Table of Contents
Meet the author vi
Only got five minutes? viii
Only gotten minutes? x
Introduction xiv
1 The starting point 1
Why keep pigs? 1
Basic requirements 5
2 Preparation and knowing the rules 13
Basic first steps 13
Can anyone keep a pig? 14
Pigs and other animals 15
How much land do you need? 16
Your first telephone call 18
Your own herd number 19
Marking for movement 20
Movement licences and Movement and Medicine books 21
Special licence for pet pigs 23
Waste food rule 23
'21-day standstill' movement rule 24
Marking for breed registration 25
Breed societies and clubs 27
Moving a pig anywhere 27
3 Before your pig arrives 31
Fencing 32
The entrance to your pig area 35
Pig housing 35
Water 45
A little more thought 47
Digging 49
4 Can keeping pigs be cost effective? 53
Your initial outlay 54
Cost of pigs 54
Fattening pigs for the freezer 58
Feeding your 'pet' pig 63
Feeding a breeding sow 63
5 Getting your first pig 69
What breed should you start with? 69
What to look for when buying your first pigs 71
Rare and traditional breeds 74
'Pet' pigs 82
Commercial and principally white breeds 84
6 Feeding your pig 89
Trough feeding and the '20 Minute Rule' 93
Dairy products and milk 94
Fruit and vegetables 95
Feeding procedures 96
Concentrates, additives, genetically modified grain and growth promoters 98
'Never feed your pig' 100
7 The health of your pig 102
Worming 107
Enteritis vaccine 108
Erysipelas vaccine 109
Lice 109
Mange 110
Hernias 111
Tail biting 111
Farrowing fever 112
Mastitis 112
Lameness 113
Staggering 114
The law and animal health 115
DEFRA requirements 116
General advice 118
What to do if you have a sick pig 120
If the worst happens 121
8 Breeding from your own stock 126
Why do you want to become a breeder? 127
How should you start? 128
Where? 129
When? 130
Artificial insemination 134
How? 137
Preparation 138
Knowing when 139
The importance of iron 143
Castrating male piglets 144
Cutting teeth 145
Creep feeding piglets 145
Hand rearing 146
Some words of warning 148
Notification, identification and registration 150
Gestation calendar 152
9 Meat for the freezer 156
How heavy is your pig? 156
The ideal weight 157
A pig for sale 161
Sending your pig to the abattoir 162
10 Sales and marketing 167
Base philosophy 169
Selling your piglets 172
Advertising 180
The visit itself 183
Livestock markets and speciality sales 184
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust meat scheme 186
Final thoughts 187
11 Who's who in the pig world 190
The British Pig Association 190
Wales and Border Counties Pig Breeders' Association 191
Breed societies and clubs 192
Rare Breeds Survival Trust 193
Glossary 194
Taking it further 198
Index 202