Why don't you keep pigs?

Latest Articles

Why don't you keep pigs?
Page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Livestock and Pets

Author

Message

lassemista

Joined: 28 Sep 2006
Posts: 608
Location: suffolk

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 08 6:15 pm Post subject:

I am trying hard to persuade OH of merits of having a couple of weaners. Children think it is a great idea - OH thinks I don't give the children enough attention as it is

. Ironically I have the room on piece of "lawn" not used for anything else - just needs mowing all the time.
Like Bebo getting them here would be a bit of an issue - and I'm anything but a deserving cause.
I'll get back to you if any success with his lordship
Andrea.

AnneandMike

Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 890
Location: Over the hill and soon to be far away

Posted: Wed Jan 23, 08 6:40 pm Post subject:

lassemista wrote:

I am trying hard to persuade OH of merits of having a couple of weaners. Children think it is a great idea - OH thinks I don't give the children enough attention as it is .

The pigs will give the children enough attention - and vice versa. Sounds like you will be able to put your feet up.

pink bouncy

Joined: 14 May 2005
Posts: 174

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 08 7:27 pm Post subject:

How bizzarre Nick. A fantastic offer like that and nobody has taken you up on it? Really??

I haven't got pigs yet because I haven't spoken to the farmer using the field next to the little orchard I have allocated for them yet. I'll have to cross said field with them on the way in and on the way out a few months later so it's probably polite to run it past him first.

Unfortunately North Yorkshire (near Whitby) is a teeny bit far isn't it?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 08 7:29 pm Post subject:
With planning, no. I'm driving that way very soon. I need to sort out the transport regs, but you ask your farmer, I'll check the diary. Current market prices are pitiful, and the homes unknown, and my limit was reached a while ago, so if I can spread the habit, I'd love to.

pink bouncy

Joined: 14 May 2005
Posts: 174

Posted: Thu Jan 24, 08 7:41 pm Post subject:
Er, er, er..... Wooooooooooooo By Gum! That's a surprise Nick! I'll have to pull my finger out and get a few things sorted in a hurry but if its possible I'd be over the moon!!! Yay!

lassemista

Joined: 28 Sep 2006
Posts: 608
Location: suffolk

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 08 12:57 pm Post subject:

Quote:

The pigs will give the children enough attention - and vice versa. Sounds like you will be able to put your feet up.

I showed this to OH - he humphed

Andrea.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 08 2:23 pm Post subject:

lassemista wrote:

Quote:

The pigs will give the children enough attention - and vice versa. Sounds like you will be able to put your feet up.

I showed this to OH - he humphed

Andrea.

If that were true, pig farmers would do childcare as a sideline (or rear pigs as a sideline...

)

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 08 2:53 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

sean wrote:

Nick wrote:

Well, my limit is, like many a poor boy, my wife's tolerance. She's limited me to a strict 8.

I'm intrigued by this, how do you (or your wife in this case) arrive at a specific number of pigs as reasonable? I can see 'Yes you can keep pigs.' or 'No, you're not having pigs.' Why eight though?

Well, we had two, one of whom had a litter of 8. So, last autumn, and into the winter, we had 2+8 (+1 boar, that she bought). And when I am away, which might be 2/3/4 nights a week, she has to get up, and feed them, possibly in the dark and wet, before getting the kids to school and going to work herself. She tolerated this. Just.

This time, I have far more piglets, but she found 8 piglets just acceptable, so the limit is 8.

Please, DON'T bother explaining to me that 4 or 8 or 11 or 23 is the same amount of work to feed each day (open sack, tip sack, check water). We are dealing with female logic here.

What you need is a pig au pair, perhaps a young Danish lady?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 08 5:43 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

What you need is a pig au pair, perhaps a young Danish lady?

Indeed, then I could ditch the wife.

lassemista

Joined: 28 Sep 2006
Posts: 608
Location: suffolk

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 08 4:35 pm Post subject:

I may be making some progress, so can I clarify 1 or 2 things.
Pigs need:-
Fenced enclosure - is about 10 X 15 m enough for 2 weaners to rear for 6 months or so? Can I run a second lead off cable from my existing energiser (it has loads of capacity to spare)? Do pigs need a traditional fence as well as electric? Would 2 strands of electric tape do the job? What haven't I thought of?
Shelter - I am on sand so very free draining, and thinking of a straw bale house as shown in the other thread - how big should it be?
Bedding - straw presumably, but how often will it need changing? Or can you add more on top, and then do a big clear out at the end of the season?
Feed - proprietory pig feed? How often - once or twice a day? What else? I think they eat root veg, but does it need cutting up?
Water - is a proper trough needed? I suspect a bucket would get knocked over. I am trying to keep investment to minimum in case we only do it once.
Medication - what is needed as routine? Worming, vaccination?
I'm sure there are loads of other things, but that gives me a start.
Advice gratefully received,
Andrea.

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 08 8:57 pm Post subject:

No, two strands of tape won't do.
It is better to have a visual barrier (eg, ordinary fence) behind the electric, but not essential.
Use three, or preferably four, strands of plain wire at seven inch spacings. If poss run another live wire round the inside about middle height and maybe 1 foot to 18 inches away. this will contact pigs shoulders when they get close to the fence, preventing them burying the bottom strand as they rootle.

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 08 9:00 pm Post subject:
Feed twice a day. Worming is important - use powder in feed. Saw up some plastic 45 gallon drums for cheap troughs.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 08 10:07 pm Post subject:

pink bouncy wrote:

Er, er, er..... Wooooooooooooo

By Gum! That's a surprise Nick! I'll have to pull my finger out and get a few things sorted in a hurry but if its possible I'd be over the moon!!!

Yay!

How you doing?

I'll be coming to Harrogate (AGAIN) on Thursday. Got sorted?

pink bouncy

Joined: 14 May 2005
Posts: 174

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 08 8:41 am Post subject:
Noooooooooo!!!! Does headless chicken impersonation We haven't built their house yet, or piggy-proofed their orchard... Will you still be coming this way on the ninth as you said? panics

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 08 10:16 am Post subject:
Hm. Doubt it. I intend to be up a mountain in some snow then. No rush, it'll be after the 18th, then.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Livestock and Pets	All times are GMT Page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Next
Page 4 of 5

View Latest Posts