Comments on: Lame piglet http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/ The trials and tribulations of a modern crofter Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:36:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Sarah http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/#comment-10463 Sarah Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:30:34 +0000 http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/#comment-10463 See, my children laugh when I tell them the classroom is stuffy due to 'pig heat' but now I can point them in this direction and prove it's true! (Does this prove they are pigs? Hmmmm. Some days........!) I should think that if you are bringing on an animal to eat it, it's only considerate to make sure it has a good life whilst growing. See, my children laugh when I tell them the classroom is stuffy due to ‘pig heat’ but now I can point them in this direction and prove it’s true! (Does this prove they are pigs? Hmmmm. Some days……..!) I should think that if you are bringing on an animal to eat it, it’s only considerate to make sure it has a good life whilst growing.

]]> By: stonehead http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/#comment-10401 stonehead Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:20:07 +0000 http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/#comment-10401 I've just come from doing the last nightly check and the piglet is already showing dramatic improvement. She's putting weight on the injured leg again, the swelling is down, and she's enthusiastically pushing her way through the scrum to get at her teat for dinner. She's still limping, but the signs are hopeful. One thing I did notice when I went out was a cloud of condensation billowing out of the pig arc. The temperature is down to about 3C already with a strong breeze blowing so it's fairly cool. But when I popped my head into the arc to check Delilah and the piglets, it was like popping my head into a very warm kitchen. People laugh when I tell them we have pig huts with wooden floors and thick insulation to keep the animals warm, but you can see the benefits on a night like tonight and again in the way the piglets grow much faster than in an uninsulated arc. The sow also maintains condition better. That's all down to the fact that they're not having to expend energy keeping warm and they're much less stressed. And even if you're a pig keeper who doesn't care as much about animal welfare as we do, there are economic benefits as well - a warm adult pig in good condition needs much less feed to maintain that condition while a porker continues to gain weight fast. That means insulated arcs soon pay for themselves. It's good for the pigs' welfare and it's economically sensible - so why don't more people use them? I’ve just come from doing the last nightly check and the piglet is already showing dramatic improvement. She’s putting weight on the injured leg again, the swelling is down, and she’s enthusiastically pushing her way through the scrum to get at her teat for dinner.

She’s still limping, but the signs are hopeful.

One thing I did notice when I went out was a cloud of condensation billowing out of the pig arc. The temperature is down to about 3C already with a strong breeze blowing so it’s fairly cool.

But when I popped my head into the arc to check Delilah and the piglets, it was like popping my head into a very warm kitchen.

People laugh when I tell them we have pig huts with wooden floors and thick insulation to keep the animals warm, but you can see the benefits on a night like tonight and again in the way the piglets grow much faster than in an uninsulated arc. The sow also maintains condition better.

That’s all down to the fact that they’re not having to expend energy keeping warm and they’re much less stressed.

And even if you’re a pig keeper who doesn’t care as much about animal welfare as we do, there are economic benefits as well - a warm adult pig in good condition needs much less feed to maintain that condition while a porker continues to gain weight fast. That means insulated arcs soon pay for themselves.

It’s good for the pigs’ welfare and it’s economically sensible - so why don’t more people use them?

]]> By: Roger Ledger http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/#comment-10400 Roger Ledger Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:46:20 +0000 http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/lame-piglet/#comment-10400 Just to say that i am pleased to learn of the humane way you look after your animals. Many don`t. Good luck to you. Just to say that i am pleased to learn of the humane way you look after your animals. Many don`t.
Good luck to you.

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