Pg rearing and piglets!!

iano93

Dad wants to get a piglet(s) (probably another mad idea of his:rolleyes:!!) to add a bit of biodiversity to de place!! Then rear him and then kill them (just 2) for the gorgeous meat off it!!:) We wont kill it ourselves we'l get it killed!!! He wants to rear them in our forestry (20acres or more so they wont b short of space!!!:rolleyes:) as he has seen other farms who rear them in forestry!! They will have an old shed aswell to sleep in or for watever!!;) Hes thinkin of getting a saddleback as there suitable for rearing outdoors!! What do ye think of the saddleback? Are they hard to rear or is it a case of a few scraps and a dash of meal?

Also do u no wher can he get the piglets at a reasonable price?...........Tanks in advance!!

iano93

Sorry spelled pig PG!!

CJhaughey

Saddlebacks run about €70 for a piglet, hardy pigs and suitable for outdoor rearing, you will need to fence the area with 3 strands of electric wire or they will get away.
They can lift gates off and uproot fence posts no probs.
You will need to budget for feed, they need to be fed 1lb per day per month of age, so you will buy them weaned at 8 weeks old, = 2lbs per day starting rations.
I used Organic ration as the cheap stuff is all GM corn. Up to yourself I guess but you will be eating it.
Scraps will go nowhere towards fattening a pig, they might add to the flavour but they won't fatten a pig, you need proper pig feed.
I keep mine for 5mths before slaughter.
You will need a Pig number from the Dept, Not hard to get but you will have to apply for it.

jap gt

if your leaving them off in 20 acres fencing will cost you, and it will have to be good fencing because if they get out they are hard to catch and will travel given a chance, scapes wont keep a pig over a month old going for 5 mins they eat a load of ration as they get on

Username John

CJhaughey wrote: »

Saddlebacks run about €70 for a piglet, hardy pigs and suitable for outdoor rearing, you will need to fence the area with 3 strands of electric wire or they will get away.
They can lift gates off and uproot fence posts no probs.
You will need to budget for feed, they need to be fed 1lb per day per month of age, so you will buy them weaned at 8 weeks old, = 2lbs per day starting rations.
I used Organic ration as the cheap stuff is all GM corn. Up to yourself I guess but you will be eating it.
Scraps will go nowhere towards fattening a pig, they might add to the flavour but they won't fatten a pig, you need proper pig feed.
I keep mine for 5mths before slaughter.
You will need a Pig number from the Dept, Not hard to get but you will have to apply for it.

Sorry to ressurect an old thread - not sure if its the right or wrong thing to do. But the comments above answered a good few questions for me... So I said I would avoid people having to repeat them.

I am toying with the idea of getting two pigs, and I had some questions maybe some who knows could help me with

If I buy pigs in the next few weeks, at say 8 weeks old, would they be fit to kill start Decmeber, for Christmas? They would just be 5 months old. Am I too late now?

3 strands of electric fence needed - what heights for the wire? I assume not very strong wire is needed? Or is that orange / white kinda tape (with light wire running through it) better? Anyone got any tips, or pics of whats the best way to do this?
I have sheep wire, but I assume if they can get at the wire, they will just work on it til its uprooted or torn down

I have a bit of ground which would be suitable - it has a good bit of ferns on it. Would these pose any sort of health risk to the pigs?

Do I need to move pigs regularly? I thnk I remember reading that a pig pen should contain two halves, and move the pigs between each side every 6 weeks or so? Is this required? (Especially as I might only have for 3 months)

Anyone know a good place to buy pics & get advice in West Cork?

Thanks in advance.

PS - iano93 - Did you get pigs in the end? If so, how did they work out?

Butcher Boy

hi john i have pigs for sale .they are 12 weeks old .i am in west cork you can have the pick of 15. send me a pm with your number and I will ring you back.

CJhaughey

Username John wrote: »

If I buy pigs in the next few weeks, at say 8 weeks old, would they be fit to kill start Decmeber, for Christmas? They would just be 5 months old. Am I too late now?
You will be fine if the pigs are good and you feed them right.

3 strands of electric fence needed - what heights for the wire? I assume not very strong wire is needed? Or is that orange / white kinda tape (with light wire running through it) better? Anyone got any tips, or pics of whats the best way to do this?
I have sheep wire, but I assume if they can get at the wire, they will just work on it til its uprooted or torn down

Yep try and buy pigs that have been trained to electric wires from a young age, its a lot easier.
The 3 strand electric wire in white is fine, tape works as well.
Sheep wire won't last anytime at all.
I set mine at 9" 14" and 22" roughly.
Whatever works to stop them rooting under the wire and jumping over it.
You may have to keep clearing the ground under the bottom wire so it doesn't earth out.

I have a bit of ground which would be suitable - it has a good bit of ferns on it. Would these pose any sort of health risk to the pigs?
They will love it, in New Zealand its called pig fern!

Do I need to move pigs regularly? I thnk I remember reading that a pig pen should contain two halves, and move the pigs between each side every 6 weeks or so? Is this required? (Especially as I might only have for 3 months)
not a problem for the 3mths you will have them.


Anyone know a good place to buy pics & get advice

I'll PM you in a week or so.

Askim

sheep wire will work fine, i have it with a strand of barbed top & bottom, 2nd year keeping them, had 2 old spot landrace X last year, lovely meat, easy to cut up & make home made Bacon, this year i have 4 pure saddleback, €50 each, killing boar early dec, 3 ladies when correct weight, am feeding a meal mix,from miller in baltinglass

Bizzum

CJH,
You're a great source of info for the pigs. I always enjoy reading your posts.
I don't know much about pigs, even though I grew up with always having 2 or 3 sows at hom. Thats a long while back though!

Anyway Re: Fencing. If anyone is going to the trouble of permanent electric fencing, I would say to stay away from that fencing tape. It's far to shortlived and finnacky, with a bit of age the wire thread burns and you think you have a fence, but you've no power going through it.