[chickenlady]

They look great Roughlee! love the last pic, the one at the back looks sort of melancholy!  just a pity for them that they taste so yummy!

Debbie

[Roughlee Handled]

I know I try not to take to many photos as I do not want to get attached.  But I had a special request.

[SMD66]

I am looked at these costs.
Feed                         £7.25       38     £275.50
 It sounds allot but then you work out thats approx 50 kilos of meat per porker. You will not get bacon off them as they need to be over a year old. 

Sorry this quote is from way back on the thread, but just to let you know, we DID get bacon from our 7 month old pigs.
We had half the back as loin joint and 1/2 as 'middle' bacon. This was from a large white cross Glouchestershire old spot.
As for food costs, it cost us £70 to feed 1 pig up to 7 1/2 months old, (£6.60 per bag).

I am really sorry to say this Roughlee but  on your last pic your porkers were looking distinctly porky!  hope you don't get more fat than meat.  

[Roughlee Handled]

Well they is pigs.  They have another 3 months ish to go.  Fingers crossed they may have burnt the fat off by then.  I have read  that you cant get bacon off pigs under a year old, hence the term "porkers".  As this is my first time of .... doing it alone.  Keeping pigs that is I am doing it by the book and feed bag.  I do agree they look slighty fatty around the face but as I know nothing about the breed or pigs just hope I am doing it correctly.  Fingers crossed.

[SMD66]

It all a bit of a mystery the 1st time, I know.  We read a lot and thought that the pigs had to be much bigger for bacon too.  From our 1st pig we had half with all pork for a 'customer' and from the other half we had pork from 1/2 the loin, bacon from the rest.  Sausage from the shoulder, (about 20lb) and ham joints and gammon steaks from the leg.  Very versatile animals!
Our butcher was a great source of information, helped us out a lot.
what breed are yours?  Dual purpose?

[Roughlee Handled]

They are Gloucester old spot crossed with Middle White.  But they look more like there mum (a Middle White) as I did not want any distinguishing marks for my first two.

[SMD66]

I think you could get some bacon from them then without having to wait a year.
I can understand why you don't want 'distinguishing marks' but we did name our first 4 pigs.  (and the current 5 ) Janice was the 1st to go, (named after Janice Battersby cos she was bossy and noisy).  Must admit it's not nice taking them to slaughter, but it's part of being a pig keeper and has to be done.  They have at least had a much better life than the vast majority of pigs. 
 

[peapod]

In a lot of ways, you just cant help getting attached, they are so much fun to play with and watch.  I think you keep your head about it Ruff, and have handled it very well, and will do when they go,
Just my two pennorth 

[Roughlee Handled]

They have at least had a much better life than the vast majority of pigs. 

That is very true.

[Roughlee Handled]

....... and have handled it very well, and will do when they go,
.........

Lets hope.

I wear my heart on my shirt.  I know I will probably ball me eyes out when I take em.  But lets hope they taste nice.  (oh and I can eat em!!!!!!!!)

[SMD66]

I just tried not to think about it too much.  I put it out of my mind before the day and on the day just looked at it as a job to do, load them, un-load them etc...  My OH went too and as we left the abbatoir he asked why I hadn't 'said goodbye,' to them.  Simple..... I couldn't.  From that moment on they became pork and we also had the borrowed sow who had just had a litter of 12 to keep our minds occupied.

[CharFlor]

Hi There,
Just wondering if you still have your pigs?  Reason being I have just got 2 pigs and they are 13 weeks old, this is my first time doing it and I am not sure how long to keep them for and what weight I should be aiming for.  They are a Saddleback cross with a Duroc.  Like you they are for the freezer....
Thanks

[Roughlee Handled]

Hello and welcome to the mad house CharFlor. Yes I still have my pigs. It is now week 13 (that I have had them) and they are 22 weeks old.

I am in the same boat as you they are looking big (my pigs), but are they are at slaughter weight?  I have no clue sorry.  All that is in the pigs favour is I have to purchase a trailer so they can go to slaughter and that will not happen till September.  But the lady who breed them is coming over in 3 weeks to pick up some chickens I have incubated for her.  Sorry I can not be any help.

[SMD66]

as pig scales are not readily available we did it by measurement.  Got this from a book, 'teach yourself keeping pigs' by Tony York.

Measure, in inches (easiest while they are eating)
length from middle of ears to root of tail
girth around shoulders tight up to front legs

multiply length by girth and divide by 12 if lean, 11 if meduim and 10 if fat.  The answer is in lbs.

we found it best to send ours for slaughter when they weighed 170 lb (40 x 47 / 11)

This gave a good sized carcass with plenty of meat.  (we had pork and bacon from it)

It took 1 of our pigs 6 months to get to this size and the other three  took 71/2 months.

if you want all bacon and cured meat then you could let them get bigger.  any smaller and the meat isn't as plentiful.

Hope this helps 

[Roughlee Handled]

I have purchased the book 'teach yourself keeping pigs' by Tony York
And I am going to measure my pigs tonight.

mmmm "easiest while they are eating" mine tend to eat lying down. So its going to be fun.