Hi All,
My wife and I would really like to get a couple of weaners to fatten and have our own pork. I've read a lot about the merits of different breeds and am still struggling to come to a decision. I have a friend down south who has four breeding sows (2×GOS and 2×Berkshires) and the meat is delicious - particularly the GOS - But I quite fancy trying something different.
As it's our first time I'm thinking of something that won't get too fat if we don't manage it's feed properly. I have no problem with a good amount of fat on my pork but have read a lot about some breeds getting too fat. Our garden is also too small so we're currently talking to a couple of land owners about renting some land, but this could be 10-25 minutes drive away. Because of this I'm also thinking of more docile breeds that are less likely to try and escape. My last question is about getting 2 different breeds of weaner, one of each. Is it better to have the same breed and does it create problems if different breeds have different finishing times? I've been told that British LOPs take a bit longer to be ready for the abattoir.
At first, my gut feeling was Tamworth (I've heard the meat is gamey) and/or British LOP (because it's rare) but the more I've read and the more factors I've considered, the more confused I seem to get. Really sorry about the avalanche of questions but we'd really appreciate any advice people could give.
Thanks