General Chat

Hi Could someone recommend a book or source of info for keeping pigs? Have read a few articles on this and think It might be just right for me/us. Have lived here for about 4 years and the house is almost 'there' so now I want to start on the land. Thanks for any help or advice given Pen x

Yep, I had two pigs, but one has gone to uni now!!

Strangely enough - No. Sorry :-)))

Seriously - my piggies are lovely and almost housetrained. Google Amazon - Practical Pig Keeping Sandra

Hello Pen, Funny you should put this up because I've just read an article called 'Advice for smallholders' in one of my magazines. It's not a very in depth report but it does mention pigs. Would you like me to scan the article and send it to you? Helenxxx

Thanks everyone - Can you tell me the name of the magazine and if the issue is available still please Helen. Cheers Sandra will give that a try. Pen -x-x-

It's the April issue of Country Living. I've just had another look and the bit about pigs is actually very small and makes it all sound very easy! It mentions three old-fashioned breeds which are apparently the hardiest, Saddlebacks, Gloucester Old spots and Tamworths. Helenxxx

Thanks for that Blue - I shall take a look at those sites now -x- Thanks Helen for the reply - When I go into Town I will have a look in WHSmith at the mags...maybe there's a smallholding one, lol.-x- Thanks Foxy - Bacon butties all round and chops, gammon steaks and boiled ham, and sausages !! -x- Pen x

Does the chap on Jimmy's farm have a website - he is the friend of Jamie Oliver who started breeding a rare breed of pigs. Lots of luck, Liz

I have a m-i-l that has four pigs. So heres the warning. They grow to about 18 stone and make a right mess of the grass, when they die you now have to arrange for someone to come and collect them due foot and mouth you can't just bury them in the garden (its not pleasant they put a hook in there mouths and pull them on a kind of tow rope to pull them onto the van). But other than that they are very friendly and good pets. Good Luck - Louise

Thanks again everyone -x- Morning Blue - was hoping to keep one for Pork and one for Bacon. The one needed for pork would be smaller and the one for bacon would need to be fatter - wondering wether 3 might be a better number though to offset the cost and sell on as freezer meat. Wonder what you would have to register on for that though? Also would need to find a licensed slaughterhouse. Going to ring the library and see if they have any books that could help. Cheers Pen x

Just think, you could put their snouts and ears into 'hot dog's yuck. I watched a programme the other night..you are what you eat. One couple ate a lot of hot dogs, well they did till they were shown what goes into them. :(( Marion

Thanks Marion - but no thanks, lol. Everytime I go past one of those hotdog and burger bar stands I cringe at the thought of what's in them. The kids are always asking for hotdogs when we go to Ikea.....and the answer is always No. I did'nt see the programme but I bet it's put loads of people off buying them. -x- Thanks again Blue - I will take a look at that one too. It's really difficult to know where to start. We have about 1and a half acres with an orchard, so they might well go in there. We have good hawthorn hedging and we have post and deer wired the whole blinkin lot, so it's quite enclosed. Many thanks for all your replies -x- Pen x