[FiB]

Thought I would move my specific question to here... Ok anyone who has, or has had large blacks, do they root.  I thought (from reading various previous discussions  ... That pretty mush all pigs root. Ok there are mad destructors etc.... But hoping that The large blacks I have committed to will root to some extent? I won't mess the breeder around, will still have them, but need to manage my expectations!.  I didn't even thing about researching that... To my inexperienced eye they look quite like the saddlebacks we had 2 years ago ....and they created armegeddon!  So, experiences please people ?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Large blacks are generally a grazing pig, however like all pigs they do root. When there isn't much grass they will root, however they mostly graze and therefore don't damage the ground as much as the berkshires.
Hope this helps

[FiB]

Good! That does reassure! It is poor mountainside ground, as much rush and braken as grass... So hopefully they will do a good job.  Will post before and after pics!  We are having them to clear prior to woodland planting, as machine clearing (as per spec) not possible... And I was drawn to their rep as hardy pigs.... We are quite elevated so they need to be hardy.  I hope they will be happy.... Whey will have a cosy stone sty, packed with straw, an acre and a half to call their own, the bottom of which is wet so. Will turn into a wallow through the summer... And be away before Christmas and the real harsh stuff  hopefully. Do they do best on the same kind of rations as saddlebacks? Our last lot were a tad fat... So going to try and be even tighter on optimum feed this time.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I have no idea we fed them on sugarbeet soaked in whey and also berrystock which is a dry cattle feed, but they seemed to like it. They are a good breed to work with and at the end of their lives they give wonderful, succulent pork.

[SallyintNorth]

On my very small samples (2 OSB, 3 OSB x Saddleback, 2 LBs) I can't say I noticed any difference in rooting between OSB, Saddleback x OSB and Large Black.  Mind, mine always need to root, they don't get given ground good enough to just graze! 

Temperament of the LBs was quieter than OSB or Saddleback x OSB.  Nice enough pigs, but didn't get under our skin the way the more flamboyant OSB and OSB xes did.

Growth rates were a lot slower than either OSB or Saddleback x OSB, so if you fed expecting those growth rates then I guess they would get overfat, yes.  Conformation was also not as good as either OSB or OSB or Saddleback.

BUT... when the meat came back we forgave them the extra months and the poorer conformation.  Just delicious. 

I would / will have them again.  For the taste and because they don't get under your skin the same way the OSBs do

[FiB]

That is all great, thanks. So I just need to figure out the right feeding regime... They will be on nuts. I CANT WAIT!  Though pigs were a big tie, I came to love em around the place and have really missed them! Great to hear about the extra good taste... We have quite a few friends now that have bagsed a half.
    And I don't mind them taking their time... Longer to enjoy them

[shygirl]

I have no idea we fed them on sugarbeet soaked in whey and also berrystock which is a dry cattle feed,

what is berrystock?

[oaklandspigs]

All of our breeds of pigs root, and we had had 11 of the rare breeds over the years, and currently have 8 including a large black.

I have noticed no difference between the breeds, with one exception, they all dig !

Kune Kunes given a large enough area with good grazing will tend to eat grass, but even here we've had the odd hole.  But if restricted they'll dig like everything else !

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Berrystock is the name of a company. Google it berrystock feeds Ltd, it is an awesome feed for cows however because of the dryness they need a lot of water.

[devonlad]

I think its all relative. "grazing pigs" like large blacks and British lops will thrash ground fairly well but perhaps not at quite the rate of porcine ploughs like tamworths. our last batch of BL left a pretty accurate recreation of the Somme behind them.

[hughesy]

I've found that the ground makes all the difference. Our adult saddlebacks will destroy ground that is fresh to them, but aren't too bothered about digging over ground that they've been on before and has regrown.