advice on pigs.

dicky82

ok im lookig for some advice from people in the know. im considering getting some pigs. it would be for their meat, but maybe also to to have a breeding sow for selling some bonnums to restock etc.

my questions are:

-what is the best age to buy for starting out.
-what is the best breed for a novice, (im thinking saddleback, old spot or coony coony)
-which of these has the nicest meat.
-how much should i expect to spend starting out, (pigs, arcs, elec fence)
-am i bound by any regulations.
-is it worth the hastle to this on a small scale basis.

all advice will be greatly appreciated and anything that i haven't mentioned but you think i should be aware of then let me know. thanks.

jap gt

dicky82 wrote: »

ok im lookig for some advice from people in the know. im considering getting some pigs. it would be for their meat, but maybe also to to have a breeding sow for selling some bonnums to restock etc.

my questions are:

-what is the best age to buy for starting out.
-what is the best breed for a novice, (im thinking saddleback, old spot or coony coony)
-which of these has the nicest meat.
-how much should i expect to spend starting out, (pigs, arcs, elec fence)
-am i bound by any regulations.
-is it worth the hastle to this on a small scale basis.

all advice will be greatly appreciated and anything that i haven't mentioned but you think i should be aware of then let me know. thanks.

i kept too saddlebacks last year, you wont make much from a few pigs but you will know where all the meat has come from, i doubt there is much to be made from selling on a small scale, spent a bit of time working in a piggery and even they found it hard to make money

have you much land have you, make sure you have it well fenced, they can run fairly fast and wil make a load of mess, you will need a stock number from the dept aswell

dicky82

thanks jap, its mostly for their meat, was thinking of selling the bonnums as a small way of paying for grub etc.
was is it a viable venture as regards the meat yield. would you bother rearing them again??

jap gt

dicky82 wrote: »

thanks jap, its mostly for their meat, was thinking of selling the bonnums as a small way of paying for grub etc.
was is it a viable venture as regards the meat yield. would you bother rearing them again??

i would keep them again but you need alot of freezer room, better off to get two houses to go in on it together, as you need to keep too pigs together and try and make as much bacon ham etc as you will get sick of pork very quick

i wouldnt bother rearing them as they will make you very little on a small scale and a lot of work in them, if i was you i would buy too pigs fatten and kill them, and then see whats involved in keeping them, before buying a sow

Birdnuts

A chap i know started off with the standard landrace and then worked his way up to some of the more fancy rare breed types - word has got around and now he is doin very well. The first few years are a learning curves so don't be too hard on yourself if any teething problems are encountered:)

Billy7878

avoid them!

dicky82

Billy7878 wrote: »

avoid them!

cen fath?

Lissoy

My aunt started off with 2 Tamworth sow's and a boar with a similar idea to yourself of starting up something small scale. She has about 3 acres.
Both sow's bred and she ended up with more than 20 piglets from the 1st litters. It was a bit of a struggle to get rid of all these as there is only so much you can store and eat. The young boars were getting a bit strong as well. And it takes a good bit of feeding to keep them all fed.
She had 2nd litters and couldn't give the piglets away.
So she decided to get rid of the two breeding sow's and the boar and now just buys 2 bonhams at a time and fattens them up.
Much easier to manage.

lenny1020

Just wondering what you use to feed them
I bought four saddlebacks.Three fairly big ones and a small one thrown in for small money .
I feed them slops from a bar and rolled barley .They seem fine but yesterday the co-op ran out of barley and I got some oats for them .Rolled Oats .They are not as fond of the oats as the barley .The small guy seems to eat as much as the bigger ones and not growing yet .I guess he is the runt of the litter.
They are all boars so I will kill them a bit younger .
I might sell two and kill two .Four would be too much port for one family .I bought four as a friend wanted two also but now he has no shed and also a reluctant spouse to pig rearing
Just wondering whats the magic mix for food .
They drink very little water which is a bit strange

supersean1999

invest in some pig meal and start feeding them properly, slops from a bar and barley not good enough, by the time they are big enough to kill they will be prob full of fat and the meat will be tainted with the smell because they will be getting to old,, pigs need 1lb meal per month of age and in this weather i give more when hoking -grazing is effected, big difference in a big fat pig and a pig with muscle and meat, trust me i learnt

lenny1020

Ok I am taking your advice .I got some pig ration .Little pellets .Guy in the co-op only had those .He said to feed dry with plenty of water left beside them.
I am not comfortable about this to be honest ,
Should I add water to the food .I have never seen pigs get dry food.
Thanks again .

supersean1999

lenny1020 wrote: »

Ok I am taking your advice .I got some pig ration .Little pellets .Guy in the co-op only had those .He said to feed dry with plenty of water left beside them.
I am not comfortable about this to be honest ,
Should I add water to the food .I have never seen pigs get dry food.
Thanks again .

yes they will eat it dry, if you want to fatten the pig and the pig is young 8-10 weeks, dont spare the ration at the beginning its important, i find once the pigs get older i add barley to the ration, get them used to veg add it in with feed , you will soon find out what they like, i never feed bread adds fat, enjoy them they are very smart

supersean1999

lenny1020 wrote: »

Ok I am taking your advice .I got some pig ration .Little pellets .Guy in the co-op only had those .He said to feed dry with plenty of water left beside them.
I am not comfortable about this to be honest ,
Should I add water to the food .I have never seen pigs get dry food.
Thanks again .

yes eating dry is ok, have water, they are no fools, and will soon no the run of the place, i get them started with pig ration and slowly add barley to make i cheaper, try different veg and fruits, i fed bread at beginning disaster for adding fat, enjoy them, they are smart