It has been some time since we had pigs and now that we have had a year off growing anything in the garden it was the perfect time to get in some little helpers We went for 3 kune kune gilts 4 mth old - we have been looking for some for a while and these were worth the extra due to how they have been raised We paid £100 for all 3 and then decided to make the run - slightly back to front but thats how we seam to work !! The house was already there [ the old block built aquaponics shed] so we needed to make a secure run for while we are at work We decided on using pallets for the main part and stock net for the rest - the run is 60ft long and 27ft wide luckily i had enough for this and some spare Inside this we have fitted stock netting and a single electric fence wire along the bottom - to get them trained to the electric and also prevent them pushing the lower side of the fence - [still it looks like i need to add another line of wire 12'' up as well ] For a feeder we had a concrete plant trough and for the water we had a concrete cattle trough [ never moving that again ] Allot of people think the cost of feeding the pigs is where the idea falls but with some thaught this can be done realy cheaply At the moment feed costs are low - rearer and sow nuts are £5.26 per 25kg but also there is the free stuff we have currently got crushed - apple left overs coming in from the local cider circle and have been guaranteed this until they run out - we have 6 20gk bags of this already and more to come for free Along side this we have the grass and overgrowth of the garden and cuttings and we have access to masses of windfall apples and brocoli tops - seeded veg plants from the local area and some fruit and veg from local greengrocers So total feed costs will be approx £5 per week at most and the main reason we have gone for this breed is that they are a grazing pig and really do not need the processed feed as much as the larger breeds So the plan is to fatten the 2 brown gilts and to breed of the spotted gilt - just need to find a boar or loan a boar for later on All we have to do now is to sort the area near to the water trough i am going to slab out or deck out to allow the spillage from the water to drain under the standing area just out side there house and around the feeding area and not end up in a muddy bog They are cute but also apparently they are one of the tastiest breeds as well - only time and apples will tell Total build time - 1 day Total build cost -£12 | |
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Authorrenovating a 1.5 acre small holding on a shoestring budget learning on the job and smiling all the way Archives
October 2015
www.p2s-prepared2survive.co.uk |