Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Not too sure but I think there is still a grocery store chain based out of Omaha, Nebraska named piggly-wiggly. Strange name for a store.

Piggly Wiggly pioneered the self service grocery store concept . Still a lot of them out there in rural areas.

We had one here for awhile, it changed names a couple of times due to problems with distribution centers. (The store, depending on the chain name got its products out of one of two warehouses, the center out of KCKS handles one line of stores and the one in Springfield handles others. They carry the national brands and certain store brands at both. The distribution centers are both owned by the same company.) The main problem the owner's had was related to the percentage back to the distribution company for use of the store name and prepared advertising. They also had problems, depending on the warehouse, with incomplete or erroneous deliveries.

I will stick with my original entries for any future piglets.

WD, I think everyone agrees that all animals, including farm animals raised for food, deserve the best quality of life we can give them. The biggest problem is when they are handled in a manner which is a cruel or neglectful one. I hope Spot, Dot, Aqua and Hydro all enjoy the life they have. If you are like me, I never could get myself to consume any of my breeding stock, some how I always got to feeling more like they were pets than livestock. But when it came to thier offspring I've never had a problem with them, probably because I never developed a bond with them like I did thier mother's and sires.
Kevin

Well we got the piggies in just in time as they have just detected foot and mouth disease AGAIN 250 miles south of us. It means the whole of the nation's livestock is confined to quarters for 3 or more weeks.
It will cause real hardship for a lot of farmers around here as they cannot move their stock to market and they won't make any money so more borrowing off the bank.
It was only a week ago that the Chief Vet said all was clear. It is a real stinker especially as the original contamination came from one of the Government's own laboratories making vaccine against foot and mouth.
At least my piggies weren't going anywhere and my fishes are OK.

Bad news.
WD

good to hear you are safe and locked down WD

I got this joke in an e-mail from a friend of mine, and thought it appropriate to share on this thread;

A farmer had five female pigs, and as he was going through a hard time financially and couldn't afford to by a male he decided to sell the pigs. So he loaded them up and went to the local fair.

When he arrived at the fair he met another farmer in similiar circumstances, but with five male pigs. After a bit of discussion, and no buyers, they decided to breed the pigs and split the offspring between them. However, they had a problem, they lived about 60 miles apart. So, they decided to each drive 30 miles, meet up, and let the pigs out into a field to breed.

The first morning they met, let the pigs out and while the pigs were breeding, the owner of the female pigs said, "this is the first time I ever breed pigs. How do I tell if they are pregnant?" The other farmer replied, "When you get up in the morning if the pigs are out laying in the grass they are pregnant, if they are laying in the mud they are not."

So, the next morning the farmer with the female pigs woke up, saw his pigs were laying in the mud, called the other farmer to arrange another meeting. Hosed off the pigs and loaded them back up. After about a week of this the farmer was exhausted from all of the hosing off, loading, driving, unloading, loading, driving and unloading, so he asked his wife to check on the pigs.

When she came back he asked her if they were laying in the mud or the grass, and she replied, "neither. Four of them are in the back of the pick up truck and one of them is in the cab honking the horn."

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAH!

That's a good 'un. Sadly Aqua,Hydro,Spot and Dot will not enjoy the pleasures of a hansome boar until they are at least 15 months old. I am told it is well worth waiting for - whatever that is.
Lots of breeders here seem to rush into getting the sows pregnant at 9/10 months so the poor sow never fully developes before she is feeding youngsters and then the sows are expected to produce 2.7 litters a year.
How do you get .7 of a littter?
Anyway the girls are doing well,ploughing up the land and growing nicely.
Regards
WD

I wonder if the rearing/breading could last 10 years, if possible it could be explained by 27 litters?

Hi WD...

Hope things are going OK ...

Getting cold now for growing veggies etc in Wales ..

May I ask .. just out of interest ...

Current example market price for a pig, lamb, sheep...

Looking forward to seeing how the AP develops.

Regards

Johnnie

Hi Johnnie
The good lady has just posted some pics on our website under "Farm News" showing up the winter varieties of lettuce etc and how we are experimenting with low energy bulbs etc.
As for animal prices- things have picked up a bit of late. I can buy in piglets like my brood from £25 for the pinkies to £45 for the Oxford Sandy's.( The Sandy's are rare breeds so cost more.) When you sell the pork you can charge between £1.00.. and £1.25p a lb which means there is not a lot of profit in it. As for lambs in the springtime,depending on their size they go from £40 upwards and like most things if there is a big demand then the price goes up.
As for AP we have just got planning permission to build a purpose designed farm building to accommodate the AP. but I am waiting until the end of this month to see if the sponsor secures funding as it is going to cost an arm and a leg. We want to build something really special so that people can come and see how effective AP is and enthuse them with its benefits. IF we get it then BYAP will be the first to know as we will want all the advice available AND the missus will put up a photo album of progress. Fingers crossed.
Regards to you all.
WD

WD,
The way you end up with the .7 litter is due to the breeding/rearing cycle. Normally you will get 3 litters one year, and have two litters the next with the sow still carrying a litter before the year ends. (Sort of like the 2.5 kids we are supposed have to ensure a balanced population level. [is the .5 the one that the neighbor has that sort of looks like you?! ]) Yeah, it is a lot better on all livestock to dial down on the breeding cycle. Don't breed back in the first, and sometimes even the second, estrous cycle after the birth of a litter. You will be rewarded with stronger and healthier mothers and offspring, plus longer breeding life of the animal.
Kevin

sort of like VB and Monya's wife

When we were breeding before we always left the sows to dry off naturally and gave them a good rest before putting them with the boar again. Always paid dividends as piglet mortality was virtually zero and the sows were throwing 15 to 16 piglets each farrowing. We also got them all outside inthe field as soon after birth as possible so the little ones could eat some dirt and this avoided iron deficiency. Always sold them pretty quick as they were good pigs.
We were sad when we went out of pig raising but now we are back in it feels good to have them around again.
Thanks for the comments on the fractions involved and the extra curricular neighbourly asides. Now you come to mention it I think I better have a word with the missus about our last born.
Regards
WD