[smee2012]

Sorry if this seems like an odd question but I thought I'd better ask!

I've recently taken delivery of some piglets (for meat). They are currently in a well lit stable whilst my husband builds them a suitable ark for the field. Once that's built they'll be going into a sectioned off portion of the field to do what pigs do best. They'll be going to the abattoir around May/June time and we are hoping to roll and reseed the section where they've been. I've read that pig food is high in copper and so you need to watch out what grazes on ground that pigs have been on. I know some sheep are very sensitive to copper in their diets and so I'm wondering if they'll be safe (and possible future ponies) to graze on ground that's potentially high in copper from the pigs?

We have Zwartbles sheep, I'm not sure whether they are one of the breeds sensitive to copper?

Thanks in advance!

[Buffy the eggs layer]

You are bang on with the copper concern but I guess you could always poo pick as I do, the pigs will usually identify one corner as a toilet. My commercial sheep farming neighbour has pig muck sprayed on to rotivated pasture then sows a leaf crop that he turns his sheep onto about now ish, then sows a ley and grazes them on it the following season which allows the copper around 12 months to dissipate. Having said that we have a very light and sandy soil here which leaches minerals so perhaps its not too big an issue for us.


I have a few kunes on some of my pasture but they get very little in the way of concentrates and are easy enough to clear up after so the level of copper saturation is not as high as commercial pig slurry sprayed onto growing pasture.


HTH

[smee2012]

We have very heavy clay soil but there are only two piglets and they'll be gone in a few months.

What do you feed your pigs on if you don't feed concentrates? Is there an alternative? I thought they just dug up everything in sight, leaving not a speck of grass?

[Hellybee]

Ponies will be ok, not sure about sheeps...

[HappyHippy]

What do you feed your pigs on if you don't feed concentrates? Is there an alternative? I thought they just dug up everything in sight, leaving not a speck of grass?

Kunekune are grazing pigs (though they root a bit when young) so only need around 1lb of pig nuts each per day  The flip side is that they take a bit longer to finish for pork (typically go around 12 months old) but it's well worth the wait 

[Marches Farmer]

Breeds like North Ronaldsay, Suffolk and Texel are most susceptible to copper poisoning, along with some Continental short wool breeds.  That said, this used to be an 85-sow pig farm and the slurry was regularly sprayed onto the fields, where a variety of sheep breeds, mostly Mules, were grazed, with no ill effects.

[TheSmilingSheep]

We use a section of a paddock for our weaners each year, and then let the sheep (Balwens & Shetlands) graze in there from time to time when the pigs are gone.  Not had any problems.  I did check it out with a vet pal before trying this, and she googled for research about the copper and pasture issue and came up with nothing that concerned her.  Also ran it by a couple of other pig/sheep keepers/breeders and they couldn't see a problem. Equally, we are doing this all on a fairly low intensity basis...  Good luck.

[smee2012]

That's all reassuring information guys, thanks all!