Hi,
I bowed out of this thread some time ago, but have been following it with interest.
Just a plea from me to any new pig keepers in the UK - Please do not consider feeding piglets and or dung / scour to your pigs, there is no need, and it is a highly dubious practice.
I would just like to make this point that, and I am glad that I am not necessarily the one being picked on,
is that the term feedback means that you are not actually getting the gilt to eat piglets dung, just getting her to rumage about in it, hence being EXPOSED to it.
This practice I personally have not done for sometime(the feeding back of piglets was in 1994 in which time the law has changed, especially as Foot and Mouth and Mad Cows, disease, etc., have gone and come.) and mainly do vaccination(when I am working with pigs).
Feedback in certain cases is not always a good idea as it can worsen the problem ie with Swine Dysentry, Swine fever, Food and mouth, etc., rather than make it better.
Feedback, if used, should not be done without consultation of a Vet(of which Blonde has done). Iam surprised that Blonde is feeding back afterbirth, Stills, etc., as I thought that had gone out the window a very long time ago!!!
Times, surely Blonde, have moved on!
As to "there is never a need" that is just foolish talk.
Most people would have no need to do it, but there are occassions when it is warranted.
Blondes an Ozzie living in Australia(pig farm ownwer) and iam English, living in Australia(moved here 5 years ago).
Me and Blonde don't always agree on things and so is life and that makes things rather more interesting, hey Blonde!!
Another interesting thing is that Blondes Vet is English(snigger,snigger), but I won't mention his name!
Well respected I may add.