Raising piglets

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Raising piglets
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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 8:37 am Post subject:

Yup, The Kitchen Garden, they call themselves TKG for short and it's much easier to type when you mention it as often as I do.

I think it's slightly unusual in that a lot of the staff and regular contributors seem to grow things as their first job and write about it (very well, too) in order to make cash. A nice life if you have the talent to do both!

My favourite bit is a column from the woman who runs the Wernlas collection (she breeds and sells rare breed chickens).

www.kitchengarden.co.uk

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 8:16 pm Post subject:

I'm no pig expert, but that might just make me well qualified to reassure you. You don't need to know heaps. You need to know a little bit. Pigs know *loads* about being pigs, and given space, water and food, they pretty much get on and grow happily with minimum input. Course, this isn't the case if you want them to achieve maximum weight, with minimum fat in the shortest possible time, but then you shouldn't be on this site if that's your game.

As Tahir says, there's an article or two on the way. Any questions, feel free to post here, or pm me.

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 05 4:33 pm Post subject:

NickHowe wrote:

Well said Nick!

My neighbour would have me confine it to a hut for the rest of it's days living only on suppliments. Not my way of thinking tho'.

I got my pig chiefly to make a gardener of him and a gardener he will be. I doubt that we'll even have the heart to kill him come the winter if he does the job well but if we do then who cares how fatty he gets. We need all the bodily warmth we can get here in winter.

Rosalyn

Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1

Posted: Tue Jul 05, 05 8:08 am Post subject:
Simon there are a lot of us pig keepers in France, if you can pm me I can give you details of some sites and a phone number for advice . Ros

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Tue Jul 05, 05 8:12 am Post subject:
Thanks Ros, Will do

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Jul 05, 05 12:57 pm Post subject:
Simon: do you still only have the one pig? He'd be a lot happier with a little ami to romp with. They are, after all, naturally gregarious animals. If you have any major (or, indeed, minor) problems get on to Tony York at Pig Paradise: he knows a huge amount about the wonderful creatures. www.pigparadise.com

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Tue Jul 05, 05 6:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the link Mochyn. Very interesting site.

We still just have the one. It was a tough decision not to get a companian for him but we have been advised that if you keep two then send one for the chop (as we intend to do with our porker) the other one would be broken hearted as they are very intelligent and affectionate animals. Our pig seems very happy in his current situation and I spend alot of time with him so he is not lonely.

Next year we hope to get two sows which we will breed off. The offspring will be for the table and the sows will be gardeners. (who needs a plough with a pig on the scene?)

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Jul 06, 05 9:52 am Post subject:

That sounds OK Simon: your chap will see you as another pig! Just look out for grunts that sound like "4 legs good..."

Getting 2 sows next year will be great. Is there an outlet for some of the pork? As each sow will produce 8-12 piglets you'll need to sell/barter quite a bit! Where is the boar coming form? Or are you going along the AI route? Will they be rare breeds or utility?

Sorry about the barage! My first 3 Tamworth weaners are coming this autumn: 1 to be dispatched at 6 months(ish), the other two to get in pig, killing 1 after weaning for bacon and breeding from the other. I have a pig mentor here who breeds utilities and is a great bloke. I went on one of the Pig Paradise courses a few weeks ago and learned tons! The pigs will have a small woodland for their base, with outings to my top field which is full of bracken: gardening to be done there!

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Wed Jul 06, 05 7:00 pm Post subject:

Hi M

Pork outlets won't be a prob round here .... lots of fellow barterers around

. We don't go for rare breeds (as per Alan Beat in this months CS mag explains), just utility stock for the time being. I fancy a couple of sadlebacks once we get into it though. There's a guy down the road from here breeds 'em.

Bet you can't wait for yours to arrive. Your garden will be well dug believe me!

Thinking of moving mine soon as I have another job for him before Autumn.

Have you seen Alison's proposition to do an article about "Le chop". It seems to be getting a good response. Hope she gets the go ahead.

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