[FiB]

Well 2 out of 7 back from butcher and  quite a lot of fat....(his comments were that they could have come 2 or 3 weeks earlier.... But they still looked like that had a bit of growing to do to me) . I've been doing 1.5 Kg hard food per pig per day as the max split between 2 feeds. They have had free range of about 1.5 acres.  2 questions, what does anyone suggest for next time if there is a next time, secondly it's a week till the rest go.... Is there any likely benefit of cutting back in this last week (putting them on a bit of  a diet) ? Many thanks, fi

[Marches Farmer]

How old?  I don't consider my GOS fully grown, i.e. adult size, until they're two years old.  For porkers they need enough frame to support the meat, so 16% protein should serve both purposes.  I prefer to feed to time rather than weight - a better reflection of how ravenous they are.  So many things can influence feed intake, including how much time they spend foraging, how cold or wet the weather is, etc.  Mine polish off their feed in ten minutes prior to slaughter.

[Eve]

What do you mean with "quite a lot"? That means something different to everyone    What is your benchmark?

[SallyintNorth]

I am not the most experienced pig-rearer on here, but I'll share my experience.

I have been told to halve the feed in the last fortnight and that you can take up to 1cm of fat off by doing this.  I do usually cut down a little for the last two weeks and I do think I can see a difference.  However, with free range pigs, being a softie, I wouldn't cut the food by much when the weather has just turned colder! 

I haven't ever fed any of my traditional-type pigs as much as 6lbs hard feed a day, not even in winter; most seem to be getting plenty with 4lbs, perhaps 5lbs for bigger, fast-growing types like Saddlebacks, or in the depths of winter.

So my regime is up to 4lbs/pig/day, higher protein up to 4 months then onto a sow roll / lower protein but staying on 4lbs.  Fresh veg etc when available, and free-ranging with roots and stuff to go at.  Cut down by 1lb/pig/day for the last couple of weeks but make sure they have plenty of straw to play with / keep them warm.

That said, my Large Blacks I did find to be very slow-growing, and they maybe would have grown faster with more of a higher protein ration for longer.  They did not have such good conformation - less eye in the bacon, etc - as some of the other breeds but oh my goodness the flavour more than compensates.     The best sausages we've had from any of our pigs, and the butcher swears he made them the same as he always does.

[ZacB]

FiB, no help from me sorry but interested in thread. If it is any consolation a LB we had came back with 45mm of back fat 
That said it was 10 months old and a 118kg carcass - delicious bacon and only for us so we didn't really mind 

Our last two weaners were Berkshires, only kept until 6/7 months old and then away they went. We held back on pellets and fed up with carrots - I was lead to believe these are more of a filler as opposed to fattener. They were better. My feelings are high protein pellets and rare breeds aren't made for each other so it's always gong to be a bit of an up hill struggle but when its works I think the trials and tribulations are worth it 

My aim for the next visitors is more slow grown as opposed to high protein pellet feed and quick growth achieved with commercial types. (My thought's only and how to achieve this has yet to be decided!)

[FiB]

That is all really interesting and good food for thought...... So converting to LB ours have been getting no more than 3.5 pound of hard food a day..... Maybe some are getting more than there fair share, they are a mixed age group (wouldn't do that again).  I shall cut down on hard feed this week then and up the belly fillers. On the plus side the sausages from the first 2 are out of this world!  As we are having to go off plan and kill all the rest at once ..... We are going to have the best 2 straight cut (family and friends), big pig (who is enormous at 8-9 months old) for bacon ham and sausages and the other 2 prime cuts taken out loin, cubed leg, and the rest mince and sausages. That we we have a hope of freezing it until various neighbours friends want some.  Ah well they have done their main job of clearing a mountainside 'field' prior to woodland planting :-).


Another learning this time is that a group of 7 became quite feral.... It wasn't long before I didn't dare go in to feed them without some distraction first! They had me over once in their enthusiasm. I would have them again, but smaller group.

[sabrina]

I had the same problem with the all black so changed to the Kune-Kune. although slower growing they still cost less to rear and the meat is lovely.

[FiB]

What do you mean with "quite a lot"? That means something different to everyone    What is your benchmark?

It was more the butchers face.....   A good inch on some chops (and some wern't that big as Sally said, so the fat looked out of proportion). I also don't mind fat, but needing to sell some halves this time, not going to be v popular......

[shygirl]

you learn through experience.

[SallyintNorth]

1" is 25mm...     Our butcher frowns on more than 12mm fat, although accepts that traditional pig is bound to be a little fatter. 

My Saddleback x OSB that I sent off at just short of 6 months, liveweight 72kgs, deadweight just under 55kgs, had a 'probe' value of 17mm.  The butcher was impressed with that pig, and said if I could produce them like that routinely, but just a little larger, then he would buy them off me.

I know other folks who rear traditionals for sale, and butch at 5-6 months, so that may be the key - get a breed or cross that will finish well enough by 6 months, then they don't get too fatty.

As for feeding a pack of growers... we've got a setup now where I can put the food out and then open the gate

[MKay]

Large black lay down fat for fun. The problem is more likely what you are feeding not how much.

[FiB]

Large black lay down fat for fun. The problem is more likely what you are feeding not how much.

Ha! 

Would like to do better next time... Any suggestions ? I felt a bit constrained by what I could get locally - wynnstay (mostly)  is it the % protein you would play around with or would you be looking at non pellet alternative?  I think next time I need to keep better count of the weeks and not just go by eye!  They have been brill and I would go large black again :-)

[Eve]

Our pigs have more than 1 inch of back fat, if they hadn't we couldn't make salamis out of them. But we don't need to make money out of our pigs, we do sell a few to cover costs but that's to likeminded fat loving people.


Normally butchers don't want pork that is as lean as supermarket pork, though, our butcher complains that his producer delivers the pigs too skinny!


MKay, please elaborate, what would be the difference in your feeding regime? I'd like to try large blacks next year for bacon and hams (so far we've only had GOS) so the LBs won't need the back fat. 

[Marches Farmer]

Not worth feeding native breeds more than 16% protein feed.  Higher is for commercial types that are slaughtered at 16-18 weeks.

[devonlady]

Consider the lard though! I aim for a few months worth from my pigs