Rather than try to explain how to apply an eartag, here’s a video of me doing it. Any questions?

As for the legalities here in the UK, you don’t have to tag your pigs if they’re under 12 months, unless you’re going to move them to an abattoir, market or anywhere else that isn’t a farm or smallholding. I tag mine about a week before taking them for slaughter.

The relevant, up-to-date info can be found on the DEFRA website here: https://www.gov.uk/pig-keepers-identify-animals-before-moving-them… Read More

What a title! But, you never know, someone might find this information useful, and getting these things right is an important part of rearing weaners for the table – otherwise you could end up with very little to show for it in terms of meat.

Worming

Usually, when you buy weaners, they have already been wormed, but it’s worth checking. The two I have now, for example, weren’t. And when it comes to worms, there are a whole list of the horrible parasites that pigs can suffer from, including Kidney Worm, Whipworm and Red Stomach Worm. Sound lovely, don’t they? … Read More

Even if you’ve got public liability insurance for your pigs (and if you don’t, you should – I get mine from the NFU), you really want to ensure they don’t escape! This is especially true for those of us who have microholdings, as we tend to keep our livestock in residential areas. My pigs will be spending the next four months on the vegetable patch that stretches the length of my drive in the middle of a housing estate, and my road is a bus route and frequented by students driving like crazies to the local college.

Imagine for … Read More