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Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 4610 Location: Lampeter
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Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46168 Location: yes
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 19 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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I have been a pigman in a past life. And as Ty Gwyn says much more information is essential before any hard information could be given.
16 acres is quite a lot to start up with, if alone and keeping a job going! Remember pigs need feeding twice a day, and having their manure removed daily on most systems. They are a tie, but rewarding creatures. You would need to keep your pigs in a building or invest in electric fencing if you want them to go outside and have a pig hut; they must have shelter to sleep in and be warm! They will plough your ground for you and that includes under the fence and escape-grass is greener etc! Electric fencing and a backup hard "fence" is essential if you are not to be around all day! If you collect the manure it will grow a good crop of potatoes next year. Pig manure is acidic Potatoes grow down to ph4! Of course the ground needs to be fairly flattish for spuds!
You need to get a book to read about it-go to the library and borrow 1 or 2 and have a good read. The ground can always be covered with horses, till you are ready to have the pigs, or decide to keep the pigs indoors. Letting the grazing to horse people could raise capital for the pig enterprise. I do that at home and well worth doing. If the ground is levelish, you can also do as I do, sell the hay as a standing crop. The man I sell it to makes haylage which is ok for horses. It is a semi silage, but as I understand it, it is not fermented. He mows it today, turns it tomorrow and bales it the next day maximum; usually done in 2/3 days total, all into mini round bales and wraps it the same/next day, and carted back to his place the day after that. 3-4 days maximum.
The plus is you wouldn't want to have 16 acres covered in pigs, they could be a valuable aid to fertilizing the ground in readiness for a potato crop for example. Potatoes are a valuable crop for pigs and potentially for you. If all is where it should be, flat ground, drained soil, and arable I would do- 2 years pigs, one year potatoes and 2 years barley, for bulk feed for the pigs, using a contractor for the barley and potatoes. That way the ground doesn't/shouldn't get pig sick; you get an income from the contractor and the barley feeds the pigs! It is not that simple in any way, but I would try! |
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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 4610 Location: Lampeter
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Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 34535 Location: Hereford
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Slim
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 6609 Location: New England (In the US of A)
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46168 Location: yes
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46168 Location: yes
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Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
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Shan
Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 9075 Location: South Wales
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Hairyloon
Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 15425 Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
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Ty Gwyn
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 4610 Location: Lampeter
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