[mwilliam04]

I reared two GOSxSaddleback crosses last year to pork weight and they went to the freezer at six months but was conscious of, and concerned about the risk of boar taint.

We'll get gilts this year to eliminate that concern, but if you fatten them over a longer period of time, say 7-8 months will it have any detrimental effect on the meat?

Its not that we want them to kill out at a greater weight or to yield more meat, but we run a seasonal summer business and a fattening period of 6 months from when they come to us as weaners would mean we had more time for processing.

Any thoughts?

[JulieS]

I send my boys off at around 7 months (once it was 8 1/2 months),  and the girls at 10 - 11 months.   I've never had boar taint.

The meat is beautiful at all ages.  You just get larger joint and rashers of bacon and more sausages from the older pigs.

Personally I have found leaving them over 11 months not to be worthwhile to me in amount of meat produced, just a little more fat. 

[mwilliam04]

Thanks Julie, just the reassurance I was after.

[manian]

hi
it depends on the size you want your chops
ours tend to go 6-7 months
our first ones were winter pigs and did well good size and only a little fat (butcher was impressed)
the 2nd lot were summer pigs and much bigger at the same age
same meat/fat ratio but huge chops

do whats best for you
Mx

[JulieS]

Bigger chops, or nice big rashers of bacon 

[windymiller]

we've got 3 going in end of the month 31st jan born 6 and 8th aug.  so again 6-7 months, they've been free range last 2 months in a barn, on straw, barns 300x 150 foot and only got some hesstons in so may as well be free range, just  not so muddy as their usual run, which i ploughed over and drilled a few weeks ago.
if youleave them past 8 months you can get fatty meat, and i have known boar taint... depends on the pig...i don;t mind the taint!