Meet my pigs.

[Hilly]

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.

I know lol about 250 I reckon lol will take me a while but I’m going to give it a go

 

[Peter Hitchcock]

I know lol about 250 I reckon lol will take me a while but I’m going to give it a go

How many hectares of ground do you think you would need to finish that amount?

 

[Hilly]

How many hectares of ground do you think you would need to finish that amount?

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 .

 

[Hilly]

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 .

 

[Hilly]

I did have the idea of a big ark hold fifty and feed them daily with sheep snacker, might work might not ? I’m all for trying things .

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

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]

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]

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]

 

[Bill dog]

New mob in this afternoon. All the way from sunny Elgin !

 

[SteveHants]

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]

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 ....

 

[borderterribles]

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

 

[Suffolk Serf]

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.

 

[Pigken]

In 1 minutes time I’m about to taste saddle back x pietrain for the first time , the bacon is out the grill now ....

How was your bacon buttie, red or brown or no sauce and where did you get bacon done. Cheers

 

[SteveHants]

Ffs, you had to go and mention barstewarding Berkshires, didn't you??? My nightmares about those midgety fat fecks had almost gone away too

Imagine trying to get one to jump on a collection dummy......

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

How was your bacon buttie, red or brown or no sauce and where did you get bacon done. Cheers

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

 

[SteveHants]

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".....

 

[Pigken]

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

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!!!

 

[Hilly]

How was your bacon buttie, red or brown or no sauce and where did you get bacon done. Cheers

It’s was delicious , broon only lol loca butcher