Members of the British Pig
Association and the Gloucestershire Old Spots Breed
Society.
CHECK LIST (
as responsible pig owners we want you to enjoy keeping
Gloucester Old Spot pigs and offer this basic checklist
to all prospective purchasers )
Do you have sufficient land
to keep pigs? Do you
have a holding number and a herd number?
Are you prepared for the cost of keeping pigs
such as housing, bedding, feed, feed troughs, water
troughs, essential fencing and most of all your
time? If you intend
to purchase breeding stock do you have a market for
possibly 10-20 weaner's from 2 sows or gilts?
Do you have basic husbandry skills or know where
you can go to get support?
Why not tale a look at the Gloucester Old Spot
Breeders forum. Ask questions, take a look at questions
already asked or just take a look around the website
www.oldspot.org.uk
Please contact us for any further information
you may require:
Telephone: 01840 250261
email:
gospigs@yahoo.co.uk
|
Starting your own Herd :
The cottager’s pig was a common
sight right up until the 1960’s. This practice virtually
disappeared until recently and is now undergoing a
revival as people have become more aware of the origins
and quality of their food.
Keeping your own pigs is a big
commitment in terms of time and money but can offer
substantial rewards and enjoyment. Whether you are
considering keeping Gloucester Old Spot pigs for
breeding or for pork the benefits are numerous. Gos
weaners for pork offer the
prospect of enjoying ‘old fashioned’ pork with crunchy
crackling along with its own distinctive taste. Gos gilt
weaners will offer hours of enjoyment as they grow ready
to go to the boar for breeding. The GOS breed of pig is
known for its easy manageable calm temperament.
GOS pigs usually respond well to their
owner’s attention if treated with respect and kindness.
They are social intelligent animals that enjoy being
kept in a herd and initially keeping two pigs would
satisfy their need for companionship.
A couple of weaners for fattening
need a relatively small piece of land, sectioned off
with electric fencing for rotation purposes, a constant
supply of water, shelter with bedding and a good quality
feed twice a day. It is no longer legal to feed kitchen
waste to pigs although alternative feeds are available
which will help to keep costs down. For more information
see the British Pig Association website. The cost of
feed has risen dramatically recently but raising your
own livestock is still a viable option. It is not
necessarily the cheaper option to self sufficiency but
you determine the quality of life your pigs lead, the
food that they eat and their overall welfare.
A finished pig should ideally weigh
45kg plus at died weight depending on a number of
factors such as the breed of pig, how they are fed and
the age at slaughter. Boars (male pigs) should be
slaughtered between 24-26 weeks dependent on size but no
later to avoid boar taint. Gilts (female young pigs) can
be reared longer and in time will make a good size for
pork, bacon, ham and sausages.
There is a certain pride and achievement that comes from rearing your own
pork or rearing breeding stock.
Anyone keeping pigs should have a
holding number and a herd number which can be obtained
from DEFRA.
|
