Any Pig farmers/keepers on here?

[FW]

I know, very distant from anything farm model related, but was just interested. The reason I ask is because Pig Keeping has become a new hobby of mine, to run parallel in the long term with my beef and Lamb business, marketed for the freezer.

  After and before work this summer I (with the help of some mates) have fenced off most of the woodland on the farm, to hold various rare breed sows, piglets and weaners with the intent to fatten, slaughter and market as rare breed and free range pork. I know this sounds all very family to a certain well known television series on here, however by keeping it small with little overheads, I cannot see how it could fail, as my only regular overhead will be to feed the sows and weaners, which is very helpful having a friends family running a farm shop as they can supply me with the correct feeds at a fraction of a cost of anyway else, to include all of their fruit and veg seconds.

  I have started by purchasing a number of Saddleback guilt's and sows which I aim to put back tomething a little more hefty such as a GOS of a white.

  Anyway, back on topic and back to my question of whether or not their are any pig farmers on here of whom I could possibly ask for some guidance than that would be superb. I'm also willing to share some of it all so far if anyones interest and I apologise in advance if reading this was of no interest or relevance to you.

Thanks, Will ;)

[Tractorman810]

never did pigs on a small scale free range to be honest will so prob couldnt help like that, we were more barn fatting of them near the end, pretty simple feed clean and move on at the right weight, did used to bread our own till the late 80's mind 

[NIGEL FORD]

I got my pig  husbandry proficiency test about 35 yrs ago, including clipping their teeth at a few days old and castrating the males  a week or two (?) later....lovely on toast for tea that night 

Cathy's parents had a lot when she was much younger (before I met her in '77)... pigs that is, not the aforementioned on toast. 

[margerisons]

We got pigs heres a link to some pics of ours.we keep them in a closed pen year round to fatten them.We also got sow units with our sow herd of 1,000 and a finisher barn for the pigs ready to be butchered.

Here you go 

http://www.farmtoysforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=23188.0

[schw84]

You’ll probably make more money off one rare bread than a trailer load of normal ones. Jimmy's farm kill at the same slaughterhouse as us and you often see a load of rubbish looking pigs get off the trailer, and think how can anyone make money, but they make a killing.

Just so I'm not completely knocking them, the pigs coming from Jimmy's have got a little better lately if still a little scrappy, but I think they have changed herdsmen so that might be why.

Moral of storey with pigs don't bother they are for people whose favorite past time is losing money.

Pigs can keep themselves they dont need much attention just food (and shed loads of it)

[Graeme]

Try this site Will.

http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&ai=BS9MJ9yS_SLiwDonE0wTXxPHxAamgjS6v8JQEsJCdCdCGAxACGAIgtlQoAzAAOABQvrfLkP7_____AWC77peD0ArIAQGAAgGpAqX5oHSUzb0-2QOn9FODcjmsYeADCA&num=2&sig=AGiWqtxQZBx2rLsJ9qGW8O4CAsiKm6tnnw&q=http://www.pigparadise.com

[Light Land]

You’ll probably make more money off one rare bread than a trailer load of normal ones. Jimmy's farm kill at the same slaughterhouse as us and you often see a load of rubbish looking pigs get off the trailer, and think how can anyone make money, but they make a killing.

Just so I'm not completely knocking them, the pigs coming from Jimmy's have got a little better lately if still a little scrappy, but I think they have changed herdsmen so that might be why.

Moral of storey with pigs don't bother they are for people whose favorite past time is losing money.

Pigs can keep themselves they dont need much attention just food (and shed loads of it)

I think the guy has a 4 leaf clover tat on his bum as he seems to wing his way through farming. :