[Ladygrey]

Thanks so much Karen thats a great explanation

Yes I suppose they arent going to get as much from the grass as my kunes did!

So then would a lower percentage feed 16% be suitable for traditional breeds? I dont mind taking 2 to slaughter per month so waiting an extra month or two for two to grow longer for bacon

3 of them are older weaners and 3 are younger, will find out exact ages when I pick them up I suppose

I will tag them in the trailer before I unload them into the field as I really am no good at getting tags through thicker ears when they are large

Yup I think they can have half acre at a time or maybe even less, otherwise they will just run everywhere and may not root it up for me to re seed

[Porterlauren]

Aye, when I say mine get plenty to forage, I mean lots of bramble, bracken, roots etc etc.

And like Karen says, I really don't think a couple of % on the protein levels makes that much difference, unless you are doing it indoors, with fast growing, high feed converting piggies who you need to try to finish quick.

I'm really interested in the feeding amounts though, as its what I always hear on here, lb a a day per month up till 5 months. . . . . but my growers never get beyond 3.5 lbs a day, and the adult sows get about 4-6lb a day depending on what they are doing (i.e pre farrowing, pre mating, etc etc).

[Ladygrey]

Ok thankyou, I have plenty of docks and nettles for them but its mostly just clover grass

I think what I will do is just up the food slowly and adjust according to how thin/fat they look

With my kunes (which were nice and lean) I always used to press on their backs and if I could feel a spine somewhere there they were ok

[Ladygrey]

Just got the message

Picking up piggies tonight at 6pm, these will be my first "normal" sized piggies! I really cant wait!

Apparently they will be hard to catch and to be ready for some pig wrestling.....

How do everyone elses big piggies do with fencing? mine is stock fencing, done very tightly, with barbed wire along the bottom, hoping they dont just run straight through...

[Porterlauren]

Mine are all kept in with standard stock fencing with barb at the bottom, sometimes two strands.

[Ladygrey]

Ok thanks! fencing should be fine then