Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Yearly costs per pig  (Read 16611 times)

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #30 on: June 10, 2011, 08:41:15 am »
Pigs can still have a lovely life, surely, if kept on free range and fed bought in feed. Your's is a lovely thought and if you had a hundred acres or more would certainly work but would you want to turn over a hundred acres to rearing a few pigs?
I hope my pigs are happy with what they have, they certainly seem so. Freedom to root around a field, good grub, fruit and veg. (greengrocers left-overs) and organic pig nuts, a scratch behind the ear, plenty of clean straw to cuddle up in. God, I'm wishing I was one of my pigs ;D

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #31 on: June 10, 2011, 05:45:55 pm »
One things for sure, and it doesn't matter who's opinion is right or wrong, there's no point opening a debate on't internet then spitting your dummy out if some people have a different view of things to the one you wanted to hear.

Dundonald hens

  • Joined Aug 2010
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #32 on: June 10, 2011, 05:48:47 pm »
Hughesy i can asure you my dummy is still in my god and the toys are still in the pram  :yum:

Tiva Diva

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Scottish Borders
    • Thornielee Cottage
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #33 on: June 10, 2011, 11:18:49 pm »
The problem with keeping pigs as you suggest is the traditional ways of topping up their protein intake, and in particular thier intake of leucine, an amino acid they need to survive, are illegal. Wild boar survive by foraging over a wide area, and by eating small animals (including scavenging roadkill). You can feed pigs very cheaply: grass, waste veg and fruit, etc. but they do need some protein to thrive. I've seen one of our sows kill and eat a mixy rabbit! If they can't get enough protein from scavenging, you will have to give them some: even if you are happy with slow-growing, grass-fed piggies they still need the leucine.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #34 on: June 10, 2011, 11:56:22 pm »
They could get the amino acid from whey, could they?  It is legal to collect whey from a cheesemaker and it's a waste product to them.
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

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #35 on: June 11, 2011, 12:31:38 am »
The problem with keeping pigs as you suggest is the traditional ways of topping up their protein intake, and in particular thier intake of leucine, an amino acid they need to survive, are illegal. Wild boar survive by foraging over a wide area, and by eating small animals (including scavenging roadkill). You can feed pigs very cheaply: grass, waste veg and fruit, etc. but they do need some protein to thrive. I've seen one of our sows kill and eat a mixy rabbit! If they can't get enough protein from scavenging, you will have to give them some: even if you are happy with slow-growing, grass-fed piggies they still need the leucine.
Hello Tiva Diva - just twigged who you are  ;) ;D
How's the herd doing ?
Take care, Karen x  :wave:

Tiva Diva

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Scottish Borders
    • Thornielee Cottage
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #36 on: June 11, 2011, 02:26:07 pm »
Great thanks - Fiona the mangalitza had 8 piglets 12 days ago - one died (the runt) but all others doing well. How are yours?  x

Tiva Diva

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Scottish Borders
    • Thornielee Cottage
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #37 on: June 11, 2011, 02:35:08 pm »
SallyIntNorth: asked about pigs getting protein from whey
yes, or from milk: we have a friend who keeps goats and we get spare goats milk from her. Other ways of saving feed costs:
Scrounge waste veg from your local greengrocer, and from your friends gardens/allotments/smallholdings (so long as they haven't been in a kitchen)
Breweries and distilleries will sell their draff cheaply.
Club together with other pig-keepers in your area to save money buying in bulk.
We looked at mixing our own pig feed but it wasn't worth it for the size of our herd. We're thinking of planting some field beans for them though.
They don't need a lot of leucine or protein and can do well on good grazing with a little good quality supplement in the summer. They do need more in the winter, though.

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Yearly costs per pig
« Reply #38 on: June 11, 2011, 04:35:02 pm »
Great thanks - Fiona the mangalitza had 8 piglets 12 days ago - one died (the runt) but all others doing well. How are yours?  x
I've sent you a message - too much for a post on here (and don't want to deviate from the post or I'll get my wrists smacked from Dan  ;) ;D)

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS