[kitchen cottage]

Other than foraging when I let them out, I primarily feed my sow Charlotte (and am weaning her brood of eight) on Sow nuts.
I need them finished for October, they are 6 weeks now, and I note that people post about finishing foods.
Is there a regime for moving from sow nuts.
I buy mine (marriages) with a farm who has a bigger order so have a good price (£6 a bag) I am sure though that I could get them to order something else in the marriages line.  The farm just breed and sell they don't rear up.
  I love this board!
 

[robert waddell]

what breed of pigs         £6 per bag so that could be either £240 per ton or £300 depends on the weight
it all depends on what weight you want to Finnish them at at six months old or there abouts
normally the piglets start eating mothers feed  and they can be feed a higher protein starter pellet or keep them on the same feed as mum  but remember the higher the protein content the dearer the feed

[Fowgill Farm]

Depending what breed they are i would keep them on the sow nuts which you are getting at a very good price, 16% protein will mean they grow slower and will finish nicely by October providing they're outside working(digging) and running around, any higher protein (i suspect you're thinking of grower cubes 19%) and they will lay down fat especially if we get a poor summer and they're parked up in their houses!
HTH
mandy 

[kitchen cottage]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=113126058828169&set=a.101353736672068.1417.100003923251759&type=1&theater
 
They are Essex Pigs.  This is them at 5 weeks old (a week ago).
 
They are on marriages sow nuts which are 16% protein.  At the moment they are in a stable, but simply because of the rain.  They are going into the outside pig run at the weekend and they go out for a few hours each night anyway 
 
I would love to stay on sow nuts because my food supply is very handy (the City Farm i volunteer for just adds my order to theirs)
 
Sorry that I join and bombard with questions .... but its that time of year.
 
By way of reciprocity, I am an ENGLISH solicitor so if you have a question fire away!
 
Della

[JulieS]

I would stick with the 16% that you are able to get and at a good price too.


As Mandy says they will finish nicely by October on that.

[hughesy]

Interesting to hear of Essex pigs. Jimmy Doherty used to say his saddlebacks were essex pigs didn't he? Is it not the case that the essex breed ceased to exist in the 60's when the British Saddleback breed was established combining the essex and wessex breeds into one. I'm sure I read recently that the essex and wessex bloodlines have been completely interbred and no longer exist as lines that are identifiable as such.

[robert waddell]

yes the essex and the wessex have combined to be the saddelback  but certain lines can still be identified as commoning from one particular line 

[kitchen cottage]

Jimmy Doherty bought his from my city farm... he killed a lot of them first time round....
There was one farm that wouldn't mix with the Wessex and mine are from that.  They are pure breeds but can't be registered..... there is an essex pig society campaigning for recognition..
In my case, they are beautifully bred for smallholders, having lovely gentle natures and.... are bred for my conditions being clay, clay and more clay.
Its Essex all the way with me !
 
 
 

[hughesy]

I think it would be great if the Essex and Wessex breeds could be reinstated. I think it would have to be alongside the British Saddleback rather than splitting that breed into two again though.