Author Topic: Red or white clover for pigs ? (Read 5454 times)

HappyHippy · « **on:** August 04, 2011, 06:28:36 pm »

I'm just about to order up a mix of seeds to reseed my pig pens, I'd like to include a bit of clover in the mix.
We've got white clover at the moment, but I'm wondering if the red is better

Thanks

cooper956 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 04, 2011, 08:00:00 pm »

will it matter that much the pigs will soon uproot it wont they?

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2011, 08:42:09 pm »

White is better for grazing. Red is usually for silage. Red also contains oestrogen which can affect female fertility (in sheep anyway).

HappyHippy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2011, 09:06:26 pm »

Quote from: cooper956 on August 04, 2011, 08:00:00 pm

will it matter that much the pigs will soon uproot it wont they?

Not my little Kunes

They graze quite happily

And I have to say, since moving my 'big' pigs (Large Blacks and Berkshire) into their big field (2 acres) I've been pleasantly surprised by how little rooting they're doing, they are actually choosing to graze too

AND they are doing REALLY well, so well that we've cut back their hard feeding a wee bit. The 2 sows we have were really skinny when they arrived and have filled out great in just over 5 weeks. I'm expecting that once the grass loses it's goodness in the autumn they'll start too root a bit, but given the size of field I don't think they'll ever manage to completely trash it (but I've got plenty space to move them and let it recover if they do

)

Quote from: Rosemary on August 04, 2011, 08:42:09 pm

White is better for grazing. Red is usually for silage. Red also contains oestrogen which can affect female fertility (in sheep anyway).

Thanks Rosemary.
I had assumed both types had oestrogen (hence only including small amounts because of the fertility thing) but if the white is free of it, I might up the ratio slightly cos the Kunes LOVE it

Having read all the info and spoken to Walter at Sugar Mountain Farm (google it if you're interested

) I'm thinking of maybe trying to raise some fatteners on pasture (with dairy for protien - if I can get the all clear from AH) and see how it goes ..... pasture raised pigs coming to Scotland - watch this space

Karen

robert waddell · « **Reply #4 on:** August 07, 2011, 06:58:10 pm »

white clover is smaller the red clover is much larger in stem hight and leaf this may present problems with the pigs gassing up
as long as they are not underfed they should not root to bad depends how tasty the roots are
also depends on your stocking density these are all thing that you will find out remember though that lush grazing will turn to rank grazing in a short time size of pigs and the type of year also are factors

HappyHippy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 07, 2011, 08:59:01 pm »

Thanks Robert.
It's my 4 wee 'nursery/training' pens near the shed I'm doing - they're all just little (20x30m or thereabouts) so they get churned by everything apart from the Kunes.
The 5 'big' pigs have almost 2 acres of really long grass, so reckon it'll take them a fair while to turn it

but I'm about to put the Tamworth two down with them, so I'll maybe see the bulldozer effect in action