[princesspiggy]

there is grass and grass, is it good grazing they r getting, ie what wud fatten a beef cow, or rough grass that would fatten a native pony?

[sweet_lfa]

I have just moved the kunes into an area of what they must think of as piggy jungle!  It is very over grown with long grass, brambles, hog weed and bay willow herb, but they seem to be enjoying themselves  . I have cut the pig nuts down to a few handfuls a day, but am feeding them veg everyday and they are making a start at clearing the vegetation.

Robert, it took me over 18months to persuade my family to let me have some pigs and the only way I could get them to oblige was saying that they were to clear the land and that they were little pigs.  They were dead against me getting pigs at all, but they have all fallen for the kunes! Thankfully!

As for horses and latrine areas, I have a mare and a gelding and they only soil in certain areas, which then don't get grazed (however long they are left), which is why you get the "roughs and lawns" where horses graze.  They always use the same spots in fields.  Luckily the Dexters eat the rough areas down tho 

[robert waddell]

sweet ifa   good to hear your family have fallen for the charms of pigs just need to get them to like big pigs that will really clear your wild areas
ladygrey it must be some place with a temperate climate that you can get grass growing 365 days a year what weight gain are you achieving with littel or no protein in there diet
£15 a year to feed a pig   i will bet poultry will cost more to keep is all costs involved being added in to this figure   fruit and veg although free you still have to collect it    the same as beet pulp it is not the cost per bag but the transport as well then the paddock fencing that costs as well

[sweet_lfa]

sweet ifa   good to hear your family have fallen for the charms of pigs just need to get them to like big pigs that will really clear your wild areas

We have about 6 acres of really wild land, I know that the kunekunes won't be able to clear that on their own!  What (smallish) big pigs would you recommend?  Remember that I am a piggy novice, so a nice friendly breed of pig is required!

[robert waddell]

the berkshire is the smallest of the large breeds     but the lop is the friendliest    that is British lop in reality they are all friendly if you get them young enough to interact with    split it in to three parts once they have trashed one part move them on to the next  it will take a few years to get it under control  but they will do it

[princesspiggy]

tammies arent big if u r sending emaway at 6 mths

[Ladygrey]

Hi Robert  sorry I never replied, been so busy with getting ready to start the silageing, I live in sunny England near reading, my grass stays good due to rotational paddock grazing and overseeding throughout the summer months, I have included all costs in that amount and intact it's probly less then £15 per pig per year as that is calculated at me feeding the pigs for 300 days of the year and I probly only feed them for 200-250 days of the year. Robert no, feeding a hen costs me £8.78 per hen per year, based on the fact that the hen eats 100 grams of feed per day, so that's 36.5 kilos of food per year, at £6 per 25 kilos, that's 24p per kilo, meaning one hen eats £8.78 per year and hens need feeding everyday whereas the pigs don't. Also  for me the whole point of keeping kunekunes is extremely low input pork and piglets, so I do not mind waiting until 6-8 months for a pig to be finished, seeing as I am actually getting more for money than a different breed pig   sent from my phone hence it's all in one block..

[robert waddell]

ladygrey   what are the weights of your pigs at 6 months and 8 months old      there will be a lot of poultry folk wanting to know where they can get poultry feed for £240 a ton 

[Ladygrey]

6 months 42-45 kilo, 8 months 50-54 kilos, and yup but it's helpful working with farmers and knowing how to get it and what to get for your animals also I feed piglets up until 9 months of age on sugar beet ontop of thier grazing, this price is still included in my average of £15 per pig per year for when you ask I know I don't get as much meat off each animal as if I was using different breeds, but working it out, I get more for my money, I know it's probly hard for you to accept 

[princesspiggy]

this thread reminds me of a local guy round here who set up with a traditional breed of pig (LB tams etc), fed them on bakery waste, claimed he only spent £10 per pig to finish them inside. a friend who bought the meat claimed it was soo tough and un-tasty. was selling to a butcher for £2 p kilo - no killing costs but then butcher wouldnt buy anymore. The guy soon gave up pigs as he ran at a loss and the knackerman told me "thru the grapevine" that most were shot as they were so poor they couldnt have even gone to market without being reported. pneumonia i think they had in the end. my friend reckoned they had no shelter from wind in their barn and were v underfed.




just throwing this in out of interest and lack of a decent debate for ages - in no way implying this with ladygrey. 


LG - how many pigs per acre r ur kk's?
is the overseeding for the kk's paddock and if so how much per acre is the overseeding.
serious question cos im needing to do this and my prices seem to be £30-£80 per acre to over seed. plus £20 delivery by post from english seed merchant or £20 fuel to collect from local supplier.
ta

[robert waddell]

i think sense has went out the barn door with the pig farts      thank you ladygrey for your weights your six month weights are only a third of what can be achieved and the difference betwean the six month weight and the eight month weight is easily achievable in a week
 
grass seed is not cheap have you costed your time  costed your veg collection  there wont be dinner plates or tea plates in your house it will be saucers
and kill charges are just the same for a 45 kilo pig as a 125 kilo one    and that has got to be cheaper per kilo for the bigger carcase  and your paddock has a cost attached either from initial purchase or fencing
 
and just in case anybody is tempted to go down this route of grass fed pigs in Scotland just don't even think of it    your summer is only 180 days if you are lucky     the grass growth in this year is appalling  there is just not enough protein in the pigs diet    your only customer will be the knacker man          but what would i know as it is hard to accept

[princesspiggy]

   the grass growth in this year is appalling 

definitely




we must go thru 6 big bales of straw a yr just for pigs between stables/farrowing sheds and sties, cos it seems to just disappear.    we seem to have a rolling 25 head at mo including babies.

[Beewyched]

Hi folks 
I'm gonna jump-in on this for as long as my internet connection lasts 
I'd love to be able to say that my KKs only cost me a couple of quid a year to keep, but not so ...
We've got ours on 2 acres of woodland (rotated) with a small amount of grazing, though mainly foraging.  Not including maternity & nursery feeding, my adults cost £72 per year on sow rolls alone, delivered at a tonne per time.
If I add in the fruit & veg (mainly during the winter), bedding (including the lot they eat  ) wormers, vaccinations - I could easily double that. 
Then, remember us KK breeders are not able to castrate our boys ourselves, so the cost of raising a litter is much more expensive per head than for any other breed.
And then there is always the cost of  shows - gear, entrance fees, petrol ... 
 

[princesspiggy]

 
Then, remember us KK breeders are not able to castrate our boys ourselves,

why not? 

[Beewyched]

 
Then, remember us KK breeders are not able to castrate our boys ourselves,

why not? 

Because of their wee (lol   ) inguinal issues