Tamworth Piglets!

[MaineHighlands]

We got five purebred Tamworth piglets yesterday (in the pouring rain ). We will raise up two or three of them for our family for meat, and sell the rest. We love this breed - they are long and lean and make the BEST BACON!
We settled them into their stall in the barn where they will be for a few weeks - until it is more consistantly warm here, then they will go out into their pen.
This group seems particularly smart - they had already figured out the nipple waterer by last evening!

 

[Royd Wood]

Yes very good bacon

 

[that's*satyrical]

We are getting a breeding pair of Tamworths next weekend. What do we need for them? We have an electric fence set up for them & their own foraging area. I saw you said something about a nipple feeder? Do we need this for piggies born early March or will a water tub work? Any advice is great

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Congratulations! Sounds like you have a great game plan!

 

[MaineHighlands]

We like the nipple waterer because it eliminates having to haul water. DH rigged up a 55 gal drum (white to keep water cooler) to a short hose to a pipe with a nipple waterer on the end. We fill the drum every so often and it gravity feeds the nipple waterer for the pigs. We don't have to keep the water faucet turned on with a long hose attached (so no worries there), and we don't have to haul water and the pigs get clean water to drink.

They are adjusting very well to their new surroundings - we are in for a week of rainy cool weather so I am glad they are in the barn, nice and snug and warm! We will probably turn them out into their pen mid-June.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Pics!?!?!?

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

We like the nipple waterer because it eliminates having to haul water. DH rigged up a 55 gal drum (white to keep water cooler) to a short hose to a pipe with a nipple waterer on the end. We fill the drum every so often and it gravity feeds the nipple waterer for the pigs. We don't have to keep the water faucet turned on with a long hose attached (so no worries there), and we don't have to haul water and the pigs get clean water to drink.

They are adjusting very well to their new surroundings - we are in for a week of rainy cool weather so I am glad they are in the barn, nice and snug and warm! We will probably turn them out into their pen mid-June.

Sounds like what we have done and it works like a dream!

 

[Cornish Heritage]

We have never used Nipple waterers but unless they were firmly routed in place I think ours would tear them out. Pigs can be quite mischievous A rubber bowl will work just fine. Ours either have ponds or rubber bowls.

When you bring your piglets home PLEASE make sure you put them in an area that they cannot escape from . They will be scared to death & someone just posted that they brought 3 piglets home only to have them run through the electric netting & they are gone! That is a very frustrating mistake. They need at least 2-3 days inside an enclosed area with electric wire around the inside to train them. From there, put them all out together in the pasture behind the netting putting them beside their food bowl. If you do it too soon they will panic run right through the electric fence & be gone.

The piglets need time to adjust to their new surroundings & you.

Enjoy those piggies,

Liz

 

[Royd Wood]

We are getting a breeding pair of Tamworths next weekend. What do we need for them? We have an electric fence set up for them & their own foraging area. I saw you said something about a nipple feeder? Do we need this for piggies born early March or will a water tub work? Any advice is great

I do like Tams but my 3 Tams are so much noisier than my Large Blacks and root worse than LBs but not as bad as my Hampshires did - yes DID not do
Thats Satyrical - If you could start a Tamworth post with pics on arrival that would be cool. Great choice of heritage pork and the tams wont let you down

 

[Cornish Heritage]

Great choice of heritage pork and the tams wont let you down

Do you do the LB/Tam cross Royd? I understand that "Blackworths" make a really nice cross? We have never had Tams so have no experience here with them but there is a farm in TX who do Blackworths & they really like them.

I have heard that the Tams are more highly strung than the LB's but then the LB's are SO laid back it would be hard to find a pig that could beat them on that.

Liz