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pigs and rushes

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  • 27-03-2015 7:20pm
    #1
    FaithNoMore
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭


    Just a quick question, will any pigs dig up rushes in a field. or are there any particular breeds that really go for it, or breeds that won't? Or does it just depend on the pig? We've just applied for a pig number and got the fence etc, just waiting for the visit now...


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    #2
    The Th!ng
    Registered Users Posts: 464 ✭✭The Th!ng


    Their noses are a purpose built digging tool and you can expect them to engage in plenty of digging. Make sure the fence is really secure and sturdy too. Get a basketball or something that they can play with and they will spend hours nosing it around.

    Pigs are really clean animals if given the opportunity. Its only when they are crammed into pens that they are forced to lie in their own excrement. They make good pets and you'll be able to feed them all the scraps from your kitchen.


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    #3
    aonb
    Registered Users Posts: 3,277 ✭✭✭aonb


    this might get a better response in the FARMING & FORESTRY or SMALLHOLDING forum - any field Ive seen pigs living in, has been like a ploughed field :) so your rushes will probably go the same way!


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    #4
    DBB
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,735 Mod ✭✭✭✭DBB


    FaithNoMore, would you like me to move your thread over to the farming forum? :)


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    #5
    FaithNoMore
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭FaithNoMore


    DBB wrote: »
    FaithNoMore, would you like me to move your thread over to the farming forum? :)

    Yes please, I'm using my phone for the net, there were limited choices, thanks!


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    #6
    FaithNoMore
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭FaithNoMore


    aonb wrote: »
    this might get a better response in the FARMING & FORESTRY or SMALLHOLDING forum - any field Ive seen pigs living in, has been like a ploughed field :) so your rushes will probably go the same way!

    I was thinking that, thanks! It's just some people have said that their pigs dug all but the rushes, that's exactly what we want them for, to get more grass for our few sheep. It's rented ground so no point in sorting out someone else's land, when the pigs can do the job and then go for the freezer


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    #7
    my3cents
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭my3cents


    The Th!ng wrote: »
    Their noses are a purpose built digging tool and you can expect them to engage in plenty of digging. Make sure the fence is really secure and sturdy too. Get a basketball or something that they can play with and they will spend hours nosing it around.

    Pigs are really clean animals if given the opportunity. Its only when they are crammed into pens that they are forced to lie in their own excrement. They make good pets and you'll be able to feed them all the scraps from your kitchen.

    I think you'll find that's illegal.

    https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/diseasecontrols/FoodWasteTrade040313.pdf

    http://www.dspca.ie/Pigs

    And for good reasons.


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    #8
    FaithNoMore
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭FaithNoMore


    The Th!ng wrote: »
    Their noses are a purpose built digging tool and you can expect them to engage in plenty of digging. Make sure the fence is really secure and sturdy too. Get a basketball or something that they can play with and they will spend hours nosing it around.

    Pigs are really clean animals if given the opportunity. Its only when they are crammed into pens that they are forced to lie in their own excrement. They make good pets and you'll be able to feed them all the scraps from your kitchen.

    They'll have plenty of room, going to use 4 strands of electric fence and move it down the field in sections, plus sheep wire to keep the sheep away. We built a huge hut with scaffolding planks, tin on the outside and tin roof, looks so good, I wanna move in!


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    #9
    The Th!ng
    Registered Users Posts: 464 ✭✭The Th!ng


    my3cents wrote: »
    I think you'll find that's illegal.

    https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/diseasecontrols/FoodWasteTrade040313.pdf

    http://www.dspca.ie/Pigs

    And for good reasons.

    What about whey from creameries? Years ago my dad and I worked on a farm where the local creamery supplied us with tanker loads of whey during the summer months. The pigs used to love it.


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    #10
    my3cents
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭my3cents


    The Th!ng wrote: »
    What about whey from creameries? Years ago my dad and I worked on a farm where the local creamery supplied us with tanker loads of whey during the summer months. The pigs used to love it.

    That may be one of the few things that still allowed? But you'd want to check and make sure before doing it.

    I only picked you up because a lot of people think its still OK to feed household waste to pigs.


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    #11
    FaithNoMore
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭FaithNoMore


    All veg waste, straight from prepping at the sink, will be going to them. The dogs obviously get the meaty scraps. If you can feed pigs windfallen, half rotten apples to get an 'appley' taste, fresh veg scraps won't do any harm. They're ultimately for our own dinner plates anyways


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    #12
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,515 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    my3cents wrote: »
    That may be one of the few things that still allowed? But you'd want to check and make sure before doing it.

    I only picked you up because a lot of people think its still OK to feed household waste to pigs.

    We feed ours on anything non meat based..
    Table scraps, waste from veg shop.. I knew meat was out but I understood scraps were OK.. don't expect I'll stop.


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    #13
    hollyhead
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭hollyhead


    We had three Tamworths for a few months in autumn. They completely dug up their first patch, apart from bramble roots (we cut the brambles so the pigs would get in around them). Then moved them into a long ungrazed paddock with a thick thatch of grass and many rushes. They hoovered up the grass and rooted up most of the rushes. The pigs were moved before they could dig it up completely. The clumps of rushes were mostly left lying there easy to lift or rake off. I have noticed a fair amount of new rushes coming up, but only in the places that were most trampled (near where they were fed mostly). Tamworths are especially good rooters, though all pigs will root given the chance.


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