[Ann and Rob]

Hello

Looking to buy a few pigs for fattening and maybe breeding. Has anybody got a pig ark, feed and water troughs for sale?   Looking to buy OSB's or Berkshires, can anyone recommend good breeders in the northants, cambs, lincs,leics area, we live east of stamford in nassington.  Also, acraeage wise, how much area per pig? Any info gratefully received

  Ann and Rob

[Eve]

Hello both,

Welcome to the forum. There's a marketplace on this forum for items wanted or for sale, alternatively you could build a (very sturdy) shelter yourshelves.
There are also lots of posts in this section about space, breeds etc which are a good starting place. The Berkshire Pig Society might be very useful, too.

 

[arl]

Hi we live just outside the lincs border near goole and have got quite a big herd of osb"s which i may add are a fantastic starter pig,easy and very undemanding, if you are out and about you are welcome to come and have a look and a chat.Allways happy to see new people joining the brigade of keeping our old native breeds alive and thriving
Arl

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, I can also recommend OSB as a lovely starter pig.  I love the look of Berkshires, too - must be the white 'points' that does it for me!

[chickenfeed]

hi

we are not far from you at all (just outside of peterborough) we dont keep osb's (we breed british lops) but a friend has just had a litter of osb's born if you are interested.

[Fowgill Farm]

Hi Ann & Rob
Welcome to the forum, from your post it sounds to me you are complete beginners so first of all get a good pigs book, Carol Harris, Andy Case or read the articles on the GOS website Starting with pigs. For you i would suggest you get 3 weaners to fatten and see how you go. DO NOT rush into breeding there is a surplus of litters at the moment so you can take your pick of the breeds. Once you can fatten them and take them to the butchers you're a pig keeper, then you can think about the next step and decide if pig keeping is for you, its hard work and not for the faint hearted as you will read from some of the stories on here but it can be very rewarding and worthwhile.
HTH
Mandy 

[Hairy Hogs]

Hi there

We have some arks. (Good Ones).

Water and feeds devices, electric fencing etc etc.

In Olney.

www.hairyhogs.co.uk

[HappyHippy]

Agree with all that's been said before - especially the waiting before you breed. You're better to have plenty of hands on experience before you go down that road.
For space - a minimum of 20m x 20m for 3 fatteners, but the more you can give them (sectioned into smaller pens so you can rotate them round) the better 
Our first arc was an old metal oil tank (unused) that we cut a door and a hatch for ventilation/loading straw - you can make a very basic shelter for weaners raised spring to autumn. I knew a lady who used old pallets with a layer of chicken wire on top, the chicken wire was covered with plastic feed bags and another layer of chicken wire on top to hold them in place. It wasn't the prettiest thing to look at and wouldn't do me (too much rain & weather where I am) but it worked a treat for her.
But read as much as you can and if it's possible, go on a one day pig keeping course to really let you get a feel for it.
HTH
Karen 

[robert waddell]

it is far cheaper to raise some weaners for pork than to try and breed them    weaners you have them for 4-6 months then you are eating them    if you want to breed you are 18 months before you are eating them and that is a costly wait even if you buy in pig gilts they can be quite costly   also agree with what everybody else says  but pick a breed and stay with them don't let anybody persuade you otherwise

[HappyHippy]

but pick a breed and stay with them don't let anybody persuade you otherwise

Although I hate being contraversial  I'd disagree with that 
When you're starting out I think it's better to raise a few batches of fatteners of different breeds - that way you'll find the breed that's best for you and your set-up. You could dedicate all your time to Gloucestershire Old Spots (not that there's anything wrong with that  ) only to find out down the line that you prefer Saddlebacks (or any one of the other breeds) So while raising for slaughter, try a few breeds and see what you like best 

[chickenfeed]

but pick a breed and stay with them don't let anybody persuade you otherwise

Although I hate being contraversial  I'd disagree with that 
When you're starting out I think it's better to raise a few batches of fatteners of different breeds - that way you'll find the breed that's best for you and your set-up. You could dedicate all your time to Gloucestershire Old Spots (not that there's anything wrong with that  ) only to find out down the line that you prefer Saddlebacks (or any one of the other breeds) So while raising for slaughter, try a few breeds and see what you like best 

pretty much how we started my parents used to keep commercials (on a small scale 10 - 15 a weekto the local butcher) so we knew they were not a option for us we started with a couple of lops then had osb's, tamworths, saddlebacks, hampshires, GOS etc. we kept going back to lops so when we decided to breed (other than the kk's that have now gone) we decided the lops were for us.

[Ann and Rob]

Thank you to you all that have replied to my post,its much appreciated.

[Rispain]

I'm with happyhippy on the not sticking with one breed, they are like boyfriends, you have to try them all before you pick and stick with one you like. 

[robert waddell]

yes but by the time you realise that either no 2 or 4 was the best in categories the bugger has got himself hitched to somebody else and you are left wondering what you did wrong

[SallyintNorth]

I gotta say, with boyfriends and pigs alike, I do think if you find one you like, stop looking!    And stick with it as long as you still like it. 

In fact, I am the same with menus when I eat out.  I used to annoy myself trying to decide whether (a) or (b) would be nicer, always asked to be last to say in case what someone else had might influence my choice ... generally taking too much time and energy on something that was usually not the point of the evening.  Now, as soon as I see something on the menu that I like, I stop reading and order that.  I enjoy eating out a lot more now!