[plt102]

Hi there

We recently bought a batch of saddleback weaners and they are just about ready to go to slaughter. Among the group was one lone GOS gilt. She was one of two piglets and the other piglet was crushed as it was the sows first litter. This means that she has grown into a very sturdy handsome specimen. Our friends in the farming world who claim to know much more than we do, say that 'she is a keeper' and that we should seriously consider breeding from her. We also have a 'runt' who is much smaller than the others so we will be keeping her as a companion is this goes ahead  and after the others have gone to slaughter(they often hang around together). We have a nice open sided barn with a pig arc inside with a large run and also another paddock for rotating the areas when they get too muddy/wormy. We've managed to successfully rear a batch of 4 weaners and now another 8 so we now about that stage of their development, we have friends to help with the birthing process as they have experience, however before we make a decision (piglets or bacon), could you please help me with the following things?

Are they right in saying this sow has the potential at least to be a strong healthy mum?
When should we worm her? She is nearly 6 months
What would be the best time to start breeing from her?
Would 1 litter a year be enough for her?
AI or natural?
If natural, do we take the sow to the boar or vice versa
We have electirc fencing around the pens - i guess this is a no no for piglets
Peopl say that you should have a heat lampl in the barn to allow the piglets to get warm away from their mum and stop being crushed - is that right?

Any other tips welcome as well as recommendations of good books etc

Thanks

P

[princesspiggy]

are small litters a heredity factor that could be passed down to next generation? if u were breeding solely for freezer that wouldnt matter to much, but if u were gona sell any on for potential breeders, id only breed from the best u can get.
i read that the gos standards have dropped over recent years cos amatuer breeders were selecting poor quality specimens to breed with, and as gos are so popular with beginners, this breed suffered most.
have u considered finding a good breeder and selecting a registered gilt with breeding in mind? no good breeder would sell u a bad gilt as you'l be carrying their prefix forward also.
i thought gos were quite prolific, mine were from a first litter of 16.
look at breed standards on bpa website and count the number of teats etc
good luck in deciding. personally i would choose reg stock then u can sell them to a bigger market and for a better price.
 

[plt102]

Thanks for that - good tip. We are breeding just for the freezer and for family and friends but definitely worth looking into. Perhaps I should check with the breeder about the sows lineage and breeding history. He says he has it all documented. I think he has the mum and grandmum of this sow at his place so I could check everything out. Will definitely get a book on breeding standards and see if she conforms. The runt will just be a companion as she is small so no worries there.

[princesspiggy]

just personally, i wouldnt keep a runt as a companion as its a walking advert for any litters u are wanting to sell in future. why not keep 2 good gilts then if u change ur mind later, you can sell one or both to good breeding homes. most abbattoirs have a weight limit so if u want the runt away after a year you may have to travel a long way for an abattoir willing to take her.
dont get sentimental, remember the phrase - "breed from the best and eat the rest!"
we had 2 very old and unbeautiful cats (ie missing ears, eyes and teeth) from cats home, which we'd promised a home for life (and indeed they got). they used to sit by the front gate so met any potential customers, and they were always commented on in a negative manner which really did us no favours with first impressions as people would presume we hadnt looked after them properly. just saying so u realise that u get judged by people whether u want or not. a runt in your front park may not be ideal in long term. just my opinion though.
if u do keep the runt, will she be lonely whilst the sow is away at service, farrowing and raising her young?
good luck

[robert waddell]

as a pedigree breeder this is one of the mistakes that can lead to tears and people falling out         first you bought it for meat and in all probability paid meat price    far to often this happens  aw she looks cute lets keep her we want to start to breed       OK fair enough you feel ready to be a breeder no problem with that  but try and breed from birth notified stock from a breeder that is a BPA  member
one thing saying there is paperwork but you don't have any       there is plenty of good stock out there  no point in adding to vast quantity of crap that should be eaten and never near a boar            these hard times wont last for ever  and if you have pedigree stock it will always sell when the dolly mixtures will still be bargain basement stock          as to your other questions
worming should have been done by the breeder   do a worm count first     then decide what if any action to take
if you are hell bent on breeding from this pig    when she reaches 110/120 kilos    AI or natural that is up to you  if natural it is normal for the boar to come to you  you feed it and pay a service fee    you can do it the other way but it will cost you more
electric fence is best learns the little buggers              plenty of time to arrange the farrowing unit      talk about counting your chickens
a lot to concider before you start with books

[onnyview]

I agree with Robert on the breeding side. You MIGHT be very lucky and have a gilt with 14 or more evenly spaced teats, with good feet and legs so she will have a long and productive breeding life. Chances are she was sold for meat for a reason.

Also, it's worth pointing out that if she's not registered you cannot legally sell any of her piglets as GOS meat. That might be fine in the short term, but you need to look at this with with a long term eye and these things tend to snowball... Just worth thinking about.

I would also say that with 1 litter a year you run the risk of her becoming barren fairly quickly. I am happy to be corrected on this though.

[Fowgill Farm]

Plt102
Please go to the GOS website and read the getting started articles which will help you.
www.oldspots.org.uk
Also look at their members list and see if there is a breeder local to you who could come and look at your pig and advise, if she has a tattoo in her ear she may be traceable and have been birth notified (ie got a birth certificate)
I am in North Yorkshire and i fi can help at all please do get in touch.
Bets regards
Mandy 
www.oldspots.org.uk/mysite/fowgillfarm

[Tudful Tamworths]

I agree with Robert's comments - there are too many people breeding from crap pigs and there will have been a reason why she was sold as a meat pig.

Don't waste your time - find yourself a good pedigree breeder (even if you don't plan to breed pedigree yourself) who will sell you some good stock. Aside from the finer points of pedigree breed standards (colour, markings, etc), above all, a pig has to be functional - that is, she has to have all the qualities needed to go through mating, sustain a  pregnancy and rear a healthy litter.

To be honest, you seem a little unsure about whether you want to get into the breeding side of things at the moment. If that's the case, don't rush it. Carry on doing what you are doing at the moment - buying and rearing - and don't let others persuade you into doing something you're not ready to do.

However, if you do want to go ahead, spend as much time as you can with a good breeder, be there at a farrowing if you can, and learn as much as possible before you make a commitment.

Oh, and don't be afraid to come back and ask more questions!

Good luck and all the best
Liz

PS. I'm doing a series of features for Country Smallholding magazine on starting off with breeding. First one is in the next issue (October but out September). May be of help.