The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: holz306 on April 22, 2012, 09:22:20 am
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My piglets are here...but the poor things haven't ventured out of their house yet and don't seem interested in their breakfast at all. I guess it'll take them some time to adjust!!
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i am assuming they are weaners is there feeding the same as they were getting even a different brand can have them turning there nose up but once hunger kicks in they will eat :farmer:
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Congratulations, let the fun begin :thumbsup:
Piccies please ;D
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What did you end up getting?
It will take them a couple of days to settled in and adjust to new food as Robert says, but just keep an eye on them because usually they'll be out investigating (and testing fencing) within 24 hours.
But yes, we NEED to see the photo's ;) ;D
Welcome to the mad & crazy world of the pig keeper :thumbsup:
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Congratulations Holz, I will be in your shoes 2 weeks from now.
It will be interesting to see how you get on with them
Sally
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well guys - the getting of the pigs actually turned into quite a saga. Two days before getting them i contacted the Pig man again - he seemed a little....not evasive, but just not very forth coming with info. By then he said he didn't think he had the female saddlebacks that i wanted....he thought he might have some saddleback boys, he may have saddleback crosses....it was all very uncertain!! he thought he had a selection between 5-8weeks etc etc.....I got a bad feeling about it and therefor all of a sudden thought to go with my instincts and look elsewhere - so i contacted a breeder of OSB....He was SO nice, sent me some photo's, chatted and couldn't have been more helpful if he tried, his aren't ready for another 4 weeks......So, to cut a long story short, we went to the first place purely because we'd booked the day off and had arranged with the man, but we had intended on saying that they weren't for us if we were unhappy - that was a HUGE mistake, because we just couldn't have left without taking some home, to give them a better life. We took 3 of his older weaners, that he thinks are 8 weeks old - they're landrace x large white, (i think with a bit of saddleback thrown in!)
So....we left and agreed we wouldn't be going back there in the future, and learnt a lesson with pigs - follow your instincts and that we shouldn't have gone because it actually guaranteed we'd take something home.
Never the less, i am happy with my piglets, they will have a very happy wee life here. They are now, for the first time, outside in daylight, rooting already and enjoying their first experience of grass. I'm pretty certain they need wormed, but i'm also certain that the life albeit relatively short, that they have here will be better than where they could be now.
I will more than likely go back to the OSB breeder, and possibly take 2 of them as well, as it was a pure and traditional breed that i actually wanted. Anyway, they'll be happy little piggies, and i'm sure they will taste just grand :thumbsup:
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Hmmm, the first place does sound very unsatisfactory to say the least. How can he not know what he has got or how old they are?
Still, at least it sounds as if the weaners will be getting a good life with you.
Your experience sounds a bit like going to 'see' a livestock market. If you aren't experienced you know you shouldn't buy but when you see them you just can't resist.
I am getting OSB's. I have already been to see them with their mum and all looked fit and healthy.
Sally
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far to often this situation arises either with pigs poultry or what ever on the one you are to be comended for giving them a better opportunity on the other you could be buying a whole heap of trouble worms can be passed on via the mother have they been inoculated for any pig aliments
i would avoid getting your osbs till these have gone cross contamination unless you can house them far enough away from each other
there are far to many pigs of indeterminable breed the dolly mixtures bring down the value of well cared for pedigree pigs it costs a lot of money to get to the weaner stage to scrimp on quality for a few pounds is false economy :farmer:
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What wormer would you guys suggest using, that i can buy in a small enough quantity for 3 pigs? I couldn't agree with you more robert - but i simply couldn't leave them all there.
If the OSBs were housed away from these piggies, would they be ok? or maybe i will wait until they have another litter. They certainly seem like both lovely pigs, and good owners, full of knowledge and i would be delighted to have some of theirs in the future.
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we use premadex injectable for internal and external worms rather than buy a lot askyour vet for enoughfor your pigs :farmer:
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I'd worm them asap - and keep them in a small 'sacrifice' area (one that's not going to be used again for a while) or on concrete, for a few days before moving them into their permanent place (saves bringing a worm burden onto good ground)
For worming, ask your vet for filled syringes (this has the advantage that you're able to return the used containers to them for disposal ;)) You'll probably only need about 1ml per piglet (we use Noromectin, but any injectable wormer that's approved for pigs will be okay)
I would think that within the next 4 weeks it'll become apparent how these ones are getting on and you might be okay to bring on your OSB's providing all looks well, but you'll have to wait and see how they go. I always keep anything new (especially if it's of unknown origin) seperate for at least 3 weeks, then introduce through a fence for a couple of days before putting them all in together (spraying them all with something strong smelling - like TCP - seems to help the integration process ;))
But for someone who's a breeder not to know what ages or sex of pigs they have for sale is slightly alarming to say the least :-\ I know everyone is different in how they do things, but that's just basic stuff that really, they should know ::)
Hope they get on well and looking forward to the photo's.
Karen :wave:
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thanks guys, you're being really helpful. The piglets seemed to enjoy their first day although they've only eaten half of their breakfast today (half of half of their daily ration!) but i guess they need to settle. they seemed more interested in learning to root around which they seemed to love! and being that it was their first day of seeing the outside world, i think they're doing ok.
How do i post photo's? I took some today, including one of the obvious reason that they need wormed, although i'll save you the displeasure of seeing that one!!
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You can post photo's one of two ways.....
If you've got a photobucket or flickr account upload your photo's there and post a link using the URL box (the box with the world and the sheet of paper above the smilies)
Or, resize them using a photo editing programme (Microsoft, Kodak etc) I think they've to be less than about 180 x 180 pixels and click the additional options box below where you type your reply and you can upload them there.
Don't worry about posting gross photo's - just give a warning in the title bar ;)
HTH
Karen :wave:
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once you learn how to post pics you should post the displesurable one somebody will learn from it :farmer:
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:wave:trouble with buying these poor examples is the breeder then thinks he is doing ok in selling them and therfore breeds more. in my experience of breeders that dont know the age is they age them by size rather then true ag, a guy near us sold some 9 month olds at market by the eye the auctioner sold them as small stores (to the trained eye the rear end of the boars should have given the age away)
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:wave:trouble with buying these poor examples is the breeder then thinks he is doing ok in selling them and therfore breeds more. in my experience of breeders that dont know the age is they age them by size rather then true ag, a guy near us sold some 9 month olds at market by the eye the auctioner sold them as small stores (to the trained eye the rear end of the boars should have given the age away)
Eeks :o