Author Topic: Boar taint in fatteners (Read 2386 times)

Wortle · « **on:** April 25, 2010, 03:12:27 pm »

Still looking for my pigs.

The latest possibles are 3 Tamworth non castrate boars (well 80% Tam anyway) and are 20 weeks old. They have been kept with gilts so far. I want to keep them absolutely celibate but will their hormones have kicked in?. Will I be ok to fatten to 8 or 9 months do you think?

gavo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2010, 05:24:15 pm »

Simple answer Yes we keep Tams and slaughter at 11m [males] we try to keep them separate but don't always manage to do it early and have had them together at that age with no problems.

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2010, 05:58:50 pm »

In the past when we had tammies we kept males to up to a year old (not deliberately) they were absolutely fine.

oaklandspigs · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2010, 07:08:11 pm »

A recurring question, and a current debate on the pig section of the river cottage forum.

Our view is that it is highly unlikely for a few boars kept outside, and we have taken a boar to 12 months, used him to get sows pregnant and then killed and eaten with no problem.

sausagesandcash · « **Reply #4 on:** April 27, 2010, 04:02:37 pm »

only a small proportion of the population can taste boar taint. Regrettably, I'm one of them.

Malc · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2010, 11:01:33 am »

We send whole boars to the butcher at up to 8 months old. We have killed boars for our own consumption at ten months with no problems. We keep them in a separate field from the females once they get past six months as a precaution.