Comments on: A champion boar at last, but…

By: Chris - Aberdeeenshire

Chris - Aberdeeenshire — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:24:50 +0000

Thanks. Interested on both counts as will likely be late next year before I have more areas fenced. Is it OK to put weaners in with the 9 month gilt, or will she squash them? I did not know about cross breeding fertility, thats interesting. I will come up with a plan over xmas.

By: stonehead

stonehead — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:45:07 +0000

We have 11 four-week-old weaners at the moment (six gilts, five boars) that will be available in four to six weeks time.

We also have two sows that are in pig and due around mid-November, while our new sow (which we’re still waiting to collect) should farrow somewhere around mid to late December. She’ll have boars from a different line to your gilts so we hope to keep one of those as a stud boar - but that means about a 15-month wait.

You’d be better off putting your breeding gilt to a good boar from another breed (Tamworth/Berkshire works well) and having a cross-breed litter first. That will keep your gilt fertile as you need to put them to the boar for the first time between nine months (early in my view) and 14 months (as late I’d leave it).

By: Chris - Aberdeeenshire

Chris - Aberdeeenshire — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:20:33 +0000

So did you go for the gilt in-pig? We’ve still go our two, which are doing well thanks. I am going to wait until I get another couple of pigs in before sending our first non-pedigree to slaughter. I’m not in a rush, as weve just had a new arrival of our own and are busy busy, but will you have weaners over winter/spring? and will you be doing rent-a-boar?

By: Angela

Angela — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:44:10 +0000

That’s great news - a middle way - and you never know, the offspring might turn out even better than their Daddy…..

By: stonehead

stonehead — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:18:10 +0000

To take on a second boar would mean having two boar enclosures on opposite sides of the croft - one on either side of the ridge - so they don’t challenge each other. And that means spending money on housing, fencing, water supply and a windbreak.

A gilt (or two) on the other hand can easily be incorporated into our existing arrangement where we have a of female or two in with the boar, one off farrowing, one dry and being fed up for serving again, and a couple of weaners/growers developing into porkers.

Graham and Linda will sell us the gilt with her in-pig to the boar for a little extra cash. That means we have a chance at a good quality boar from her offspring that we can breed from in 12 months or so, giving us time to find time and money for extra housing and fencing.

Of course, it’s not the same as having a boar that can be advertised as proven show winner and an established stud animal. It’s better than nothing, though!

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:02:10 +0000

could you just take the boar not the gilt, or would they do RentaBoar for a while?? it seems such a shame not to have a great bloodline to give Graham a run for his money and keep him on his trotters?