[bigchicken]

A friend of a friend has two small pigs with shelter going free to very good home. The pigs were bought as micro but have grown bigger that expected. Woman is keen to have them re homed locally as she would like to visit them. New home will be vetted and must be for life and not resold or eaten. PM me and I will pass on your details

[robert waddell]

your friend might be lucky in finding a home for life for them it costs £700 a year to keep a normal pig so will probably cost the same to keep the two               difficult times financially is she prepared to pay for there feeding for life          if she is they may see out there piggy life to the full    if not it is a very big ask to lumber somebody with the costs         good luck anyway

[bigchicken]

Yes Robert you may be correct, I am acting as a go between you could say piggy in the middle   

[Rosemary]

Not a dig at you, bigchicken, but this made me smile and shake my head. Good luck finding someone to take them.

[bigchicken]

Yey Rosemary Its a bad situation. Head shaking is well in order its the poor pigs.

[lill]

good luck with this. no one will take in other people's pigs for life and feed them, there are several posters on her that do re-home various animals who eventually go the happy farmyard in the sky.

[Rosemary]

I think this is a case of wanting to have your cake and eat it.

[Womble]

What a shame!  Just how big have they become then?

[bigchicken]

I don't have a lot of info sorry its all coming to me through a go between, I think I will try to find out a bit more tomorrow.

[Roxy]

Yes, I am one of those who take in "unwanted animals"   I do appreciate that peoples situations change - such as ill health, losing jobs etc, and unfortunately, the livestock has to go.  But, on the other hand, I have taken in animals and hens, and the excuses for rehoming are a bit pathetic.  "My wife is pregnant, and does not want to walk down the garden to feed the hens (4 of)."    This excuse has been used to me on numerous occasions.

Obviously, I am too far away to take in these pigs, but hope someone can help.  I think, the lady wanting to find a new home, although I understand her caution and wanting the best for them, but there are so many about wanting rehoming, she may have to take what offers she has.

[Womble]

That's very good of you Roxy, but at least hens give you eggs, and cost chicken feed (sorry) to keep.

The trouble with these chaps is that they're not pets (like a dog for instance), but yet they're not livestock either, in that they can't be bred from, sold, or eaten. £700 or whatever a year, for (how long do pigs live for anyway?) years with no return, is sadly more than I suspect any of us would be able to offer at the moment  . The best I can think of is that maybe they could be rehomed to a farm park or similar, where they could be penned next to a big notice that says "These are micro-pigs. Now let this be a lesson to you!"

[Roxy]

The farm parks and the like round here are full to brimming point with unwanted animals - some are asking for foster homes in a desperate attempt to help people who cannot keep their animals.

I am under no illusion how much a pig will cost to keep - I know how much my monthly feed bill here is, and its not for the feint hearted.  Yes, I do sell a lot of eggs which helps, but at present none are laying, so no income from those.

[SallyintNorth]

The best I can think of is that maybe they could be rehomed to a farm park or similar, where they could be penned next to a big notice that says "These are micro-pigs. Now let this be a lesson to you!"

Brilliant.  I'd almost be prepared to pay their keep to see this happen.  (But not quite.)

I agree with everyone about pigs being expensive to keep and if it has to be a forever home then no return apart from the fun of having them about. 

But I can't quite see where you are getting £700 per annum per pig from, robert.  Even at 6lbs per head per day (which is more than Meg needs, she gets 4lbs/day when not rearing piglets), that's 1 tonne per annum per pig - none of us is paying more than £500 /tonne and many a lot less.  Yes there's straw and so on on top of that, but £700 still seems over the top to me - or what am I missing? 

[robert waddell]

if you have two pigs you are not going to be buying a ton to last the year it will be a few bags at a time  some are paying nearly £10 per bag  from postings then the travelling to get the feed cars don't run on fresh air then straw fruit and veg also costs money some buy some are given it but you still have to travel to get it then the fencing of the paddock still costs money then your time  just how do you value your time  the minimum wage per hour or what you could attain if you were working  then the dreaded vet bills   and all that without a shelter  the purchase price  getting them in pig pedigree papers and end of life disposal costs
i may be out a few pounds but i am not in the next parish

[JEP]

i agree with Robert we've been quoted £9 a bag