Be Ready!

Experienced keeper Michaela Giles advises that it’s never too early to start thinking about winter, and how best to shepherd your pigs safely through it

I find it mildly depressing to be thinking ahead to the winter months while we’re still in the midst of summer, but pig keepers need to be practical and realistic and, as always, preparation is the key to good stockmanship.

On the plus side, you can make the thought of winter less daunting by gearing yourself up for it now, while there’s still plenty of dry, warm weather and evening light to sort things out after work, and at weekends.

Organised approach

Over-wintering pigs needn’t be an arduous struggle if you’re organised and sensible. But, at the very heart of everything will be the health of your pigs. If you ensure that this is good as we head into the winter, then the battle is half won already.

The thing to appreciate is that cold, damp conditions will exacerbate any underlying health conditions, exposing weaknesses and causing you and your pigs extra problems. What’s more, the darker mornings/evenings mean that you’ll inevitably be more likely to miss the early signs of trouble, especially if you’re still relatively new to the hobby.

So, heading into the bad weather with your livestock in tip-top condition really should be a primary objective. This includes making sure any vaccinations and all deworming plans are up to date.

Quality stock?

If you don’t breed, but buy-in fattening weaners to rear over the winter, then make sure you source good quality animals that aren’t showing any signs of coughing, diarrhoea or lameness. Also make sure with the supplier that they’ve been wormed before you take them, and that they’ve been weaned from the sow for at least one week, preferably two.