[Padge]

Our British Lops are on their way tomorrow........and even tho we did it once and said never again OH is contemplating 2 more weaners  for over the winter months......someone relatively local has OSB   X Berkshire   available   now i'm sorely tempted as I loved the Berkshires   and have been keen to try OSB  but I wonder just how fatty they're likely to get over a possibly prolonged winter even tho he says he'll manage their feed......any thoughts appreciated 

[Berkshire Boy]

They will burn more fat off in the winter keeping warm, give them a go.

[SallyintNorth]

Can't compare OSBs to Berkshires, haven't had Berkshires, but I'd suspect they're pretty similar. 

They'll need more food over winter, to keep warm, and depending on the conditions they may take less exercise - they don't like it icy and they don't like it too muddy - but so long as you watch their condition and don't overfeed, I don't see why they should be too bad, fat-wise.

I reared a late September-born litter of Saddleback x OSB over winter; they had the bull pen to themselves with a large round bale of hay for nesting, eating and playing.  We sent the first off late Feb and he was beautiful, not fat at all.  In fact my butcher said if I could produce them like that, but a little bigger (he was 55kgs deadweight), he'd buy them off me.

[Fowgill Farm]

As BB & SIN say no reason NOT to keep pigs over winter so long as they have some escape from the worst of the weather and not just for them but you too. We bring ours in usually first week in Dec to a cow byre with a large exercise yard attached, with electric and lights it makes for more pleasurable pig keeping and the pigs are happier than being belly deep in freezing mud and wet.
Last year they were in early at the end of September and boy did we go thro some straw as they didn't go back out until end of april this year so factor the extra straw into your equations as well as feed in case you can't get them to the butchers, snow in feb can be a bugger!
All the best
mandy

[Marches Farmer]

Work out how you're going to keep their water supply ice-free.

[sokel]

After last winter I said I would never keep pigs over winter again, Our last 2 went last week and we will wait until spring to get new ones

[hughesy]

There's a big difference between the luxury of deciding not to keep pigs over the winter and the reality of keeping pigs as a business.  Here in North Wales we sometimes can't tell the difference between summer and winter anyway so if we decided not to keep pigs because it got a bit muddy we'd have to give up alltogether!

[MAK]

Very true Hughesy.
Many of us do not have any commercal ventures or keep animals as pets. those keeping a few pigs for heir freezer should consider the economical and practical implications of over wintering pigs.
 In winter garden veg is less plentiful and very much more of a chore to harvest and prepare.
Cooking up spuds is expensive and gathering and storing autumn fruit (and so-din chestnuts) for winter feed is quite a task.
Drinking water can and is likely to be a problem ( frozen pipes and temperatures in minus double figures means frequent trips with a bucket to the pigs).
Bedding - they will chump through their bedding and may not go out in the snow so plenty of straw is needed.

All in all my "pigs for the table" cost me too much in terms of time,money and sheer hard work when I kept a couple over the winter.
Also - If I am honest - I don't think my pigs enjoyed a cold winter and they certainly miss out on many seasonal fruits and veg.

That said - A VERY BIG THANK YOU to all of you who spend their winters looking after pigs so that the likes of me can buy a couple of weaners in the spring.

[Padge]

There's a big difference between the luxury of deciding not to keep pigs over the winter and the reality of keeping pigs as a business.  Here in North Wales we sometimes can't tell the difference between summer and winter anyway so if we decided not to keep pigs because it got a bit muddy we'd have to give up alltogether!

For us it is indeed a decision that errs firmly on the side of luxury rather than business.....................as always  on this forum a wonderful mix of pros and cons whys and wherefores......thank you folks for your input we'll let you know what we decide/how we get on.....

[Bodger]

We've always aimed to keep weaners through the summer with a view to having them killed about nowish. The pigs have had the sun on their backs all summer and if you're going to do a bit of home butchery, at this time of the year you don't get hoards of blue bottles hampering you.
I've always liked to see the pigs go, wash their accommodation down and then leave it empty for six months.

[sokel]

Mud I could cope with but digging through 6ft snow drifts just to get in and feed and water the pigs and having to keep them locked in to prevent the snow getting into the beds was no fun for us or the pigs.

[hughesy]

Yes we had a decent amount of snow last winter too. To be honest the snow was better than the mud. Didn't bother the pigs at all.

[Clive]

I found that the pigs were fine in deep mud or snow but the bigger pigs don't like hard frozen ground which is already uneven. It's pretty hard on their feet and legs. Deep mud is a nightmare for feeding (being firmly stuck in the mud whilst surrounded by ravenous weaners is not great) so this year we are making concrete pads by the gates for feeding when muddy

[Pasture Farm]

Well I went to collect the weaners yesterday and I was greeted by "Oh their a bit small so im knocking five pounds off" They where supposed to have been ten weeks old and been on their own for two weeks. When we got to the trailer where she had them I was gob smacked they where no bigger than a kitten and baggy skin. I was not impressed and let my feelings be felt "fiver off I barked I wouldn't give you a fiver each" Hubby gave me a dead eye which I thought really funny. Anyway the result is Padge and I are still looking for two weaners.
 

[kja]

i am afraid there are lots of pigs around like that .....well done you for walking away.

saw some go through a auction yesterday poor looking things they were reach the grand sum of £3.75 !!!

i am seeing orders come in for ours due january it looks like people are thinking well ahead, and friends are saying just the same thing fingers crossed it continues.