Author Topic: pigs and bracken (Read 4901 times)

NickPickford · « **on:** January 20, 2017, 03:24:21 pm »

Hi
I have just fenced my 3.5 acres of steep regenerated woodland hillside, although not many trees mainly bracken. I want to have cattle eventually but need some pigs to sort out the bracken and see what I am left with. I don't want to split the field but hope to sort it out in one year. I will put a strand of electric around the inside of the pig wire boundary fence. I have a trough at the top end and intend to have another trough at the bottom with a 'wet pit' and housing nearby
I wondered if anyone could advise the best breed and how many I would need on the 3.5 acres so as to clear it in one season - I assume May to October ?
Any comments welcome
Thanks
Nick

nimbusllama · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2017, 09:56:15 am »

Hi there... can't help with advice, but wondered if you should re-post this request in the Livestock - Pigs section to achieve more exposure?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2017, 11:51:35 am »

If you haven't kept pigs before I recommend Pig Keeping by Richard Lutwyche, published by the National Trust, for basic info without the frills. The ark must be on level ground and facing away from the prevailing wind. If they have shade they're unlikely to need a wallow. They must have a supply of clean water at all times. Pigs will eat anything but large quantities of bracken is not recommended, especially for young pigs where it may become impacted in the gut. Any of the old native breeds should be able to cope with life outdoors - GOS, OSB, Berkshire or Saddleback would be good starter breeds.. What are you clearing the land for? If you want to create grazing land pigs will be very obliging about ploughing up the land but will also turf up a lot of weed seeds which will germinate and leave you with a weed-choked field unless you seed with a grass mixture fairly promptly after they're taken off.

Pigsmightfry · « **Reply #3 on:** January 22, 2017, 01:51:08 pm »

I kept some pigs in a bracken wood for a couple of years, they are very good at digging up the bracken roots and knocking it all down, but it kept coming back, there was less each year and I believe it would take a number of years before it gave up completely. The root system is a rhyzome, so you are not tackling individual plants but a complete root network, so any pieces of root left in the ground with germinate and start growing a new system again.
Good luck

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2017, 05:30:41 pm »

I have a lot of ferns of various types coming up in a small wood. I take a dashel basher with me every time I walk through it and hack off the tops of the furled up fronds. It's both very satisfying and quite effective.

harmony · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2017, 06:16:48 pm »

You would need several pigs to clear 3.5 acres. Turning out onto that size acreage they will just dig here and there. If you want them to clear land give them a small section and then move them along. There is a risk of cancer to pigs that have had access to bracken. You are supposed to remove them from the bracken so many weeks before finishing and I can't just remember how long that is.

A better question would be how many pigs can you afford to keep and have a market for when they are ready?

Pigmightfry makes some good observations about bracken clearing and Marches Farmer about reseeding.

Cattle are very often used for conservation grazing here. Out on fell sides covered with bracken. Again you would be looking at hardy native types. I don't know how much soil cover you have but cattle on steep slopes all year round could well be a problem.

arobwk · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2017, 06:53:59 pm »

The particular reason I signed in this eve was to post about bracken bashing with a flail mower and then I spotted this thread. As mentioned elsewhere (e.g. "Bracken as bedding for pigs" thread), bracken is carcinogenic. Some time since I researched the subject: however, my recollection is that pigs will eat the rhizomes (apart from just rooting them out while foraging). I did not come across any study that concluded that the carcinogen was accumulated in their meat, but I decided not to 'use' pigs to clear it in the end. If the pigs are for early slaughter, I guess the risk to their well-being is limited, but, even so, I personally decided I would go down the laborious route of mechanical bruising/cutting twice a year for however long it takes instead. Of course herbicides work also, but not an option I'm considering. Just some thoughts! And one more: bracken rarely produces spores (equally toxic) in the UK apparently - thank goodness for that!