The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: sabrina on February 13, 2018, 03:53:30 pm
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Some weaners for sale in my area and I was wondering if anyone had experience of these. How big do they get. What are they like to keep.
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Not GOS x Saddleback but I bred a litter of OSB x Saddleback. Fab growers, fab pigs. Would absolutely do this cross again. It seemed to me that the larger Saddleback and its faster growth took some of the fat out of the OSB; certainly the 5 month carcase impressed our butcher (although he'd have wanted them larger and we don't know if I'd have been able to keep them as lean for another month.)
I kept one of the females on as the mother would otherwise have been on her own. She grew much larger than the OSB mum (but not as large as a pure Saddleback) and wasn't as nice a character of a pig, but was fine.
All the litter looked like Saddlebacks, apart from a variety of ear angles :)
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Depends on the quality of the parent stock. GOS should bring a good long back and hams to the party and hopefully offset the slightly drier texture of the meat in some strains of Saddleback. I didn't much care for the temperament of Saddlebacks when we finished a batch and went back to the much more laid back GOS.
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Sounds as if its not the breed of pig for me.
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They will get as big as you want them!
I can't see any problems with the cross. They are traditional breeds, potentially both prone to laying down fat but like finishing any pigs you need to regularly access their condition. Marches Farmer is correct that GOS is a moister meat than some but I haven't eaten "dry" Saddleback and I have eaten plenty. The Wessex strains of Saddleback are more fatter perhaps than the Essex. In my experience I have met more grumpy GOS's than Saddlebacks so I would suggest you take a look at the weaners and go from there.
If they are a good length, good hams and top line then how they finish will be down to you.
Go for it! :love:
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I currently have OSB x Saddleback piglets at 1 month old, as above all look like saddlebacks, will see how they grow and how they are!
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By coincidence, today I took two GOS saddleback cross gilts to the abattoir. I took them on to about 100kgs live weight. They behaved exactly like all the other pigs I have had i.e. permanently hungry, love belly rubs, squeal fit to deafen at feeding time. Will let you know what the carcases look like in due course.
Regards, Dave
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The pigs returned from the abattoir. The slaughterman/butcher remarked that they were good pigs for their size with not too much back fat. The killed out at 84 and 77 kilos, this weight being with head and trotters still attached. I have yet to sample them but during the butchery which is done by a friend at home they looked first class.
Regards, Dave
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Well there you go....I found Saddlebacks much more laid back than GOS. Left the cross, again fairly straightforward. I'd have no hesitation having this cross as weaners to grow on.
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Daveh - how old were the gilts?
Cheers
David
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9 months. We usually have pigs earlier in the year so their final fattening occurs in warmer months. These two took a month longer than normal.
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I don't think I've taken in any breed older than 6 months. Do you feed a 16% sow & weaner nut?
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I feed Heygates sow rolls - 16%
Regards, Dave