Pig IQ

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@Calli

Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 1682
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 7:42 am Post subject: Pig IQ

I thought pigs were supposed to be intelligent!
You give them acres of kale and rape ( in addition to their daily rations) instead of their usual enclosure and what do they do?
Break out at every opportunity and get chased by terriers all over the place. Once I could understand - three times - can they not realise that when they come onto yard dogs attack them??

They are always fed some way down the field so are not expecting buckets of feed.....

The way I feel this morning they will be bacon by Sunday

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 8:07 am Post subject:
Thats a hell of a quick "cure" whats your rescipe? I'm glad I havent got the most inteligent pig. I forgot to switch the fencer on for a week & she hasn't tested it once.

@Calli

Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 1682
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 8:28 am Post subject:
Okay maybe not processed but certainly cured of coursing with terriers..... Always happens just before the school run so I am always looking as though I've been through a hedge backwards(which of course I have) compared with the other yummies

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 8:30 am Post subject:
Electric fencing is your friend!

@Calli

Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 1682
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 8:40 am Post subject:
On top of empty feed sack strips (plastic !) we have three strands at 2 3 and 4th strands.....they hold their breath and barge through. Straight into mains next? They have 10 acres of kale and rape and they want the barren concrete yard???? More worried that dogs will bite them, had to shut dogs away for now.....

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 8:47 am Post subject:
How long have you had them - are they still very small? If so, you might be better off putting them in a small enclosure until they get the hang of the fencing. Are the strips of plastic so that they see the fence?

@Calli

Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 1682
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 8:53 am Post subject:

Judith, Plastic to stop weeds touching and shorting the wire.

They have been here two and a half months, they are 5 1/2 months. They have been in a smaller enclosure - but it seems to have blown there minds giving them access to all this food? They are on two feeds of nuts per day so not hungry? Full bucket each time and they are getting quite fat - except for the recent excercise

They loved the kale when we moved their pens each time, so we thought they could have temporary access to the lot before it gets cut for winter.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 9:02 am Post subject:
Sounds like time for bacon then!

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 9:22 am Post subject:

I keep thinking about your escapologist pigs, and I apologise in advance if the following sounds like trying to teach Granny to suck eggs.

You say they get a bucketful of feed twice a day. Do you know how much that is in weight? My pigs are about the same age as yours, and they get 5 lbs of pig nuts per day, split between two feeds, plus piles of weeds, grass, vegetable waste available all day.
I don't think 5 lbs of nuts would make a bucketful - I'm just wondering if your pigs are so full of pig nuts, that they aren't interested in all that lovely kale available for the eating, and so have time to get interested in what is going on in your yard.

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 9:43 am Post subject:
Have to say I'd agree with Judith. Pigs are intelligent and if their bellies are full they will switch their attention to another form of enjoyment. Another thing to bear in mind is that if you are feeding that amount of nuts, they might be awfully fatty pigs. Of course you could might want fatty baconers!

@Calli

Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 1682
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 9:50 am Post subject:

Judith I think you have hit the nail on the head!!!

They are rather fat - and they were originally intended for breeding next year but what with the recent escapades I had been thinking otherwise! They could be just bored - I mean they only have the 1/3 acre pond which has lovely muddy beaches....and kitchen scraps ontop of the pignut swill - mix it with water for few hours.

So rationing or rashers then....

(Always happens when OH away doesn't it!!)

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 1:25 pm Post subject:

ExilesinGalway wrote:

So rationing or rashers then....

Go for rationing - isn't 5.5 months a bit young for baconers anyway?

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 2:35 pm Post subject:
But absolutely the right time for porkers!

@Calli

Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 1682
Location: Galway

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 3:02 pm Post subject:
is that right Judith? They look a bit small to me? But never done this before - had intended to breed from them but a bit unsure now...OH working away alot and I am a bit scaredof them - whispered so they don't cotton on

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 06 3:24 pm Post subject:

Mine will be going off in a couple of weeks' time, and they will be a wee bit under 6 months. The result will be joints that are a reasonable size for us - personally I can't eat a chop that is the size of a dinner plate, it is just a waste. And there is much less risk of the pigs running to fat - pork needs a bit of fat, and more than you get on supermarket meat, but 3 or 4 inches of it like my neighbour ended up with on his baconer is far too much. And a waste of money in terms of feed.

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