Advice - Keeping pigs?

[_Gina_]

I suppose that's why I put it in the "rant and rave" forum

[stify]

I've heard that the British bobbys are well behaved, but havn't got very good personal hygiene.
The French scrub up very well if you wish to "show" them, but have a arrogant air about them in day to day sty living.
If you want my humble opinion, stick with the run of the mill Kiwi "plod". Theyr'e quite well behaved, but sometimes are known to harass the female of the species

wot about some american pigs, to "protect and serve" me some nice bacon

[Guitana]

Be careful they also carry TAZERS!!!!!!

[Nasty]

Friend (who has lots of wild pigs) here that says:

Being in a pen you don't really want more than two as it is quite a limited space for them to move around. The best type when locked up is something like a captain cooker as they don't grow too fast ... don't go kune kune for eatting as they are very fatty ... they are good for Hangi food though ... if you put a ring in the nose will stop digging ... but they still need dirt and a mud wallow to keep cool and keep the ticks off them. They are also social animals which is why more than one.

[bgd]

Kunes make great pets

[avgas]

Kune's are awesome. However it is always better to keep pigs in a paddock. The become quite human then. No shit.
We used to have a pig pen, the pigs in that pen were blood thirsty, angry and forever getting out.
Soon as we put them in a paddock (a small lawn will do) they we quite content with life.
Once they are content you can keep them in a 1 wire (4-6" off the ground) electric fence. Because they are so smart the learn the first time. They even know when its turned off

[_Gina_]

Kunes make great pets

He/she looks beautiful, who couldn't love a face like that???

[chanceyy]

just make sure ya pony does not have a problem with pigs .. some horses hate them with a passion .. one of my old horses grazed at piggery when he was having spell from racing .. killed over 100 piglets & ran through fences ..

my current horses one hates them the other tolerates them .. they will get used to the smell but be prepared

[Grahameeboy]

So that is where Dover, Finn and others are?

Guess it will be good for Sixpack to know what it is like to be a 'Pig' and dealing with shit....always good to get a perspective on things eh?

[scracha]

Hmm... we're getting a couple too so been watching this thread with interest. Old house owner had already put in a pig pen but I hadn't thought about keeping them in a field (sorry..paddock) and using the electric fence.

Just to complete the "lifestyle", a Scottish guy I do websites for has agreed to swap me a banjo for my efforts.

[Mr Merde]

......
Just to complete the "lifestyle", a Scottish guy I do websites for has agreed to swap me a banjo for my efforts.

One of those with 6 strings !! To go with the 6th finger that will eventually appear.


Seriously, tell me more about the pig pen. I've just bought a couple of acres and am also looking to putting a couple or 3 pigs ( bacon, chops and roast)on some of the unused space.

I am a complete newbie to this. Getting used to feeding the chooks in the morning and Sharron does the afternoon/evening feed.

Mr

[Krusti]

If you build a pig pen make sure there is somewhere warm for them. Don't as some folks do expect them to sleep on a concrete floor. Have found with the ones we reared that a concrete floored pen is good. Able to be hosed out daily.

Where they slept we raised this on a wooden floor. Pigs need shade and ad lib water because they do not sweat and have a tendancy to overheat. If you get white ones they also tend to get sunburnt.

Pigs are very clean animals and will allways shit in the same place away from thier food.

They love 'rooting' so a sturdy fence is good. Old corrogated iron makes a strong fence and also acts as a windbreak.

Pigs will chew on anything so concrete food / water bowls are good. They will demolish plastic!

A chain or such like hung above pen is also good for them to play with as they get very bored.

[Goblin]

We let ours out to graze in the orchard every morning and locked them in the concrete pen with a raised wooden floor at night. We had ours ringed so they wouldn't root but the rings sometimes came out. I think that was the worst part of keeping pigs, they scream really loud when being ringed.