The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Guy on February 19, 2008, 12:38:20 pm

Title: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 19, 2008, 12:38:20 pm
Hi all! The OH and myself will soon be thinking about buying our next two piggies as our current ones will be making their final trip at the end of March. We have oxford sandy and blacks now , whilst our previous (and first) pair were old spots. We have thoroughly enjoyed both and wondered if any one could recommend any breed for the next ones and why?   
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 19, 2008, 06:14:54 pm
Oh Guy there is absolutely no question  after the others you have to try tamworths, in my opinion the meat is just superb, second to none.  Although I would strongly suggest neutered males or females. 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 19, 2008, 06:37:58 pm
Thanks HM , do they grow to a similar size to the others? your post seems to elude to the males being a bit feisty?? also , how vocal are they (alas i need to sometimes think of my neighbours )- you should have seen their faces when i explained to them we were going to keep pigs initially - mind you i gave them a joint (of pork that is!) and since then they have been a lot more interested :D
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: wildwoods on February 19, 2008, 07:24:34 pm
I've kept both Berkshires and British Saddlebacks and have to say that they're both wonderful in terms of nature whilst alive and meat once they've gone.

I slightly lean to Saddlebacks at the moment as they don't seem to carry so much fat - even if they're lazy and wanting to lie in the sun all day (some hope at the moment!).

What are you looking for in your grunters?

Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 19, 2008, 08:27:34 pm
thanks ww ,
the flavour and quality of meat is really important - but  they also need to be friendly things - nothing worse than being chased out of the pen!!! as Linda found out last week! although they dont seem to give me the same run around!
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Blinkers on February 20, 2008, 06:15:22 am
Gotta be a GOS then  :D :D :D............ or a Berkshire  ;D ;D ;D ......... and I've got a litter of piglets from each available from Easter  :D ;D
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 20, 2008, 07:19:02 am
 :D  Hi Guy, yes tamworth boars can be a bit well bossy, which is why from now on we are going to us AI for the tammies.  We have gossies and the boar is very gentle, but for flavour and superb meat quality and just plain FUN you cant beat a tammie. 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 20, 2008, 09:13:05 am
thats handy then blinkers ;)!! dont know much about berkshires - are they the blackones ? i guess i need to try out all of the different types at some point!!

I think we have definately decided to go for two gilts this time hm , although the young osb chap is nice enough he has given us a little more in the way of "fun!"- are the tammies easy enough to get hold of(I mean to buy that is , not wrestle with :D)

If i could only persuade the farmer next door to sell me an half an acre or so , i could try out lots of varieties in one go!!! 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 20, 2008, 11:04:42 am
Tammies are relatively easy to source, where are you ? 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 20, 2008, 11:40:45 am
We are in East devon about 10 miles from Exeter , so easy for motorway access. 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Blinkers on February 20, 2008, 10:36:21 pm
Hi Guy - yes Berkshires are black but kill out white.  We bought the sow from the Lady Iveagh on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and they have a Farm Shop and Restaurant (well they do farm about 3 thousand acres !!!) and apparently the Berkshire Pork now had "quite a following" in Lady Clare's words.       :D
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 20, 2008, 11:43:01 pm
hmmm , more to think about there then (as long as 3000acres isnt the minimum requirement to keep them :D) 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 21, 2008, 08:11:33 am
There are quite a few breeders of tammies in that area, worth contacting the BPA for breeders. 
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 21, 2008, 06:41:35 pm
Thanks hm - thatll give me something to do on my day off on Sunday ( other than the other list of jobs  ;) - always fun to go and look at piglets ;D
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Rosemary on February 21, 2008, 09:07:02 pm
We've never had anything else but Tamworths, so can't compare, but the Tamworths are great - they are just exuberant. And are good footballers, if that's important to you!
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 21, 2008, 10:08:47 pm
well , footballs not my thing - but if they enjoy a run around they would love my dogs - the current game seems to be two dogs wrestling each other then running up and down the fence line whilst the piggies watch, then they stop and the piggies copy what they have seen whilst the dogs look on!!sureal :D :D
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Rosemary on February 22, 2008, 09:26:37 pm
I don't know if I've posted this before but we bought ours a Snak-a-ball - it's a horse toy that you put food in, and the food drops out in wee bits as the ball is pushed around. The pigs loved it - makes mealtimes last - and the dogs played too!
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: carole on February 24, 2008, 07:57:27 pm
Give the Mangalitza a go, definatly my favourite, hardy outdoor, friendly and you can teach them oh so many things,like walk to heel etc. maybe thats why here in France my neighbours call them pig dogs!!!!!!

Carole
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Guy on February 25, 2008, 11:00:32 pm
weve now got our own snak -a- ball !!! - it does seem to do a good job (until they pushed it against the electrics which caused a few squeels until we released it for them :)

The mangalitza eh? I saw one when i went on my piggie keeping course - quite surreal looking i thought - my oh thought it looked like a slightly strange fluffy dog and was concerned we would get too attached!! :) cute critters though!
Title: Re: Any Suggestions?
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 26, 2008, 09:13:02 am
I think the mangalitsas could become the next exotic pets, they have the intelligence of the pig, yet are smaller and more trainable a bit like a dog.  A friend of a colleague has one that is house trained, walks to heel, goes out for walks (they get a special licence) and adores being dried with a hair dryer.