[manian]

hi
we have snow........... only about 4 inches at the most but temps are don to minus 3 at times.......
do i need to do anything special to keep the pigs warm... (they have plenty of straw in sty- which they keep eating! and put warm water in the trough)

can i feed them porridge for the redibrek glow? (made with water) or shall i make them some coats..

Mx

[egglady]

have the same dilemma, so will be interested to hear what folks have to say!

i gave mine some porrige oats the other day with their sow rolls and they seemed to really enjoy them.

we also give them straw and, like you, it seems to diminish amazingly quickly so think they are eating it too! 

[ballingall]

I give ours a bit of barley too with the pig nuts. Helps to keep them warm. They also get warm fresh goats milk poured on top (which they love). Is their anything else I should be doing? Not that I will have mine for much longer!


Beth

[ballingall]

Cold pigs!

[robert waddell]

yes Beth, cut the barley off them as they will get too fat, seem to me that they are going to be ready to go to slasughter soon have you weighted them yet

[ballingall]

I've only been giving them barley the last couple of days for the cold. They are going on Monday as it happens- providing it doesn't snow again and we can get the trailer out!


Beth

[sarha]

Will barley make them fat??? Over the last 3 weeks or so, I have been feeding mine rolled barley, cooked pots and a little pig nut. Just trying to keep costs down. ( Free pots and barley cheaper than pig nut). Was hoping to slaughter pigs at 24 weeks but had to organise butcher friend and abbatoir, so they are going Monday @ 28 wks.

[robert waddell]

the big commercial feeders mix barley with a protein supplement, potatoes +barley will make them go to fat but then i f it is free you can always trim the fat??

[nessjw]

Not snowing here yet thank  ....poor girls are struggling thru the frozen mud...and have decided the woodland is better underfoot...l dont want to put them on the hard standing as yet,
to boring...and no chance of rooting!!...though have found a bit of shredded sugar beet, served up warm, has done wonders for their zest of life.. with pig nuts, bread and greens..eat better than me

[Cobra]

Had a bit of snow yesterday nothing to write home about, but very cold and frozen conditions. Straw in the arc and yah they munch it as well as sleep on it, who doesn't enjoy a bedtime snack 

Feed mine rolled barley and growers at a ratio of 3 to 1 always used to do this, I honestly believe barley fed pork has an awesome taste, shouldn't have fat issues using barley providing you don't over feed? If I eat my words I guess they will be fatty  Also winter its a bit more laboured to get them to weight the cold slows growth a little.

Haven't had pigs about for years and these are the first of my own. Feel for them every night but their damn resilient creatures and all seem fit healthy and lively. All used to the sound of the 4x4 now and at the gate waiting for their daily food, bless ehm 

Ehm memories of farm days are flooding back, hammers for the gates and the troughs, Ah well par for the course and when your tonsols are frozen to your throat you know your alive 

[sarha]

the big commercial feeders mix barley with a protein supplement, potatoes +barley will make them go to fat but then i f it is free you can always trim the fat??

   

Had a bit of snow yesterday nothing to write home about, but very cold and frozen conditions. Straw in the arc and yah they munch it as well as sleep on it, who doesn't enjoy a bedtime snack 

Feed mine rolled barley and growers at a ratio of 3 to 1 always used to do this, I honestly believe barley fed pork has an awesome taste, shouldn't have fat issues using barley providing you don't over feed? If I eat my words I guess they will be fatty  Also winter its a bit more laboured to get them to weight the cold slows growth a little.

Haven't had pigs about for years and these are the first of my own. Feel for them every night but their damn resilient creatures and all seem fit healthy and lively. All used to the sound of the 4x4 now and at the gate waiting for their daily food, bless ehm 

Ehm memories of farm days are flooding back, hammers for the gates and the troughs, Ah well par for the course and when your tonsols are frozen to your throat you know your alive 

I dont think I have overfed them and if they are a little on the fatty side, as you say I can trim the fat!! They have also had maize silage ( wasn't too keen on that ), so they have had a mixture....well my first pigs, so live and learn:)

Still no snow here in Sussex ( well not where I live but  along the coast they have had some heavy snow fall!).

[Fowgill Farm]

See my post in coffee lounge worst weather.
Warm water to all troughs this morning, even drinkers in buildings are frozen!
Mandy

[Hilarysmum]

Mine love the snow as long as they are well fed and have good straw beds.  The pet pig who doesnt need to go outside spent hours playing in the snow.

[Sylvia]

the big commercial feeders mix barley with a protein supplement, potatoes +barley will make them go to fat but then i f it is free you can always trim the fat??

And think of all that lard!! It will keep for ages if rendered.