[skidley]

I started out with Tamworths and have had no problems at all with them escaping, I have a boar, a sow, her weaned litter and a 6mth gilt plus a saddleback sow. Mine are behind regular stock fencing some of the time and at the moment just behind a single strand of electric tape. They have quickly learned to respect the white tape which bites to the point that when I wanted to move my 6 mth old gilt to the other side of the field she point blank refused to cross the grass where the tape had been for a whole day. I have horses and donkeys so wouldn't have barbed wire at all.

I went on a course with oaklands, who incidently told us a similar story with the electric tape so I should have been paying more attention, so can reccommend them!! My course book is well thumbed and the sausages were good too!

Whereabouts are you is there someone nearby who you could visit and pick the brains of?

[madmax]

i am in Sheffield near j34
i have been looking at a course but i do not have a car so i can not go a long way Vere easily
witch books are the best to go with?

[Jackie]

You dont have to go on a course for looking after pigs, although it seems nice to do so.

Any and all information can be gleened from the internet, even videos of sick pigs if you need them to recognise when your pigs are 'off'.
This website is a mine of information.
Plain old common sense and knowing your stock is the best way to look after them.

Id love to know just how many farmers go on courses, not many I bet and I tend to think a lot of courses although set up with the best of intentions and the best info are just a fashion rather like organic stuff was and is.

Id rather spend the money on the pigs myself. 

[Wizard]

That is the real answer to a lot of problems Jackie.NO OFFENCE INTENDED TO ANY ONE but today people do not seem to grasp the basic principals of anything and work it out and  never observe any thing. I know some farmers have been to Agricultural college these days but all farmers of yester year Learned from their Fathers and friends and salesmen that called and good advice from the vitnery.The farm workers learned by working with senior workers.Now it appears to me all you need is a bit of paper that states you have done this course and that course Dear dear where will it end.I know every one has to start some where.Lets pretend I am 100% fit and well.I apply for a post and a 21 yr old chap with all the NVQ's etc; also applies .Who do you think will get the job assuming I am not know to the employer?I was talking to Jeff the other day He has done the spraying on the farm for years He has had to go and have a training course to drive the ATV and another one to spot spray the nettles etc; on the farm He said Ive been the chap that has done this job since I left school First of all the Farms Foreman gave me a thistle spud and he came with me Ya know he all ways walked about the far with a spud and he showed me how to do the job.Later Knapsack sprayers came on the farm The salesman showed me how it worked and off I went.Now I have the Kazawacki ATV 4X4 and I ride round.I can do as much in a day as I used to do in a week.I couldn't legally do the job with out the 2 SUSTIFICUTS and Ive done it for Years

[WinslowPorker]

MadMax, i never did a pig keeping course, although i would of liked to. Instead i just kept bombarding people on here with different questions and managed to rear 7 very healthy SaddleBack cross GOS pigs for meat.

Basic principles ae making sure they have enough space to be piggy, a dry warm place to sleep with a new bale of straw every couple of weeks, clean water, fed twice a day and if its hot somewhere where they can make a wallow. Fingers crossed that nothing out of the ordinary happens you should be able to sit back and enjoy the experience before finally letting your taste buds give the final thumbs up.

[Wizard]

There you go M M Easy as falling off a log.W.P. has had a great time growing his own sausages and pork chops Has as others I posted a couple of how to's in Recipes what to do with you pig when its dead

[Hilarysmum]

If you can get on to a good course it would be worthwhile if only to learn all the regulations and how to deal with DEFRA.   

[Wizard]

I would not dream of trying to correct you Mum BUT NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH DEFRA!

[Jackie]

Actually my local animal health woman says its part of her job to come and teach me to fill in the forms for her and DEFRA, who am I to stop her if she wants to do that? 

[Wizard]

Do you know what DEFRA translates to. If you write the whole lot instead of using abbreviations

[madmax]

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

[Wizard]

So Max you are new to this world are you not? Try Done Everything F-----g Rong Agen

[madmax]

LOL

[WinslowPorker]

Nice one wiz 

[JulieS]