Gilts

[Kenneth Flippen]

I bought 2 tamworth/berkshire gilts this past week they are 9wks old and about 50# I plan to breed them once maybe twice before making sausage and need all the help I can get on how to care/feed them, for this venture. they are in a barn stall right now they were born/raised on pature up until week before last when he caught them up and wormed them I will be running an extra wire on my fence and will pasture them as well. as long as I don't have any problems thay are used to electric thats what the guy had them in.

Kenneth Flippen

also I have loose goat minerals Purina and Manna Pro is this siutable for pigs I have never seen pig minerals around here but I have never looked either what about Red Cell?

 

[freemotion]

I have been amazed at how much my two pigs get from their pasture and turn up their noses at purchased feed. I just read an article online last night on pigs eating dirt....actually eating it...and how the babies don't get scours, the pigs aren't unthrifty, and the mortality rate is virtually nil. It must be good, clean pasture soil and not an area that was chemically fertilized or treated.

I'm not saying to fill their feed troughs with dirt... But that keeping pigs on pasture changes their requirements. Six months later, I'm much more relaxed about what they need. Most books and articles available describe the needs of pigs in confinement, usually on cement. Be sure to do your research on "pastured pigs."

 

[Bossroo]

1). Keep all city folk, especially all kids out of that pasture. 2) make sure to keep your farm LIABILITY insurance up to date and paid up. ( I was attacked and mauled by one of my uncle's pasture pigs when I was 9 years old as I walked into the pasture to retreive a baseball, NOT fun at all)

 

[Kenneth Flippen]

thanks for the replies

I haven't done it yet but there will be a enter the farm at your own risk/not responsible for accidents sign posted

my pasture has no been chemicaly treated or fertilized in atleast 15 maybe 20 yrs I know of probably not ever but the last 5-7 yrs with out horses the weeds seem to have taken over the grass I've had goats on it the past 2 years and the majority of the weeds growing now the goats won't eat the past summer was unusually hot and fairly dry the grass is no 95+% gone. I have bush hogged it. I had plans to spray and resow. but I'm gonna give the pigs till about march to turn it over before I resow with hopes of not having to spray

Kenneth Flippen

 

[freemotion]

Don't spray! For goodness sakes, don't spray!!!!! AAHHHH!

Read up on Joel Salatin and sustainable methods. I am amazed at the improvement in my soil and pasture by running different critters through the fields. And adding compost, compost, and more compost. With goats, I WANT weeds to grow, and now my pasture wants to grow grass! It was a field of tall weeds and edged with brush when I wanted a horse pasture. Now it is a very valuable horse pasture, should I ever want/need to sell. Harrumph.

 

[Kenneth Flippen]

theres really just one weed that took over I also have a donkey in with the goats he eats more of a variety than they do pig weed is like a candy to him he'll go through great legnths to get it I should have taken a picture of it before bush hogging because I have no idea what it is but the goats and donkey wouldn't touch it it had a very woody stalk and stems tough also the weedeater wouldn't touch it on the fence line it would wear the string out had an unpleasant smell when bush hogging spraying I don't want to do I like my goats milk and sure don't want to eat pork full of chemicals I'm planning to double the size of my pasture over the winter into early spring if I have no choice but to spray there won't be any livestock on it for a while I'll keep them off anyway till the grass I sow gets a good start


Kenneth Flippen

 

[Bossroo]

Check with your lawyer first, then your farm isnurance ... that sign of enter at your own risk will not do you much good in a court of law. Or your families' and friends' good humor and relations over an injured child. I had the mispleasure of this even when my uncle paid for my medical bills ( I almost whent over the rainbow bridge) but the families never could have any pleasant thaughts about each other.

 

[TheSheepGirl]

Pigs that are accustomed to people moving in and out of the pasture will rarely be agressive pigs. If you have good interaction with them they will do just fine, especially since they are still fairly young. No Farm Insurance Needed!

Are they really agressive pigs?

 

[Kenneth Flippen]

sorry it took so long to reply haven't checked this thread in a while

Pigs that are accustomed to people moving in and out of the pasture will rarely be agressive pigs. If you have good interaction with them they will do just fine, especially since they are still fairly young. No Farm Insurance Needed!

Are they really agressive pigs?

Pigs are no more dangerous than any other farm animal in my opinion although if they wanted to a mature pig 600# plus could do some damage. I was raised around pigs and thought I would try it myself. they are pets I went back and purchased to barrows since this post and hope to put them in the freezer the middle of Feb. the 2 gilts are 80-90# now and the barrows over 100# growing really well as of right now there is a guy at the county extension office who helps with AI on farm animals and I plan to AI them late spring at 300# plus

Kenneth Flippen

ETA: I loved riding them as a child and did till I was in my teens and then I got in trouble for being to big it can be a pretty wild ride

 

[Jenifer Kraus]

I have Red Wattles and I have not had them get aggressive with me yet. But they do get a feed as well as pasture. I went in with Bertha the morning after she had her piglets , all 11 of them and she didn't mind if we were in there with her. My Boar is very gentle to but don't let my young son in there unless we are there. Lucas does him sweet potatoes every day .