Meet my pigs.

[borderterribles]

So it would be quite safe to have pure pietrain s ?

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.

 

[Pigken]

Finished a few pure pietrains recently, as others say a little to lean for home kill but very tasty meat. Consistent throughout the carcass, largest boar about 125 kg live and still lean but finished. When mentioned breed to a former Newcastle University student from the 1960 s, he remembers them having the first import of pietrains to cockle Park. But says no one was allowed near them as they were very nervous and bad for just dropping dead with stress.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

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.

Duroc is a very good terminal sire.

 

[Woolless]

Duroc is a very good terminal site.

And suitable for outdoor systems, IIRC? A good cross on a native breed sow?

 

[borderterribles]

And suitable for outdoor systems, IIRC? A good cross on a native breed sow?

Durocs are eminently suitable, I would think. A good coat without being woolly, and being red to chocolate brown they don't seem susceptible to suburn either. Good conformation without being extreme and a big plus for me , they are generally placid.
The only drawback that I could see with them would be if you wanted to sell them in a market at any point. It makes no odds to me, as they're ALL pink when they get delivered back here anyway, but out of our crossbred Sows, the piglets (as my Missus puts it) tend to resemble the results of a good night out in Bristol .
Pietrain and their crosses seem to have overcome the longstanding prejudice against coloured pigs in the markets. Other breeds, not so much?

 

[Henarar]

Durocs are eminently suitable, I would think. A good coat without being woolly, and being red to chocolate brown they don't seem susceptible to suburn either. Good conformation without being extreme and a big plus for me , they are generally placid.
The only drawback that I could see with them would be if you wanted to sell them in a market at any point. It makes no odds to me, as they're ALL pink when they get delivered back here anyway, but out of our crossbred Sows, the piglets (as my Missus puts it) tend to resemble the results of a good night out in Bristol .
Pietrain and their crosses seem to have overcome the longstanding prejudice against coloured pigs in the markets. Other breeds, not so much?

Mate get some coloured ones and some white, he sells the white ones at market and does the coloured ones for the freezer, it can make a fair difference at market

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Most of the genetics companies have developed "white duroc" lines for use in damlines, which means that any terminal sire line can be used without colour being a problem in the progeny.
Myself, i'm phasing out damlines that use duroc of any sort in favour of a large white/ landrace cross just like the indoor commercial boys use as its those lines where that genetic progress is being made. If they can thrive like I've seen on an outdoor unit on top of a hill at Berwick on Tweed they can thrive anywhere.

 

[Woolless]

Most of the genetics companies have developed "white duroc" lines for use in damlines, which means that any terminal sire line can be used without colour being a problem in the progeny.
Myself, i'm phasing out damlines that use duroc of any sort in favour of a large white/ landrace cross just like the indoor commercial boys use as its those lines where that genetic progress is being made. If they can thrive like I've seen on an outdoor unit on top of a hill at Berwick on Tweed they can thrive anywhere.

So you don't think that there needs to be too much difference between the genetics used for indoor and outdoor?

 

[Suffolk Serf]

So you don't think that there needs to be too much difference between the genetics used for indoor and outdoor?

For years we thought that. So far we have found the JSR/Topigs Norsvin lines that we use very well suited. They are excellent mothers, with a kind temprement and very prolific. We have upped the spec. of the diets that we feed and they are outperforming the sows of our duroc/landrace cross.

 

[KennyO]

@Hilly This popped up on facebook and I thought it might interest you.

 

[Hilly]

@Hilly This popped up on facebook and I thought it might interest you.
View attachment 935369

Thanks , I did intend to attend the last sale but it was cancled due to Covid , I will try and get to this one though.

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

Reading through this thread i find myself wishing i had a few hobby pigs instead.

Then the markets will move back in my favour and i'll wonder why we didnt expand more.

 

[Hilly]

Reading through this thread i find myself wishing i had a few hobby pigs instead.

Then the markets will move back in my favour and i'll wonder why we didnt expand more.

So you have a lot of pigs now ?

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

Yes, 4 finishing sites plus a (large) breeding site all indoors mainly slatted with 8-9 people exclusively on pigs

 

[Hilly]

Me and a friend sold three to a butcher last week , got 2.30 kilo on hook is that good or bad ?

 

[borderterribles]

Me and a friend sold three to a butcher last week , got 2.30 kilo on hook is that good or bad ?

The answer to your question would depend on the weight and to a lesser extent, were they collected, alive from you, or did it involve some running about?

 

[Hilly]

The answer to your question would depend on the weight and to a lesser extent, were they collected, alive from you, or did it involve some running about?

We delivers them 40 something miles no other option their , 9o kilo on hook .

 

[borderterribles]

Well, dependent on how you value the delivery, I'd say that looks like a good price. A fair bit more than they'd come to in a market, currently. I have some friends who have a few weaners from me on a one for one deal. I give them two weaners and they finish them. Then they take them to slaughter and they are delivered back here. If they want one cutting up for their own use, we do that, which they pay at cost for, and we have the other one. If they don't require meat, then I have both pigs and pay them £200 for their one pig. I pay the abattoir costs.

 

[Hilly]

Well, dependent on how you value the delivery, I'd say that looks like a good price. A fair bit more than they'd come to in a market, currently. I have some friends who have a few weaners from me on a one for one deal. I give them two weaners and they finish them. Then they take them to slaughter and they are delivered back here. If they want one cutting up for their own use, we do that, which they pay at cost for, and we have the other one. If they don't require meat, then I have both pigs and pay them £200 for their one pig. I pay the abattoir costs.

For me three is a waste of time to be honest but if I can build up to ten a week it will become worth my while doing but have to start somewhere .

 

[borderterribles]

For me three is a waste of time to be honest but if I can build up to ten a week it will become worth my while doing but have to start somewhere .

You'll need a few about you to finish ten every week at those weights. Suppose it depends how big they are when you get them.