Author Topic: APPLES?????????? (Read 5618 times)

harry · « **on:** July 28, 2011, 08:52:57 pm »

IME NEW TO PIG KEEPING but i understand they like apples........... how many is to many, as i remember eating 6 large oranges in one go once, ime not doing that again....also ive noticed apple trees beside the roads round here, they are red, havent tried one yet but will do... are they crab apples and if so are they suitable for pigs, and at what state of ripeness is suitable

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2011, 08:58:33 pm »

I'm not sure what area you're in Harry, but it's still a bit early yet for apples to be ripe (I think) Everything in moderation - for 2 young pigs no more than half a bucket between them at a feed I'd say. But I've never fed mine crab apples, so just proceed with caution.

Beewyched · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2011, 09:04:45 pm »

My Kunes love apples - well pretty much love all fruit - but I wouldn't give them much in the way of citrus. If you do give them fruit increase it gradually, or they will get the squits (which can make young pigs very poorly). Mine don't get more than the equivilant of 1lb of fruit/veg each a day.

Crab apples are tiny compared to eaters/cookers (much smaller than a golf ball) & can be red/green/yellow dependant on variety. They don't ripen until quite late in the Autumn, when your pigs may appreciate a handful a day - the riper the better (my Kunes do any way). Just be careful that they haven't been sprayed with anything & you should ask the landowners permission to pick them if they're on private land too

zackyb · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2011, 11:09:17 pm »

HI

My pigs have a selection of fruit and veg most days.. including apricots, pineapples, bananas, nectarines, lettuce, grapes,advocadots, apples, tomatoes from greengrocer and good quallity pig pencils.. Their current faves are bananas, grapes and tomatoes.. Least faves are broccoli and cauliflower, carrots and parsnips...sometimes they have a couple of pounds of fruit and veg a day each. No squits, they love it - all good natural stuff

Amanda

HappyHippy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2011, 08:55:08 am »

Amanda,
If your pigs are long term residents (as opposed to fatteners for the freezer) watch the amount of tomatoes you give them - they can lead to arthritus in the long term.
If you're planning on breeding, watch the citrus level - it's believed to cause fertility problems.
If you can cook up the brocolli and cauliflour (outside on a camping stove - not in your kitchen) they'll like it much better

Karen x

harry · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2011, 08:40:53 pm »

ok thanks..i will leave it and try one myself later

Sylvia · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2011, 08:37:28 am »

My pigs, two KuneKune and two Saddle back porkers eat boxes full of fruit a day, plus carrots and the occasional cauliflower. They adore pineapple, apples, bananas, mango.etc. I will bear in mind about tomatoes and restict my Kune girls, I want them with me for a very long time!
I tell people my Saddlebacks will tate of fruit salad when I get them back from the butcher

tizaala · « **Reply #7 on:** July 31, 2011, 08:53:35 am »

If you turn pigs into an orchard to clean up the windfalls, they can get exremely drunk , falling over drunk, absolutely legless, very funny but not good for them, and the hangover is something else.....

HappyHippy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2011, 10:47:23 am »

One of the funniest things I ever saw on Youtube was this video of a drunk squirrel (it had been eating fermented pumpkins

)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0so5er4X3dc

white-blazes · « **Reply #9 on:** July 31, 2011, 03:46:04 pm »

We're due our second batch of piggies in the next fortnight, and when daughter goes back to work in the school September, they will have a good feed of all the leftover apples from the 'after school club' - the toddlers take a bite and bin them, so daughter brings them home for the pigs, they love them

HappyHippy · « **Reply #10 on:** July 31, 2011, 04:01:59 pm »

Quote from: white-blazes on July 31, 2011, 03:46:04 pm

We're due our second batch of piggies in the next fortnight, and when daughter goes back to work in the school September, they will have a good feed of all the leftover apples from the 'after school club' - the toddlers take a bite and bin them, so daughter brings them home for the pigs, they love them

Whilst I don't want to be negative, if those apples have been in a 'kitchen' you can't feed them to your pigs

If they are brought from a shop and given straight to the kids, then discarded into a waiting bag - that's a different matter. But if they've been stored in a kitchen, there is the potential for them to have been contaminated with meat products and as such it's illegal to feed them to farmed livestock (even 'pet' pigs come under this legislation)
Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the law and more importantly, disease prevention

Karen x