[Janette1970]

Don't mothers just have a habbit of making you feel really rubbish about trying to do something new and a bit different!!!!

She seems to think the Parish Council might have something to say about me keeping pigs on my bit of land. It is between the road and the riverbank. My neighbours are not bothered. Should I make some local enquiries or tell them all to mind their own business!?!?!?
I might just check with my solicitor exactly what is on my deeds, but I don't recall anything being mentioned when we bought the land! There is no change of use because it is not a business!!!!

My house is over the other side of the road opposite the land I intend to use! There were pigstys next to the house over a hundred years ago!!!! But not on the land I want to use!!!!! Other people graze horses on their bank why shouldn't I be allowed two little pigs?!?!?

 
I'm sure she doesn't want me to fail and wants me to check things out thoroughly first! BUT I WANT MY PIGGYS

[doganjo]

Just go ahead and get them, by eh time anyone realises they are there and gets the paperwork done to tell you to get rid of them they'll be ready for slaughter!  Unless your Mum is a clipe?

[shetlandpaul]

what size is the space and have you any close neighbours. pigs do have there own smell.

[Hilarysmum]

Bribe any objectors with the promise of real sausages.  If anyone in a suit comes around INSIST they come into the field with you and rub piggy tummies.  I do this and it works quite well.  (Funny they never come back again ....)

[Janette1970]

The imediate neighbours can't wait for some lovely fresh chops!!! I mentioned that they may have a slight niff (although with proper land management this should be minimised (let me know if i'm wrong here)), also that there might be a bit of piggy chatter from time to time.
They are quite excited at someone trying to do things the way they were done back in their day (new rulings accepted)!

I'm really worried now!!!!

I'll ring the solicitor in the morning.

[Hilarysmum]

Just go for it.   Poo pick the paddocks as often as possible, keep the output for composting after a year or so you'll be inundated with gardeners wanting the compost.  Make sure they are really well fenced.  Pigs arent noisy unless you buy tamworths (and thats only at meal times). 

[Janette1970]

Shetlandpaul, the roadside of my river bank is 100'x30', the hump is 100'x35'(measuring the arc) and the river side part is 100'x20'.
Obviously I am going to have to fence round my protected copper beech but thats on the border anyway and possibly round the yew which would be a little intrusive as it is about 10' from the copper beech.
There is a path between the road and my land, would i need to set the fence back from the path??

Mother's trying to kill the idea before i've even got it off the ground!

[doganjo]

Have confidence in yourself.  I'm not saying ignore your mother but don't let her put you off.  She has your best interests at heart no doubt, but she is being too cautious.  How many weaners were you thinking of having?

[Janette1970]

Only 2 pig1 and  :pig:pig2!!! (no names!!)

I'm sure I've got plenty of land (although my husband does want a garage on part of it at some point!

But there's plenty to go round.

I don't intend breeding the pigs or EVER having more than 2 at a time (only 2 because they need company). If I had more land I would have more but I think 2 would be enough!!!

I'm not going to keep them past fattening weight either, then give the land a rest for a few months, take a holiday, that sort of thing. Then start up again with a couple more.

[dixie]

2 is great to start with, get 2 boar weaners then your not tempted to keep them too long! If the land is agricultural then there is nothing to stop you keeping livestock on it unless there is a clause in the deeds? if the land is domestic then your mother may have a point!

[Hilarysmum]

Sounds good.  Much easier than keeping vegetables, and you get a 6 month holiday.  Your mother will change her mind once she tastes a pork steak.

[shetlandpaul]

sounds like you need to check your deeds. if your OK there then plan were your going to keep them. i would suggest well away from the footpath. for two reasons
1. some idiot could chuck something in which would be bad news for pigs.
2. your public liability insurance would be quite high. little kid climbs fence to pet little pigs and they bite them. i would want a second barrier between the road and the pigs. when ours were young the ran through the stock wire. the pig was three times the size of the hole. expect them to escape. so thats another job you need to check and either repair or replace any gaps. your friendly neighbours will not be happy when your pigs have eaten there garden.

we had cross saddleworth they were very chilled out girls until they went for a run. tamworths are the great escaper's.
now they are very friendly so unless you can harden your heart to killing a family friend then your going to have to very large pigs on your hands in a couple of years.

[Womble]

Mothers eh?  Mine's always standing round the corner with a big bucket of cold water too. I remember when I left my salaried job and went self employed....... you'd have thought I'd just joined the cheerleader wing of the KKK or something!

Personally, apart from the legal stuff (smallholder number, and insurance sounds like a good idea), I'd go with the principle that it's far easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission!  The parish council is only likely to get seriously involved if somebody actually complains, and this seems unlikely given that the neighbours are already on board.

[snowcloud]

Good luck, hope things are progressing well for you. I was a bit concerned about my neighbors, especially next door who have a huge paddock with horses in (horses>not keen on pigs as they are natural enemies in the wild); but everyone has really welcomed them, especially the horses as the owner said they hated coming across pigs in the forest, but now they never rear up as they are used to the smell of the pigs having them next door! I think everyone was more concerned about our bees than our pigs; and the chickens make way more noise than the pigs (even with the one being a Tamworth!).