[mwncigirl]

We have two pedigree gilts that we did intend to breed from. An OSB and a glos old spot. They are now 14 months and 13 months old. For various reasons we're doubting whether we want to continue with our pig breeding plans, we cant really afford to lay out for boars plus the additional feed bill for the ladies. I'm thinking that we have now missed the boat as they are getting on in age.


What to do with these ladies? We're still obviously laying out for feed. Would it be too late to sell them on for breeding? I don't feel we would get much return considering their age. They are lovely pigs, excellent quality and breed standard. We haven't had weaners for a while and no meat in the freezer at the moment. Would it be so wrong to sausage them? I'm guessing they would be too old to do anything else with?


I feel really sorry it has come to this, but we just cant afford to keep them 


Any thoughts or ideas gratefully received.
 

[Azzdodd]

I would say bacon gammon? Some sausages? I once read off a bloke who had a litter off every gilt then sent for bacon :-)

[sidds]

I would send them for meat, make sure you get the tenderloin, had one for dinner tonight and it was lovely but should be better if yours are pedigree.
Good luck with your decision making

[Hassle]

At 14 and 13 months the cuts will be big if you use for pork so wouldn't recommend that.  The hams and bacons will be good size so that is a possibility, the rest use for sausages

[shygirl]

i would eat them. we sent a big girl away and she was delicious.
just check the weights accepted at your abbattoir.

[mwncigirl]

I guess i am more concerned that as they are pedigree, it would be a waste of good breeding stock?

[Berkshire Boy]

All the 160 piglets I breed a year are pedigree and 99% go for meat, thats how it works,that is the main market.

[HappyHippy]

If you're at all concerned about affecting the numbers of pedigree breeding pigs (because some breeds' lines are so rare that the loss of even one breeding pig would make a difference - mainly the more vulnerable ones such as Large Black) then search the herdbook using the bloodline 

Here's the page you'll need http://www.grassroots.co.uk/cgi-bin/start.cgi/pedeweb/BPA/pages/welcome.html select the breed by ticking the top box and enter the bloodline in the 'animal name' box. For example: I have an OSB, who is Yonderton Elsie 2 so I'd click the OS box and enter Elsie in the animal name and from that see that there are loads of registered Elsie's - and wouldn't feel quite as bad about sending her off. Some lines only have 6 or 7 registered pigs - if that's the case with either of yours talk to the BPA bred rep or the breed club and try to find them a breeding home asap 

If you do decide to eat them they'll be fine  Keep them as pork providing you can do a slower cook and the meat will be nice and tender, but bacon, hams, sausages and burgers will all work too 
We sent off some ooooold sows (they were almost 8 years old) they were supposed to be minced so I could turn them into sausages, but the butcher cut and packed them as joints instead  because he felt the meat was too good to be wasted in sausages............ he was right (but it did need a slow cook in liquid to keep it tender) 
HTH
Karen

[Fowgill Farm]

as everyone has said best send them off, as realistically you've probaly left it too late to get them in pig and sell as breeding stock.
We have sent gilts at 14mths & 18mths and have had bacon made from the middles, sausages from the front end and ham/bacon joints from the rear end. Ask your butcher to trim down the fat, tastes great and you get some super ham/bacon joints to roast.
Mandy
ps you will cry shed loads when they go but its better you know what happens to them than they end up in a market or a bad home at least you know they've had a brill life with you and they will be appreciated.

[shygirl]

ps you will cry shed loads when they go but its better you know what happens to them than they end up in a market or a bad home at least you know they've had a brill life with you and they will be appreciated.

i think most people on here have been in a similar situation. i had to send off my beloved sow for meat as i couldnt afford to feed her longterm. it broke my heart. i feel for you but its the easiest way.

[SallyintNorth]

ps you will cry shed loads when they go but its better you know what happens to them than they end up in a market or a bad home at least you know they've had a brill life with you and they will be appreciated.

This.  It's a hard decision but it is better for them to be straight off and it's all over than to be 'rehomed' who knows where and end up however.  Unless, of course, someone you know and trust does want them for breeding - but as you say, at that age, they are probably too old to start.

I've one I kept on as a companion will be going the same route as soon as I have room in the freezer.  Bacon, sausage, diced pork and mince; rolled bellies and shoulders I expect.

[Bodger]

All the 160 piglets I breed a year are pedigree and 99% go for meat, thats how it works,that is the main market.

You're so right. The fact that a pig is pedigree doesn't automatically make it suitable for breeding from.

[hughesy]

I think sometimes that too much is made of the whole pedigree breeding thing. I'm totally in favour of preserving our traditional breeds but sometimes there's a bit of snobbery present. At the end of the day the reason pigs are kept as farm animals is because we eat pork, and the whole pedigree showing scene is an offshoot of that and not the reason pigs exist. I think more should be made of a pig's value as meat rather than it's compliance with an arbitary breed standard.

[mwncigirl]

For me I guess pedigree status is more about preserving the breed, they are rare after all, rather than showing. I agree, our pigs are for meat, and that is personally my main reason for keeping them. I think also that it has been hard for us to come to a decision as, in keeping these ladies to breed from, we had allowed ourselves to become emotionally attached to them. They have names, which we never do with our weaners.


Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. We are at present writing our cutting list, and our ladies are off to Denbigh tomorrow  We will then be pigless, i now have to resist the temptation to get some weaners 

[Bodger]

Nows the time to get your weaners in. They'll have the benefit of the warm weather and long days of summer and then it'll be nice and cool when they are butchered. Don't resist, you know I'm right.