[sabrina]

I had planned on getting a couple of Kune-Kune weaners this Spring but the paddock I have used in the past has had 2 ponies in it over the winter due to all the flooding we have had. its now such a mess that I will need to rest it I think for a few months. We still have pork in the freezer which is good but it now means that I will be raising  a couple of weaners over next winter or go without pork for a bit.

[Marches Farmer]

 I think many of us have had to change our plans due to the horrendous weather over the last year. Not so much "when" more "how", "what" and "where"?

[Fowgill Farm]

We still have pork in the freezer which is good but it now means that I will be raising  a couple of weaners over next winter or go without pork for a bit.

Don't even think about raising porkers thro winter outside, given the vaguaries of our climate it will destroy you! If you've got a building they can go in well you may manage. Why not this year put the money you would have paid for the weaners to one side and spend it on a half pig from somebody who has the wherewithall to raise them or use an adopt a pig scheme. Then plan for the following spring.
HTH
mandy
PS sabrina see from another post you've raised them in winter before so you know what i'm talking about

[HappyHippy]

I can grow some Kunekune on for you here mrs, be ready by the late summer/autumn 
Just pm me if you're interested and we can sort the details.

[Tiva Diva]

You can raise pigs outdoors in winter - depending on your location, soil type, the breed and what type of ark you use. We regularly raise OSBs and mangalitzas in the winter here in southeast Scotland, but we're on sandy soil and use insulated arks. We regularly sell weaners to a market gardener in the autumn who uses them to clear his vegetable plots over the winter! The biggest hassle is keeping their drinking water unfrozen in really cold weather, and having to feed etc by headtorch-light sometimes (I work shifts). Mind you, after this wet summer, even our free-draining soil is sodden and the pens are a bit grim. But so long as they've plenty of straw and a dry(ish) patch where they can get at their food and water, the pigs don't seem to mind. Our mangalitza youngsters were out making snowpigs today 

[Marches Farmer]

Our farm was once a small-scale intensive pig unit with 85 sows.  A lot of the buildings were removed before we bought it (it had previously been under offer to horsey people).  The concrete runs and concrete and tin sties aren't in the slightest bit picturesque but this weather ......

[MAK]

Sure the pigs will be fine over winter if they have a dry area, water and industrially produced food. But will you be OK? Visiting the pigs twice a day every day, breaking ice or giving them the odd warm meal is really hard work. It will take some"drive" some days to get out and visit them. We finsihed ours a few weeks back and now it is like I am on holiday ( that and the cockeral died - so I get 2 hours more sleep).
Also - feed costs?

[sabrina]

There used to be over 1000 pigs here years ago. As the slates were sold of the buildings all that remained was walls and slats. The paddock I used for the pigs is not very pig but it still has slats and hard standing so when we had our last pigs they wintered out with an ark and it was not that difficult. Its the state of the paddock that has made think it would be better to keep it empty for a while and let it recover. Thanks for the offer of pork Karen but I still have quite a lot and will be raising lambs soon. I was looking forward to having weaners again and I will once the ground has recovered.