[Bex]

Has anyone raised these?

The more I read about them the more I like but it would be great to have some first hand advise.

Also can't seem to find any breeders. Anyone know of any?

Thanks

 

[HappyHippy]

I'm not sure there are any in the UK
I know Blair Drummond safari park have red river hogs......but haven't come across guinea hogs before, sorry.

[Bex]

Thanks Happy Hippy, looks like no one knows.

Oh well, I'll keep looking 

[harmony]

I would agree with HH and say there aren't any here. If someone had them then an internet search would find something. Importing from America would be hugely cost prohibitive. My only suggestion would be to contact Wendy Scudamore who keeps breeds pet pigs. Google Barton Hill pigs. She may save you a lot of time looking for something that isn't in this country.

[Marches Farmer]

Importing from the US would also carry a very, very high risk of bringing in PEDv, with 100% mortality of young piglets. 

[HappyHippy]

If you're looking for a friendly, easy to manage, low input pig - get kunekune  Not that I'm biased in the slightest 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Reading about them it says that they're really rare over in America. If they're rare in America it will be even more costly to import any, providing they will let you do that and you can source a breeder. Your best bet might be to go with kune kune, I hate to sound a bit defeatist but they're very similar in that they're a good beginners pig. Another thing to do might be to get in touch with the society in america and ask about breeders in Europe? Just a thought

[Marches Farmer]

Let us not forget that PEDv is also in Europe now, along with PRRSv, African and classical swine fever .....  Folks, living on an island has its uses, including keeping out many diseases that could romp through the national herd, devastate native breeds and cause some rare bloodlines to become extinct.  We breed the most rare GOS female bloodline and have been endeavouring for six years to both increase numbers of top quality breeding females and sell them to experienced keepers around the UK in case of a disease challenge like that of F&M in 2001.  The threat of disease is always, always, in our minds.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Indeed so maybe not import any then? You could of course buy some semen in from america and use it on some of the native breeds we have and possibly breed a new breed of animal? Just a thought

[Rosemary]

Why can we not just be content?

[HappyHippy]

Why can we not just be content?

I know what you're saying Rosemary, but it's human nature to want what we don't have and just think.....
If we hadn't / didn't move animals around there wouldn't be Shetland cattle on the mainland, a few breeds of pigs would be in real trouble and there are possibly many more examples that I don't know of 
Yes, our own breeds are lovely and disease is a major reason not to import at the moment - but it doesn't stop folk dreaming 

[harmony]

I'm told the UK takes regular consignments of pigs from europe they are then finished here for at least 4 months and the pork is sold as British. Hence the box on the eaml2 system about born here, reared here etc.

[Bex]

Thanks folks. Was just looking for information at the moment certainly not importing anything.

They used to be very rare in the US but are becoming increasingly popular as a 'backyard' pig.

I've found a few references to them here and in France but nothing very recent. (Will be smallholding in France, hence me looking for them over there)

I've contacted a lady in the society in America and she's put some feelers out for me.