[GribinIsaf]

We started our pig adventures last August when we inherited from friends a pedigree British Saddleback boar and a mature crossbred sow.

We put the sow to Bert the boar at the start of the new year and are looking forward to our first experience of farrowing at the end of April.

We are now planning our next step and would like to be able to do some pedigree breeding and to that end are looking to buy a couple of registered Saddleback gilts.

Our plan is to buy young - at weaning - so them, and us, can become really familiar with each other hopefully leading to very good natured animals which could be put to Bert at the end of the year for farrowing next spring.

Now to my query...

I am not yet good at estimating the weight of pigs but Bert is obviously well built.  I attach a picture but it might not be easy to see scale from that.  Some people have advised that a mature boar like him might be too heavy for a maiden gilt.  If this is true it would scupper our plan, above.

What do you think?

Many thanks for any words of wisdom.

[harmony]

Firstly do you have the paperwork for Bert and does his notch correspond? ( So many people think they have a pedigree animal and then find they haven't)


Secondly, do you have a market for your offspring? You will find that only a few of any litter ever meet the breed standard and are good enough to register. Sometimes none. Do you know how to tell?


When your sow farrows you will get an indication of possible litter size, then times by 2! Could be quite a lot of piglets.


From the picture Bert doesn't look too big to serve maiden gilts as long as they are well grown when you serve them.

[shygirl]

id get the best gilts then find a boar rather than the other way around.
there is excellent semen available by AI.

or AI them first time

[harmony]

I managed to enlarge your photo and have a better look at Bert.


It may be the angle of the photo but his top line looks to have a dip in it. He has very full hams, well filled to the hock but his tail looks low.


I can't see his underline well enough but the teats look quite even but you need to check none are dummies.


He needs his tusks trimming for the both your safety and any female pigs he may be run with.

[Marches Farmer]

It may be the angle of the photo but his top line looks to have a dip in it. He has very full hams, well filled to the hock but his tail looks low.
I can't see his underline well enough but the teats look quite even but you need to check none are dummies.
He needs his tusks trimming for the both your safety and any female pigs he may be run with.

I agree - with the head at that angle the mid back should look arched rather than dipped and the tail is low.  I get the vet in to trim boar tusks at around a year.  He's carrying too much condition for my liking - I prefer 'em lean and keen.  I don't generally use a boar over 18 months old on year old maiden gilts.