[SallyintNorth]

you can't get ai yet for oxfords otherwise (unless some one knows different?)i'd use it

Windymiller, I have heard that deerpark have OSB semen now though we've not asked as we have a boar.

Deerpark got an OSB boar but when I wanted his semen in May they said he wouldn't work and they were having to get another one.  (Hence my now not-so-little saddleback x bruisers.)

I'm hoping they have a new OSB boy now and he's working - if no-one else finds out before, I'm expecting to be wanting some of his semen in about 7 weeks' time... 

[Rich/Jan]

HI - here in France stud fees seems similar to some of the posters on here - 50 - 75 stud fee plus 5-10per week for food - thats in euros which isnt much different to pounds nowadays.

[pugwash]

Checked with Deerpark today,still no luck with the OSB but they are trying.

[windymiller]

many thanks for that, i'll give them a shout in the new year!
i'd heard that ai for oxfords was basically out the question as the boars were available and quite docile so there was no demand.
that said theres a lack of local pedigree boars round here and we'd not have enough sows for keeping him busy, is that a myth?? i'd suspect its more down to the individual pig?

[SallyintNorth]

It has been suggested to me that the easiest way to have an Oxford boar for my one breeding sow is to buy a boar in as a weaner, use him as soon as he's sexually active, then eat him - and repeat.

However as Meg's not registered (she's pure-bred but not pedigree), it's not the end of the world for me to use AI of a different breed as all my piglets are for eating not breeding anyway.  When Meg's time comes, I expect I'll start again with registered gilts.

To use the buy-in, use-and-eat boar regime for producing registered piglets, it would of course have to be a registered weaner that was bought in.

And I expect those who've had some experience will be telling us whether or not this tactic results in boar taint in the pork from the young but sexually active boar?

[robert waddell]

boar taint does exist
if you do not or can not detect it  there is nothing wrong with your idea    the only thing wrong is you would need a lot of future boars in the pipelie one ready every 5 months and as your sow gets bigger your boar would need to be bigger as well

[Tudful Tamworths]

Reluctant to raise the boar taint issue again, but I've never had it in traditional breeds - even when I've raised them to eight months old. I have, however, had it in commercial crosses, which mature much earlier (Landrace x Pietrain - sent them off at five months and could detect it).

Interestingly, went to an impressive farm in the Midlands last weekend (Robert and Lillian were there, too). Two youngish chaps (late 20s/30s) who have the largest herd of Tamworths in the UK - about 40 breeding sows, plus three/four boars, along with growers - all outdoors.

They don't castrate their boar growers, and slaughter at seven months old. And they sell to top London restaurants - all with no complaints.

I'm well aware that others will come back with comments, but I know dozens of breeders who don't castrate - and many who raise a young boar weaner, use his "skills", and then send him off for slaughter. I've done it myself, with no regrets/complaints.

Why not try it and see what happens?

[robert waddell]

what Liz is not telling is that there were some gilts that looked in pig
that entire boar that you send of to a new outlet may just be the one that has taint or they can detect it new outlet will be reluctant to buy any more
interesting point that Liz has also opened up the crosses we have lop x Hampshire piglets and when they were castrated at 3-4 days old the taint could be detected by Lillian the student vet and happy hippy when they were being castrated
at the recent qms butchery demonstration the butcher (male)rubbished the taint idea yet his sidekick(a woman)said she could detect it with commercial crosses
the jury is still out

[Tudful Tamworths]

Robert, I didn't mention that some gilts looked in pig because that wasn't what we were talking about here.

The issue was boar taint, not the age at which boars could impregnate gilts/sows. You make it sound like I was trying to hide something. What a load of unnecessary, distracting rubbish.

Back to the taint issue, I will reiterate what I've said before - I've sent off older, uncastrated males for slaughter with no complaints. I've eaten them myself and have had repeat customers.

That's all I wanted to say -apart from the fact that you need to learn how to use full stops, and that you should ease off from using capital letters for emphasis. Nos da, bach x

[robert waddell]

correction Liz the topic is boar hire
so you are the only one to deviate from a post
i would rather talk than write but i bow to perfection personified

[Tudful Tamworths]

I wasn't deviating - it was raised earlier.

Clearly wasting my time contributing to a thread when you are on board, Robert. As the TV business mentors would say, "I'm out". Rant to your heart's content.