Author Topic: Sorry for another post about the micropigs but..... (Read 3088 times)

Kitchen Cottage · « **on:** October 15, 2012, 05:56:05 pm »

They haven''t really eaten since they got here.

They have vegetables in a box. They seem to be wandering around being miserable.

I am wondering if they are blind.. Odd I know but the fat is folded right over their eyes so, at the very least they must have some restriction on their sight.

I've got pigs in before and they usually settle in after a few days. After 48 hours, these do still seem very miserable

I'm giving them caulis, carrots and cabbage and some stale bread, but they still had veg from this morning

bloomer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 15, 2012, 05:57:11 pm »

what were they fed before, do they know what fruit and veg looks like?

Kitchen Cottage · « **Reply #2 on:** October 15, 2012, 06:02:42 pm »

They were on marriages sow nuts.... the two of them were getting through a lot by the looks of it, and they had veg in their sty when I was there. There was food strewn in the sty so they were obviously full to bursting and they weren't particularly interested in the nuts.

I put a few nuts out and used the ice cream box they had as a scoop as I thought they'd be used to the sound,,, but they weren't interested.

I don't want to use the marriages, because they do seem to be primarily pot bellied pigs and I thought it would be too high in protein.

I want to slim them for sausages, but I don't want to starve the poor things. None of this is their fault

I feel very sorry for them, they can hardly walk and they are miserable

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #3 on:** October 15, 2012, 06:28:10 pm »

BOCM Paul, farm gate do a basic sow maintenance nut that is 13.5 crude protein, but I'm not sure if they sell any less than ton loads though. I think this is lower than pot bellied feed....

HappyHippy · « **Reply #4 on:** October 15, 2012, 07:50:52 pm »

I'm going to get shot down for this, but here goes

However miserable they are now, it's only going to get worse as winter wears on, the muck gets colder and the ground gets harder - if they're having trouble walking now

Add to that starvation (okay, so we know it's not starvation, but they don't) and they will be pretty blimming miserable I'd think.

I'm not a hard hearted person, really I'm not, but I think you'd be better to think about slaughter sooner, rather than later. Having bought 2 VERY overweight Kunekunes myself in the past and tried to slim them, I can tell you it's going to take a long while and it's going to need them to move lots. We dieted our 2 for almost a year, they maybe dropped 10Kg $:-\$

Give them another few days to a week (the benefit of the doubt) and if you're not seeing much improvement it might be in their best interests to go.
Sorry, wish I had a gem of wisdom for you

Karen x

RaisinHall Tamworths · « **Reply #5 on:** October 15, 2012, 08:18:28 pm »

I think the same as HappyHippy $:-\$ .
For their sake sooner rather than later if they are miserable. I know you are wanting to do the right thing by them but it may have been better all round for the pigs if they had gone straight away and been sent in by the person you got them from instead of them offloading them on you $:-\$ .
Animals and their welfare come first and if that had meant upsetting kids for a few days then so be it

I'm not a heartless old cow just think people need to be responsible for their own animals!
Am in no way slating you BTW Kitchen Cottage

. Cut your losses

Kitchen Cottage · « **Reply #6 on:** October 15, 2012, 08:22:38 pm »

TBH = I was thinking the same think.... I've got the three week standstill, which puts them close to when my others go to slaughter.... but I might send them a week before.

Question is...... how to get the feckers back into the trailer!!!

bloomer · « **Reply #7 on:** October 15, 2012, 08:25:42 pm »

didn't think standstill applied if they were going direct to slaughter?

i'm learning and dont have pigs so the question is for my clarification more than a challange to your knowledge?

kja · « **Reply #8 on:** October 15, 2012, 08:34:47 pm »

your right no stand still if you are taking animals to slaughter.

Nickie · « **Reply #9 on:** October 16, 2012, 07:40:39 am »

I'd send them off sooner as well.

Living conditions will only get worse as the winter weather sets in, it's no quality of life being too fat to walk.

If they are going for sausages I can't see that it will make much difference. The butcher can trim the fat down to the required ratio. It just means there may be a lot of lard as well.

Good luck.

Mrs Snoodles · « **Reply #10 on:** October 16, 2012, 08:07:16 am »

I wasn't go say anything because I'm new here but I thought much the same. If they are that out of shape and unable to move around, facing winter on a very strict diet i would send them. Older sows are often made into sausage and they obviously have back fat which is trimmed and made into sausages. To me, it sounds like a quality of life issue.