Almost time to leave
8 11 2007
Seven of our 11 Berkshire weaners will be collected this weekend, with two more following in a few weeks and two remaining with us to be finished as porkers. They’re growing fast now and are moving to dry feed, ready for their new owners. Much as I enjoy watching them, I’ll be pleased to see them gone as they’re getting through 13.5kg of feed a day.
They were very disappointed this morning when their preferred meal of warm barley and sow roll porridge failed to appear, but they quickly accepted dry rolls instead. After all, it’s what they’ve been getting for the last few evenings anyway.
Two boars will remain with us for a month while their new owners take possession of their land and fence it, but their keep is paid for so that’s a few pounds saved as well. The two gilts that we’re keeping will be kept until they hit 60kg and then go for slaughter.
how old are they now?
and how do you weight a pig? cant imagine it… be interested to know.
How do I weigh a pig? Chop by chop!
Sucklers and small weaners are relatively easy to weigh. Step a on a scales, weigh yourself, catch a piglet, weigh yourself holding the piglet, and subtract the first number from the second.
Finishers through to porkers are also fairly straightforward. We have a measuring tape that you pass around the pig just behind the forelegs and read off the weight. It’s reasonably accurate.
The problematic ones to weigh are the big weaners and porkers. They are hard to catch, much heavier (30-50kg), wriggle and squeal, and don’t hold still for the measuring tape (which isn’t accurate on pigs under 50kg anyway).
Ideally, we’d have a weighing crate - the pigs walk in one end and out the other - but with a good used one costing £250 and new ones more than £500, we’re in for a lot of wriggling and squealing.
ah tape - that is interesting. I guess you get an eye for the right size etc.