Best breed?

[Dicky.A]

Wanting to buy 2 breeding sows for kids to keep and sell the box meat. Was planning on keeping them in our wood.
What is the best breed for, keeping outside, flavour of meat and nature of sow??
I would get them A.I’d, so presume only commercial semen would be available?
Thanks

 

[Millerich]

Oxford Sandy Blacks are good first time keepers pigs and also do well in woods.

 

[Pan mixer]

There used to be a Gloucester Old Spot boar at stud in NI, haven't used it for years, presumably he is no longer with them but they may have replaced him?

 

[Dicky.A]

Ok cheers
Seems to plenty of Oxford sandys for sale

 

[borderterribles]

You're an OSB fan, aren't you @Paddington ?

 

[Paddington]

You're an OSB fan, aren't you @Paddington ?

Can't beat a bit of OSB crackling.

 

[Dicky.A]

Not too much fat cover in OSB’s??

 

[borderterribles]

My suggestion would be to get a couple of traditional type sows and breed them to the most modern , commercial boar that is available to you. That ought to go a long way to negating fat issues!

 

[Paddington]

We have had OSB's with various levels of backfat, depends on the breeding lines, protein content of feed, additional feed available and the weather for outdoor pigs. When we bred OSB's we consistently got around an inch of backfat, which was fine for us but too much for the modern housewife.We just buy in weaners now and at 8 weeks old there is a large variation in what is available from small breeders. Commercial breeds are generally fast growing and lean, OSB's are the antithesis of this. Deer Park now do OSB semen if you want to try AI.

 

[Millerich]

https://flic.kr/p/25V8Rrx

This was our first attempt at pig rearing and these were OSBs. The last pair I sent were considerably leaner.

 

[borderterribles]

https://flic.kr/p/25V8Rrx

This was our first attempt at pig rearing and these were OSBs. The last pair I sent were considerably leaner.

Ooer! I bet they ate well though? Ones like that are for " personal consumption only"! Not good if you've already sold the Pork and they come back like that. There is even fat on the tail that is in the photo.

 

[Millerich]

They ate beautifully. The last pair had less than half that depth of fat.

 

[sticky]

I think @TripleSix has some sows running in a wooded area.

 

[TripleSix]

Babes in the woods

They do love acorns.

They pig outside, despite having insulated arcs available.

They do root a bit when it's very wet despite being ringed but it's not a full on rotovate like if they're not ringed.

As for breed, they're a bit of a Heinz 57, their dad was some sort of a cross between a donkey and a long wheelbase landrover and they're out of some sows that were almost completely black.

Current boar was commercial bred.

 

[Plopper]

https://flic.kr/p/25V8Rrx

This was our first attempt at pig rearing and these were OSBs. The last pair I sent were considerably leaner.

what weight do you find best to kill OSB for pork? just got a couple for the first time yesterday.

 

[Millerich]

what weight do you find best to kill OSB for pork? just got a couple for the first time yesterday.

Dead weights have been 62-75 kg, ours go for a mix of pork, sausage and bacon.

 

[SteveHants]

I'd get whatever traditional breed you like - Old spot, Tamworth, OSB etc etc (but not a bloody Berkshire) and then get it AI'd with the most commercial Hampshire or Duroc semen you can get hold of.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Ive had saddlebacks, GOS, Lops and Welsh - I didnt really see any difference. I did like the Welsh though seemed a lot calmer. Taste and cracking all the same. The biggest issue is controlling the fat therefore ensuring the weight to feed ratio crucial on these breeds - However we filled feeders to the top with Welsh and walked away.

 

[Dicky.A]

Good advice thanks.
Seems like key to fat is use commercial seman.

 

[unlacedgecko]

https://flic.kr/p/25V8Rrx

This was our first attempt at pig rearing and these were OSBs. The last pair I sent were considerably leaner.

They look like perfect eating to me!