Piggies

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download by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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Sell it, all work done by a local butcher. Looking to build a kitchen areas in one of our barns so I can do the sausage making myself rather than have the butcher do it, will see how much that will cost though.

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I walked them in thanks, I am happy knowing where my food comes from and how it was raised.

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Yazza54 said:

Can't get my head around how you can do this.

I am a meat eater and an animal lover, so not going all woke on you, I just can't imagine looking after an animal myself then sending it for slaughter and eating it.

Why do you eat meat then? As most people are, you are detached from where your food comes from. I know I let someone else do the final deed, but only as I am not suitably qualified to do so, I led the pigs into the pen where the deed was done.

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BoggoStump said:

You can't be both.

Why not? I just accept we are apex in the food chain. ANY food a human consumes is the result of death, just because insects aren't fluffy veggies think they don't count. But growing veg means death for little critters.

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Bacon is planned, just waiting for salts to arrive, and plan to build a smoker over xmas break. Our orchard is due a big prune this winter so will chip the apple wood and do apple wood smoked bacon.

Edited by scrw. on Tuesday 13th December 19:16

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I am certainly more attached to Cagney & Lacey than I was the other 2, knowing their ultimate fate I didn't get too friendly with them. They weren't treated differently at all, I just knew from day 1 where they would end up.

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Cagney grabbing some lunch

20230103_134850 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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Cagney & Lacy seeing some weather they were bred for today.

326126109_695236622250823_1423603198475284222_n by Old_Chad, on Flickr


The herd is expanding next month, have 6 pedigree Oxford Sandy & Blacks arriving around the end of Feb (2 x 3months, 2 x 6months & 2 x 13months old). I was looking at getting some cattle in but pigs are much easier. Cagney and one of the new OSB's will be off on an 18-30 holiday may-ish to a local farm that has an OSB boar.

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I said apex in the food chain, saying fight a creature that is bigger than me and armed with a couple of 4" knives in its mouth is just stupid, although going back a few thousand years we would have been doing it otherwise we wouldn't be here now. I eat meat, I look after the animals, the abattoir is very good and the animals were not stressed or struggling at their end. People who don't eat meat do not seem to understand their food choices involve death on a huge scale of insects/small mammals (unless they grow their own food) but because they don't eat them as the end product that is okay with them. I am happy to defend eating my piggies, and feel less guilt than eating meat off a supermarket shelf as I have no idea if they were as well looked after as mine.

Anyway, more piggie photos in 3 weeks when the OSBs arrive.

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Lots to do this week on the piggie pens, a bit behind due to doing hedge cutting with any spare time I have (piggies & my orchard are just a hobby gone mad, I have a day job too). Current plan is to stick the new batch into the pen next to C&L to see how they get on, if I was getting just yearlings I would put them in together and just be on hand to sort out the worst of it while they get the pecking order sorted. Given 4 of the new ones would really come off second best I am going to keep them apart. However last time I tried to keep C&L away from a pair of new pigs (the fattening ones arrived a month later than C&L), they decided they wanted to be in the same pen, I was only using electric fences back then without the wire netting and Cagney figured out if you run through it fast enough she didn't get a zap.

On the house front, I currently have 2 arks, and will need 2 more for farrowing this year. For sad peeps like me I find myself drooling at piggie house kit and how I can justify them to my accountant & the wife http://contentedproducts.co.uk/ Soon adds up, farrowing arks come in at £700ish, then I am tempted by some of the plastic fencing to allow me some more flexibility on the pens, 15 of them is £1200. Is a lot of sausages to sell as my accountant keeps telling me!

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the 6 OSB's landed this afternoon!

Snipaste_2023-02-20_18-21-54 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

11 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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33 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

They are 2 at 10 weeks old, 2 at 7 months old and 2 at 14 months old. Cagney & Lacy were interested but not that bothered really, unsure how to integrate them into 1 pen as that will be the plan eventually. Certainly Cagney & 1 of the older OSBs need to be pen mates in a couple of months ready for a boar visit for ~ a month. Of the weaners 1 is a fair bit smaller than its litter mate, will have to keep an eye on her to make sure she gets enough food, will get a few more troughs tomorrow so we can separate at feeding time. Little-un has really nice OSB markings though, will try and get more photos over the next few days once they are settled in and used to me.

Edited by scrw. on Monday 20th February 18:36

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All piggies settled in now and pecking order sorted. Up to 3 troughs as they don't share 2 very well. Looking to move to an adlib feeder so they can eat when they want, takes the stress out of feeding time, Cagney & Lacy aren't like these at feed time, they share together okay. Decided to knock together a new ark too, my green ones will be a squeeze when all the pigs are up to size. My green ones at 8ftx6ft, my home effort is 8x8. To buy a green one in the 8x8 size with delivery is £950, managed to throw one together for just under £400. Not as pretty I know but its not £550 ugly either!

2023-02-20_09-51-21 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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Pecking order is now fixed, feed time is quite calm unless Piglet tries to eat from Bigpig's trough LOL.

20230302_124843 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

The Manga's definitely do more damage with their longer snouts, OSBs are easier on the ground.

2 Manga's rooting for 2 weeks (under to oak trees looking for acorns
20230302_124746 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

6 OSB's along the same bit of hedge for a week and 1/2
20230302_124716 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Just had the details through for the pedigree of them, I was expecting 2 registered on the herd book and the rest just notified births, turns out they are all registered so 1 that was heading for the freezer in 3 moths has had a reprieve!

It has thrown out my breeding and sausage plan for the year now, I was planning to have 2 litters from an OSB boar from Cagney & 1 of the OSB's. Cagney's will be slower finishing, so may do 3 litters now, 2 OSB and 1 Manga cross.

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20230304_105344 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

20230304_105258 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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They only stay still while eating or snoozing in the sun (which is rare at the moment)

20230307_123410 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

20230304_105212 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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Definitely friendly, new pigs are a bit more cautious, but like a head and ear scratch. Cagney & Lacy are overly friendly, have to be careful when in with them as they are 100kg+ and can easily bowl you over when they run up for scratches, both like ear and belly scratches. But I am 100% sure if I fell over & sparked out in the pens with C&L I would come out with a limb chewed off! LOL The OSBs are a bit more domesticated and further from their wild boar roots, think it would take a bit longer before I was on the menu with them. I keep them well fed, a hungry pig is a hangry pig!

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Snow day

2023-03-09_02-11-04 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

2023-03-09_02-11-35 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

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Update, the OSB's are doing really well, organising a visit from a boar over in north Wales for a month or so after easter, need to introduce Cagney & Lacey to the oldest 2 OSBs as they will need to be penned together with the boar for some time. Managed to remember to get a photo of each of the girls today mainly for my records, the 2 little ones have really put on some weight since they arrived.

Bigpig
20230328_160632 by Old_Chad, on Flickr


Greta
20230328_160642 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Gerry
20230328_160704 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Trouble
20230328_160651 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

the pig with no name
20230328_160735 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Piglet
20230328_160740 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

And one of Cagney & Lacey in peak fluff, will start shedding soon
20230328_160845 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Edited by scrw. on Friday 12th May 23:34

Edited by scrw. on Friday 12th May 23:35

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The OSBs do like a brush

20230402_124829 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Adlib feeder has arrived, they seem most happy with it, need to go and stock up on food now, and depress myself when I find out how much it costs to fill it LOL

20230404_132944 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

20230404_132959 by Old_Chad, on Flickr