[harry]

i have an acre of rough grazing i want turned over and weeded... ie grass docks and nettles.... i think ive decided on 2 tamworth xs.complete males or castrated if i can get them.. i dont want the ground like a bomb site ie craters everywhere.... the perimetre is wood a metal fences with an electric wire just a foot inside to keep the pigs from digging near the fence which was sucessfull with 7 kune kunes before..... i want more bacon so at what age should i expect to kill them with a  supplement of nuts 4 times per week in summer...what is a good cross to look out for.... thanks

[Fowgill Farm]

Harry,
You'll never fatten them on just 4 lots of nuts a week , KK;s maybe but defo not TW. They need the protein from nuts to make meat.  Crosses will need minimum 4lb of pig nuts per day which is a maintenance ration to fatten I would go to 5lb and kill out at 6mths old for pork and upto 8 mths for bacon depending how big you want them. TW make very good bacon so I understand, I'm sure Tudful (Liz) will be along to confirm. 
TW don't really dig anymore than any other breed they can just see where they are going unlike lop eared pigs.p:
Mandy

[Tudful Tamworths]

Any reason why you want Tamworth crosses? What do you think the advantage would be?

[harry]

why xs dont know but  thought maybe cheaper makes the end product more viable, and easier to get.... and sometimes in poultry have found xs a very good bet...... ie want a slow grower and smaller type of pig so maybe some sort of x ... had kks before to 15 months so maybe a tam x kune if possible..... the kks didnt dig much at all  so want a small pig that digs but only want 2 this time and the ground they have to cover will keep 2 pigs busy for a year so dont want to kill at 6 months so ime back to a bit of kk in something

[Marches Farmer]

I think you may find an acre gets turned over in much less than a year!  If you're looking for a pig that can cope with life outdoors any of the native breeds will be fine, provided they have the necessary access to a good shelter, shade and a wallow in summer and a 24/7 supply of clean water.  Pigs need to be both fed and checked at least once a day - this is a legal requirement as well as a stockmanship one.

[HappyHippy]

If you're looking for a small pig that's going to root more what about mangalitza's ?
They're slower growing so you could keep them up to a year and I don't think they need quite as much feeding as the traditional breeds (but at least once daily !) but you might struggle to source them 

Good luck with the hunt!
Karen

[Tudful Tamworths]

Tamworths aren't small pigs - unless they've been really badly bred! What about Berkshires? Smaller, easy to handle and quite economical because they finish early. Good bone to meat ratio, too.

[Derby_menagerie]

I think any traditional breed or cross will do what you ask, I had GOSx Tam which gave fantastic bacon. But I always find that the weeds after the pigs have been on the land are far worse than before, as they turn it over they release seeds that have been dormant in the soil, it gives a headstart I guess but weeds will come up in the summer so will need topping and kept on top of to!

[Marches Farmer]

True, a bit like when careless horse owners have allowed the ground to get thorooughly poached.  The docks, thistles and nettles survive and thrive and crowd out any re-emerging grass.  If you wanted grass to come back you'd have to reseed when the pigs had gone and then weed, weed, weed!

[Kitchen Cottage]

I have saddleback tamworths if I buy in.  They are fab, not noisy like the Tams and less "boisterous" but with lovely long backs..

[Fowlman]

Oddly enough kitchen cottage i was talking to someone yesterday who has Tamworth x Saddlebacks and says they make great porkers and baconers.

[hughesy]

Well Tammies and Saddlebacks are two of the best traditional meat producers so crossing them is only going to result in something at least as good if not better.

[shygirl]

middle whites are smaller too. they wont root so much either i imagine with their shorter snouts.

[Daisys Mum]

I found that my middle whites rooted just as much as any others that I have kept!

[shygirl]

I found that my middle whites rooted just as much as any others that I have kept!

ha ha, my gos was worst than my tamworth. i love some middle whites.