Get Started In Pig Keeping: How to Raise Happy Pigs in your Outdoor Space

by Tony York

Overview

Everything an amateur pigkeeper needs for success
Get Started in Pig Keeping offers amateur pigkeepers everything they need to make a success of this increasingly popular pursuit. Whether you are interested in breeding pigs, in meat production, or just want the pleasure of their company, this book covers legalities, basic equipment, picking breeds, understanding behaviour and how to raise and slaughter pigs.

You'll get all of the advice you need on daily maintenance of your animal, from feeding to cleaning, and find ample resources if you wish to produce your own meat - or even market and sell it at a local level.


Get Started in Pig Keeping includes:

Chapter 1: The starting point
Chapter 2: Preparation and knowing the rules
Chapter 3: Before your pig arrives
Chapter 4: Can keeping pigs be cost effective?
Chapter 5: Getting your first pig
Chapter 6: Feeding your pig
Chapter 7: The health of your pig
Chapter 8: Breeding from your own stock
Chapter 9: Meat for the freezer
Chapter 10: Sales and Marketing
Chapter 11: Who's who in the pig world


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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473684218
Publisher:	Mobius
Publication date:	07/30/2019
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,069,905
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Tony York was a leading convener of courses for amateur pig-keepers for decades, seeing the number of attendees triple in that time. He has made several television programmes on pigkeeping and is known in the community for his passionate commitment to furthering the cause of organic farming and smallholding as well as for his expert communication skills.

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