Which breed of pig would you favour for beginners?

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Which breed of pig would you favour for beginners?
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Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 3:45 pm Post subject:
We're first timers with pigs and we haven't had any problem with the tamworths at all. They've been a joy.

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 10:13 pm Post subject:

We have had saddlebacks (my favourite)
berkshires (my DH hated them)
Gos /large white x (23, our first batch of pigs (all lovely and bred from 2 of them)
Gos / Duroc (nice nature)
Saddleback / Duroc (very tasty, and not too fatty, but fattier than supermarket meat!)
OS&B / Saddle back (really delish)

It doesn't rally matter which breed it is for the husbandary side of things. You still have to look after them. Get ones you like the look of, that are in good health, and think about what you want to do with the meat, for how big to grow them.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 10:43 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

For 'sociable' and 'lively' {about tamworths} may I read 'bloody escape artists'?

Look, I know next to nothing about pigs, and yet that specific reputation had penetrated my consciousness. (Similarly, I have this idea that its damn difficult to keep traditional Welsh sheep in a field...)
I'd have thought that more folk might have suggested something a little 'easier' to co-exist with. I mean, you are justifiably proud of those veggie beds, aren't you?
I can't see any shame in starting off with something chosen specifically to be easily manageable, and then, with a bit of experience, understanding of the animals and of your own abilities, being better able to assess the 'demands' other breeds may impose.
I think that the 'nature of the beast' has to be very important as these "guinea pigs" (ba-boom!) will be teaching *you* about pig-keeping...

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 8:29 am Post subject:
Ours have never even tried to escape. I don't recognise the tamwoths everyone else is talking about

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 8:53 am Post subject:

What size enclosure do you plan giving them, M-J?
The larger the space, the less bored they will be and the less inclined to go walkabout.
Another factor will be how far you have to travel to get them. I could understand travelling across half the country to buy your breeding stock, but if you are just getting a couple of weaners as a try-out, I would see what is actually available closer to home before setting my heart on a particular pig.

High Green Farm

Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Which breed of pig would you favour for beginners?

Mary-Jane wrote:

We're wanting to purchase a couple of weaners in the next few weeks. As complete novices to the 'pig game' we're not sure which breed to go for, although Gervase favours traditional breeds like the Gloucester Old Spot. We've read all the available info and asked around, but we'd be interested if any of you could recommend a particular favourite breed and why. I quite like the idea of Large Blacks which I gather are Welsh in origin and an old breed.

All thoughts or advice gratefully received.

We started with 4 OSB, and they were great, and last week sent 5 GOS of to slaughter and kept a gilt to start breeding from this year. If you are just going to fatten, then I don't think it really matters what you choose. It may well be a case of what you find in your area at any particular time.

We originally thought that we would breed OSB's but then trying to find either a local boar or AI proved too difficult, so if you plan on breeding in the future, then that is another consideration.

High Green Farm

Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 9:25 am Post subject:

Judith wrote:

In terms of eating qualities, the Tamworth/OSBs were very fatty (on the cusp of being too fat), but the flavour of the meat was superb - almost gamey - and the crackling was the best I have ever eaten. The GOS were a lot leaner, but the meat is much milder. Very nice, but not as special as the first pair.

Judith, can I ask how much you are feeding per day? Our first OSB's we fed at a maximum of 6lb per day, but these GOS we were recommended to feed to a maximum of 4.5lb. The OSB were I think too fat, but so far the GOS seem to be perfect.

High Green Farm

Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 9:28 am Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

Totally agree, but on the basis I'll be doing this for years to come I'd like to break myself in gently. Remember Jimmy's farm and the almost extinct Essex pigs dropping like flies?

I don't know if i could handle that stress

In my opinion his early experiences I believe were due to incompetence and poor husbandry. Amazing how things changed once he had hired his pig man! That said, I think he has done a great job in educating people about pigs.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 9:33 am Post subject:

High Green Farm wrote:

With both pairs, we fed up to 6 lb per day, but I fed rather a lot of barley to the first pair which I think may have encouraged them to put on too much fat. The GOS were definitely much less fatty, even though they went to the abattoir nearly a month later than I intended.

High Green Farm

Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 9:52 am Post subject:

Judith wrote:

Thanks. Well I'll certainly be sticking with the lower amount going forward for two reasons: they are less fatty, and it costs less! Our first pigs cost �70 each to fatten, and these cost �45. Which means I can sell at a cheaper price per kg!

Last edited by High Green Farm on Tue Jan 17, 06 9:52 am; edited 1 time in total

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 9:52 am Post subject:
I've got Tamworths Have you really Stacey? Yes I have

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 10:04 am Post subject:
Did someone say something?

High Green Farm

Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 10:06 am Post subject:
No I didn't hear anything, perhaps they should speak louder

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 10:13 am Post subject:

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 06 10:51 am Post subject:

Thank you so much everyone for all your advice. It has all been taken on board and is being discussed at home at great length.

To put you in the picture, we have about 5 acres in total, of which just over 4 acres is available for pigs to 'share' with the sheep at the present moment (the remaining land being made up of the kitchen garden, polytunnel and composting/storage area, general garden-ish, the farmyard & outbuildings and a small area set aside for planned fruit trees).

We currently rotate the sheep on the 4 acres + behind the main house with the help of electric fencing. At the far end of the 4 acre + field there is an old tin shack (quite large) with a dirt floor. Gervase's initial thoughts are that we should keep the pigs down there, in an area that we can fence off with electric fencing of up to half an acre or perhaps more. My reservations and questions are therefore:

1) There is a very, very boggy/muddy area of several square yards right in front of the tin shack which is still damp even in high summer - and a complete mud bath the rest of the year. Would this be a problem?

2) The tin shack is very large (roughly the size of a single garage) would it not be better to build a 'cosier' arc with a proper floor which can then be moved around and presumably more easily cleaned?

3) The fact that the pigs are the far end of the 4 acre field makes for a long walk there and back to feed them (the sheep come to us when called) and check on them...and even further to run after them if they escape! So would it be better to fence off an area closer to our main living/working area (i.e. closer to the kitchen garden) for the pigs?

4) If half an acre sufficient for two weaners to have a happy life, or should we subdivide and rotate the pigs within that area to allow part of it to 'rest'?

5) Should we go for (bearing in mind all the discussions and suggestions above) two bog standard weaners this year, just to 'see how we get on' and then plan the next move after that?

6) If we decide to breed next year, how much more land would we need to give over to the pigs, particularly if subdivision is necessary to rest the land.

Phew! My apologies for the long posting and additional questions, but we really value your inputs all round.

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