May 2022: The GSA program has come a long way since it launch in Mid 2020, this video shows you just how far we have come in spreading the genetic pools of our OSB blood lines in the UK.
Our GSA Journey – May 2022
Author: Kim Brook
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part X
Keeping comfy
If farrowing inside during winter: have heat lamp in creep area, with nice amount of straw. Radio is nice addition too.
If farrowing inside during summer: still have radio, heat lamp to be on day and night for the first 5 days and then reduce for just night time. Heat lamp maybe too much for summer. Perhaps a little night lamp on every night for three weeks just so everybody can see each other.
Farrowing outdoors in winter: ensure you have plastic curtains, arks are facing against the prevailing winds and you may also find that a fender (little fence for the outside of the ark) will be useful to place outside. A suitable farrowing ark size would be 8ft wide by 6ft long. Also to raise the lip of the entrance to the pig ark to prevent any piglets losing their way in the dark and accidentally falling out of the ark.
Farrowing outdoors in summer: same as above you may wish to keep the plastic curtains down to prevent predators until the piglets are say three weeks old.
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part IX
Getting organised
Before your weaners go to new homes you may wish to ready yourself with a couple of things.
A few of days before the weaners leave ensure that you have:-
- filled out the electronic movement licence for England and Wales this will be eAML2. For Scotland this will be ScotEID.
- Ensure copy of movement licence is given to the new keepers on pick up of their weaners.
- Ensure that any tagging or identification is done prior to the day of pick up.
- Worm your pigs
- Have your weaners in an area which is easy to transfer and move when new keepers pick up.
A little advice sheet may be useful showing the date of birth of the weaners, what feed they are currently on and how much you are currently feeding with how much to feed going forward. You may wish to offer some of your feed so the new keepers may integrate it with their feed, which will help settle the tummies. If indeed you are feeding a different compound feed.
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part VIII
Weaning
Moving the sow from the litter is best as the litter will not be stressed and will be left in the area which is familiar to them.
Or
Move sow with litter back inside (where they were born) leave sow with litter inside for a day and then move sow from pen back in field next day. Weaners will be stress free as in familiar area, radio will be on with goodies in trough and your familiar voice will make it all a very calming experience. This method makes it easier when it is time for them to go to their new homes.
Video showing sow and piglets going into the barn ready to be weaned.
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part VII
Finishing for pork
Boars are quicker to finish than gilts (girls) and can be sent off at 26 weeks whereby you would expect to get an average dead weight (dw) of 70Kg. Gilts can be brought on to 9 months and will give you bigger hams.
Those that are producing charcuterie will bring on both boars and gilts to 10 months to 12 months of age.
Please do remember that boars and gilts that have been sold for meat weaners are for meat and not for breeding. If you feel that one of your meat weaners looks as if it is suitable for breeding, please consult the breeder who will gladly come and inspect the pig and confirm its eligibility for breeding purposes.
The Oxford Sandy and Black Breed Standard can be found here
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part VI
Iron
Piglets are born with a reserve of iron that lasts only a few weeks and the sow’s milk is deficient in iron therefore receiving iron is important to the piglets.
Piglets housed in an outdoor environment receive more than enough environmental iron from the earth or plants to meet their needs. Piglets housed indoors on artificial flooring need 2mg of iron in the first week after birth, normally in the first three days. Alternatively, you may throw a sod of turf in the pen until you let them out to roam.
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part IV
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared
Piglets are born with their ears folded back. They will come forward in a couple daysVideo showing piglets sleeping – 5 hours old
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part V
Feeding Regime
The general feeding regime is as follows:
Piglets approximate 1lb of pig pellets per day for every month of their age. Therefore, 2lb of pig pellets at two months of age then 3lb at three months of age and 4lb at four months of age
- Then after four months, 4lb a day should be sufficient, although you may find they can take 5lb a day at five months without putting on too much fat.
- Weaners should ideally be given food with fairly high protein levels (18%).
- Younger pigs need a diet high in amino acids so that they can grow proportionately more muscle tissue, so there should be more lysine in feed for younger pigs.
- After three months you can put the youngsters onto the adult feed that will have lower levels of protein.
Please also remember that we have a podcast from Victoria Phillips who is a leading pig nutritionist. Which was a recorded from our zoom event last year. You can listen to it here
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part III
When first born you may notice that the umbilical cord is constantly catching or pulling on the piglets stomach then at this stage you may cut the cord but please remember to go over the cut with an antibiotic spray. Other than that the cord will shrivel up over the first day.
PIGLET/WEANER – Being prepared Part II
Feed
From day 9 to 10 you will see that the piglets will start to show a little interest in their mothers food. Now is the time to introduce a starter/grower feed together with some fresh clean water.