Issue 030. South East Times. Page 22
Basic Principles of Rearing and Management of Pigs
Signs of good health:
• A healthy pig is a lively, active
and interested animal
• Good appetite
• Soundness, no limping or signs of
discomfort
• Joining in with ‘the gang’, a pig
on its own in a corner is not a
healthy pig
• Bright, clear eyes, no discharge
• Moist muzzle, no discharge
• Firm droppings
• Good skin condition, no scabs or
continual scratching
• Haired breeds should have
smooth, lustrous coats
• No coughs or sneezes
• Expect your pig to spend 70-80%
of the time lying or sleeping, the
rest of the time they should be
active, exploring or rooting
Establish your daily / weekly / monthly /
yearly routine:
• Visit your pigs at least twice a
day, preferably same time each
day
• Feed & top up drinking water, and
make sure each pig gets its ration
• Do a quick ‘all’s well’ check
• Check fencing, especially electric
fencing which can easily ‘short
out’
• Clean feed troughs and drinkers
• Keep up-to-date with worming
and vaccinations
Care in warm weather
• As the weather gets warmer, make
sure your pigs have shade at all
times – a hot pig is not a happy
pig!
• The white-skinned breeds can also
suffer very badly from sunburn if
they have no shade
• Keep pens and runs clean to deter
flies
• In addition to clean drinking
water (a pig will need up to 10
litres of water per day) try to
provide a ‘wallow’ for your pigs,
omega-3.
not only does this help them keep
• In addition to their pelleted
cool, but the mud also acts as a
ration of feed, pigs will enjoy a
‘sun block’
wide range of fruit and veg to
supplement their diet and provide
• In addition to their pelleted
a bit of culinary interest!
ration of feed, pigs will enjoy a
wide range of fruit and veg to
• Remember, it is illegal to feed any
supplement their diet and provide
kitchen waste to pigs
• Hopefully you’ll have managed
a bit of culinary interest!
• Remember, it is illegal to feed any
to store some APPLES from this
year’s bumper harvest, they will
kitchen waste to pigs
• Pigs are intelligent, playful
be relished by your pigs, but have
animals – so provide them
little food value so ensure they
with safe toys: balls, skittles,
don’t ignore their usual rations in
traffic cones and pipes will all
favour of the apples.
provide hours of fun! Old tyres
• As winter deepens, you can
are popular but may contain
add some cod-liver oil to the
hazardous wire. A broom head
pigs’ ration (no more than half a
fixed to a wall will provide a
teaspoon per day for a young pig)
welcome scratching place.
– this contains the two ‘sunshine’
Care in cold weather
vitamins: A and D.
• Check the pig’s housing and make Feeding in Autumn
• Now autumn is here I’ve
sure it’s completely waterproof,
been asked by a lot of people
a wet pig can quickly become
about whether it is safe to feed
chilled
• Site the entrance to the pig ark (or
ACORNS to pigs. Traditionally,
house) away from the prevailing
in forest areas, pigs are released
wind
into the woods for ‘autumn
pannage’, to eat the various
• You can make a simple ‘porch’ to
autumn nuts. In fact, acorns,
the ark using straw bales to either
whilst being poisonous to
side with a sheet of plywood
ruminants and horses, constitute
lashed on top – this will help keep
a very nutritious addition to the
a dry area at the entrance and help
prevent bedding getting wet
• Pigs will keep warm if they have
a dry, d