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Author Topic: Mixing Ages of pigs  (Read 4762 times)

Chrisdavies

  • Joined Jun 2020
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #15 on: July 27, 2020, 06:55:00 pm »
The woodland is divided up into big ‘paddocks’  each one that I’m using has a ark in. Which is great at the moment but I’m looking at fencing some additional paddocks that for me is the easy part. The bit that I’m struggling with is finding cheap pig arks. The ones I have at the moment I picked up cheap second hand. But I can’t find any at the moment and the cost of them new is day light robbery! So I’m currently looking at making my own.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2020, 07:21:23 pm »

If pigs survived naturally in woodland in winter without arks before human intervention I'm sure they could now, that said I would also recommend an ark to be safe and if its a requirement then of course one should be provided.

I expect Iron Age and Mangalitza pigs would still.  Domestication has robbed all the others of any kind of weatherproof covering
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

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2020, 08:10:10 pm »
The woodland is divided up into big ‘paddocks’  each one that I’m using has a ark in. Which is great at the moment but I’m looking at fencing some additional paddocks that for me is the easy part. The bit that I’m struggling with is finding cheap pig arks. The ones I have at the moment I picked up cheap second hand. But I can’t find any at the moment and the cost of them new is day light robbery! So I’m currently looking at making my own.

Not movable admittedly but I drove fencing stakes into the ground, attached sheets of ply and roofed with tin, its cheap to do if you have materials lying around

Chrisdavies

  • Joined Jun 2020
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2020, 09:09:25 pm »
The woodland is divided up into big ‘paddocks’  each one that I’m using has a ark in. Which is great at the moment but I’m looking at fencing some additional paddocks that for me is the easy part. The bit that I’m struggling with is finding cheap pig arks. The ones I have at the moment I picked up cheap second hand. But I can’t find any at the moment and the cost of them new is day light robbery! So I’m currently looking at making my own.

Not movable admittedly but I drove fencing stakes into the ground, attached sheets of ply and roofed with tin, its cheap to do if you have materials lying around

That’s a great idea thanks

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #19 on: July 28, 2020, 09:09:22 am »

If pigs survived naturally in woodland in winter without arks before human intervention I'm sure they could now, that said I would also recommend an ark to be safe and if its a requirement then of course one should be provided.

I expect Iron Age and Mangalitza pigs would still.  Domestication has robbed all the others of any kind of weatherproof covering


Absolutely Sally. And you'd be feeding a lot more food to keep them warm. They'll be a lot hairer, which the abattoir wont be too impressed with.

Hogwarts

  • Joined Sep 2019
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #20 on: July 28, 2020, 10:22:51 am »
The woodland is divided up into big ‘paddocks’  each one that I’m using has a ark in. Which is great at the moment but I’m looking at fencing some additional paddocks that for me is the easy part. The bit that I’m struggling with is finding cheap pig arks. The ones I have at the moment I picked up cheap second hand. But I can’t find any at the moment and the cost of them new is day light robbery! So I’m currently looking at making my own.

I built one last year  from scrap material here is some photos of it https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=108115.msg725161#msg725161

they aren't very hard to make you just need a semi circular template for the end pieces and a jigsaw, sourcing corrugated tin may be a problem but ask any farmer and he may have some lying around. Or alternatively buy arc shaped tin from your local agricultural store this costs a little but  massively simplifies the design and reduces the amount of wood needed in the construction.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2020, 10:25:43 am by Hogwarts »

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Mixing Ages of pigs
« Reply #21 on: July 28, 2020, 10:58:48 am »
Lots of people make their own arks.


If you want one to last then try to avoid wooden frames. Eventually pigs will eat the wood. I'm not a joiner but attach with good fixings not ones that will easily pull out. Protect round wooden entrances with metal, again to stop chewing. Stand on railway sleepers to slow down the tin sheets rotting at floor level.


Have you got a seek and sell facebook page in your area? Can be a good place to find materials.

 

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