of chunky flat wood, this helps keep it upright. You don't need to worry about ends, just stop the feed 6 inches from the end of the guttering. Also for water troughs, the tyre bowl drinkers from Supplies from Smallholders (on here) are GREAT ! Really easy to fill, keep clean and have survived really well so far with all of my piggies ;)
We've got to do some more fencing with posts and stock fence and they can have the run of the entire field. We've already noticed that the pen with the weeners is being turned really well .... what we thought was ... if we've not got funds to finish the fencing we'd change the pigs around so the weeners are in the momma's pen and vice versa. Really liking the idea for the trough tho :) what we're doing now is spreading the food over hay so they have to look and root for it. This is our first time having pigs so we're learning as we go. We've got all the paperwork and stuff sorted just need to pig proof the perimeter of the field. We're going to buy a self filling water trough when the fence is done which will be low to the ground. I appreciate peoples opinions in if i am doing something wrong and need to either fix it or change it ;)
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They are so cute, :love: just be aware that you will now spend most of your time just watching them!! We've only had our girls 3 weeks and i spend every spare minute out with them. Enjoy :pig: :pig:
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They are so cute, :love: just be aware that you will now spend most of your time just watching them!! We've only had our girls 3 weeks and i spend every spare minute out with them. Enjoy :pig: :pig:
They're not at our house :'( the field is about 4 miles away. My mother in law and sister in law live closer to it than we do lol but yes i know what you mean :) we stayed over there in our caravan Saturday night to make sure no1 escaped and to get away for want of a better reason and hubby spent hours in the pen with them to get them used to him
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they're gorgeous.
are they pure? where are they from?
(sorry, nosey I know!) the sow looks alot like boar, thats all... ::D
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they're gorgeous.
are they pure? where are they from?
(sorry, nosey I know!) the sow looks alot like boar, thats all... ::D
No not pure :) they came from a farm in Five Roads in Carmarthenshire. The owner told me that they have Kune Kune/glous old spot/welsh (can't remember what she said) and wild boar. They will be going back to a pure Kune Kune boar later on in the year when the gilt is big enough and when the piglets have been weened and the sow has got her weight back up. Funny you should say she looks like a boar lol as she was in a pen with 5 other boars ready to go for sausages and low and behold the 6th boar gave birth to 5 piglets
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oops, that should have said "my boar!!"
sorry... havent got my glasses on!
thanks, I am now proud of my pig-spotting skill - the faces are quite "dished" for kunes I thought!
the 6th boar had piglets?! clever fella! I have sexed our piglets by waiting for them to wee. and the goat kid! you watch, and you'll see what I mean ;)
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The owners were shocked that they got her mistaken for a boar lol but oh well she is with us now :) being quite harsh about the ones not staying i look at them like tools. Really looking forward to breeding some stronger blooded Kunes tho hehe
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Your set up for farrowing is not unlike my set up I too have a hot wire around th fperimeter of their fence to keep them in. I use tin on my A frames rather than wood and tech screw it together instead of nail. It is all done out of steel including the frame.
I also have a bank of huts joined togethr side by side so you add one more and only have to do two side to the hut and two side to the pen and put a gate on. But a hot wire on the inside of each pen.
I have tried to add a photo but have been unsucessful.