Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: advice please  (Read 6784 times)

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Re: advice please
« Reply #15 on: July 14, 2011, 08:06:16 pm »

Is it worth thinking about getting the vet to castrate him? Don't have to worry about taint then, either.

gavo

  • Joined Aug 2008
  • Belcoo, Enniskillen, N.Ireland
  • Crazy Pig Lover
Re: advice please
« Reply #16 on: July 14, 2011, 10:57:52 pm »
Hi
We keep O.S.Bs we separate the sexes by around 4/5 moths we keep entire boars until around 11 months and have never had taint. When you separate them keep them within sight/ hearing of each other or you'll have a very lonely boar.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: advice please
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2011, 12:05:55 am »
Congratulations on your OSBs.  They're a magnet for all kinds of folks, people will borrow children as an excuse to come and see them!  (And bring you sacks and sacks of apples for them in the autumn.)

The organic farm shop & cafe across the road were quite upset when I moved mine into a different spot, away from the road, for a few weeks - clearly they and their customers had been enjoying conversing with Meg over the wall!  (And so had Meg - but we had to fence off the bit we just sowed with turnips and cabbages... ;))
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Tiva Diva

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Scottish Borders
    • Thornielee Cottage
Re: advice please
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2011, 09:58:42 am »
We separate our OSBs at 4 months old: I do know of people who have had "accidents" leaving boars and gilts together longer than that. We've kept an entire OSB boar to 10 months and had no problems with taint either.
I absolutely agree with SallyIntNorth about the interest your pigs will generate: everyone will want to come and visit them and bring you spare apples, plums etc for them.
Thinking ahead to when you slaughter them: it would be kindest to send all three at one go. You certainly shouldn't leave just one behind, and I don't like to send one to slaughter on its own.
Enjoy your pigs!

Fowgill Farm

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: advice please
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2011, 10:07:36 am »
We kept a GOS boar and his two sisters together until they went to the butchers at 21 weeks old and never had any problems, he didn't seem interested in them i don't know if this was because they were his siblings or he just had no male influences to encourage him to do boy stuff.
HTh
Mandy  :pig:

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Re: advice please
« Reply #20 on: July 18, 2011, 10:54:48 pm »
I absolutely agree with SallyIntNorth about the interest your pigs will generate: everyone will want to come and visit them and bring you spare apples, plums etc for them.
Absolutely! We've always got people hanging over the dyke and taking photos of them - locals and tourists alike.

 

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