Meet my pigs.

Hilly

Member
No idea , I just going to electric fence them on to all the steep bracken infested rubbish and see what happens stocking rate will determine how it all ends up .
I hope to invent a electric set up that enables me
To move them fairy frequently , I’m going to try and emulate Joel Salatin to a degree , take some pages from his book and write my own so to speak .
 

Bald n Grumpy

Member
Livestock Farmer
OK as long as you don't stop long enough for them to start chewing tyres on the snacker
We had 4 finishing in a shed , you were lucky to come out with your wellies in one piece and taking the wheelbarrow in was asking for trouble
Real characters you can't help but like pigs
 

Hilly

Member
OK as long as you don't stop long enough for them to start chewing tyres on the snacker
We had 4 finishing in a shed , you were lucky to come out with your wellies in one piece and taking the wheelbarrow in was asking for trouble
Real characters you can't help but like pigs
Yes very likeable ! Shame margins so damn tight but I’m used to that with suckler cows 😂 if my calculator is right a little monthly income will make a change from risking all anualy with suckled calves .
 

SteveHants

Member
Livestock Farmer
That's correct, a stress gene, known as the "halothane gene" as carriers also had an adverse reaction to halothane gas, and that was used to test for the gene in breeding stock. Often they would die when being loaded. Thankfully most genetic companies bred the gene out in the 1990's.
Yeah, I was going to say - any commercial "synthetic" Pietrain shouldn't carry that gene these days.
 

Pigken

Member
Location
Co. Durham
IMG_20200316_101952.jpg
 

SteveHants

Member
Livestock Farmer
We breed, finish and retail a few pigs here, and have tried a few different breeds and crosses. Conformationally , Pietrains can't be beaten, but they have a tendency to be too lean, and very highly strung. In my experience, 50% Pietrain blood is more than enough. Currently using a Duroc boar, and am very happy with the progeny.

When I was working for PIC we had taste tests for our contract to supply waitrose farms and Duroc came out on top every time.
They still went for Berkshire in the end, because they felt it was a more appropriately named breed for what they were doing. Awful pigs in a commercial sense, overfat, lazy boars, tiny carcases once the fat was trimmed.....
 

Hilly

Member
When I was working for PIC we had taste tests for our contract to supply waitrose farms and Duroc came out on top every time.
They still went for Berkshire in the end, because they felt it was a more appropriately named breed for what they were doing. Awful pigs in a commercial sense, overfat, lazy boars, tiny carcases once the fat was trimmed.....
In 1 minutes time I’m about to taste saddle back x pietrain for the first time , the bacon is out the grill now .... 😂
 
When I was working for PIC we had taste tests for our contract to supply waitrose farms and Duroc came out on top every time.
They still went for Berkshire in the end, because they felt it was a more appropriately named breed for what they were doing. Awful pigs in a commercial sense, overfat, lazy boars, tiny carcases once the fat was trimmed.....
Ffs, you had to go and mention barstewarding Berkshires, didn't you??? My nightmares about those midgety fat fecks had almost gone away too :(:)
 
When I was working for PIC we had taste tests for our contract to supply waitrose farms and Duroc came out on top every time.
They still went for Berkshire in the end, because they felt it was a more appropriately named breed for what they were doing. Awful pigs in a commercial sense, overfat, lazy boars, tiny carcases once the fat was trimmed.....

That Waitrose deal with Berkshires is all finished now.
I once had a contract with a local abattoir for 80 berkshire x per week. It was definitely the best pork that i've ever tasted but probably the worst pigs that i've ever dealt with but the price was pretty good. As PIC couldn't supply the semen owing to exclusivity for the Waitrose deal I had to get ordinary rare breed Berkshire semen from Northern Ireland. The PIC Berkshire would have been from the more improved USA strains.
 

SteveHants

Member
Livestock Farmer
That Waitrose deal with Berkshires is all finished now.
I once had a contract with a local abattoir for 80 berkshire x per week. It was definitely the best pork that i've ever tasted but probably the worst pigs that i've ever dealt with but the price was pretty good. As PIC couldn't supply the semen owing to exclusivity for the Waitrose deal I had to get ordinary rare breed Berkshire semen from Northern Ireland. The PIC Berkshire would have been from the more improved USA strains.
"improved"..... :ROFLMAO:
 

Pigken

Member
Location
Co. Durham
Oh FFS!

What is wrong with people

Perfectly good and tasty bacon and you suggest blathering it with sauce

If you want your meet to only taste of sauce you might as well eat chicken

Just sayin:rolleyes:


Knew some one would moan at that but at least its a Yorkshire person. Did I say cover it in sauce or other condiments. Personal taste personal preference. I find a little red adds to taste often and brings other flavours out but we are all different with different taste buds.
And thanks for the reminding me about chicken, not a meat that my palate enjoys but each to their own. Suppose people could say same about pigs reared indoors!!!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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    Votes: 79 42.0%
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    Votes: 30 16.0%
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    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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