Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
Keeping Pigs on an Allotment
There are those who would argue that an allotment is a less than ideal environment for pigs – there are issues over the amount of space available to the animal, security and ‘interlopers’, the risk of escape and subsequent damage to others’ hard work and the fact that the keeper will have to make regular visits, at least twice a day – and on the whole I would tend to agree, though that hasn’t stopped me from going ahead and doing just that. I keep two pigs (mother and daughter) on my single plot and, despite initial misgivings, have not looked back. My girls are fun and funny to watch, rushing to the pen gate when I arrive at the plot, snorting enthusiastically and pressing their cheeks to the fence in anticipation of a scratch and tickle – despite being great company for each other, I have no doubt that they look forward to my arrival as much as I look forward to seeing them. But keeping pigs is not something to take on lightly, on a smallholding, never mind an allotment! They are highly intelligent, sensitive and demanding animals that require space and stimulation, and if you are unable provide at least better-thanbasic requirements, then I’d suggest you think again and save yourself a lot of time, money and worry. Do your homework, read up on care and the specific needs of various breeds. Once you are positive that you wish to go ahead, there are several key considerations that must be addressed before putting a pig on your plot:
Permission An obvious point but enquire early on to avoid disappointment later; not all allotments allow animals and those that do seldom consider pigs. Talk to your committee, assure them that everything will be in place well in advance of your new arrivals and that all legal requirements will be adhered to (you will be subject to
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
routine checks by an animal welfare officer, and this is worth pointing out to the committee to help put their minds at rest.) Of course, there are benefits, your pigs will be a wonderful addition to site diversity, will provide heaps of handy manure and will be a big hit on open days – and there is always the option for society members to club together and buy a weaner (a pig between the age of weaning, 6-8 weeks, and about 40lbs in weight) to raise for meat.
Accommodation Sturdy is the key word here; pigs are resourceful and tenacious – and strong – and if they get an idea in their heads to pull up a fence post or take a gate of its hinges, they’ll give it their very best shot! Make sure that your fencing is well dug in and secure and don’t scrimp on materials. I have built a pen around an existing concrete shed that all plots on my site have. Clearly, this as sturdy and secure a sleeping quarters as you are likely to find, but to improve comfort and avoid chills, I have installed a raised wooden floor on top of which is heaped half a bale of straw. If you do not have such a shed then you will be looking at providing a more traditional pig ark – commonly available and built to last, a good ark will set you back somewhere in the region of £300-£400. Shop around and weigh cost against quality and reputability. There is no reason why you shouldn’t build your own ark, of course, and John Seymour’s wonderful bible, ‘The Guide to Self Sufficiency’, includes an excellent design that utilises recycled materials to provide a safe, warm and secure nest for your pigs. Outside, one entire length of the pen is formed by an existing weldmesh fence, whilst I have used Harris (or Heras) Fencing (sturdy, mesh-welded fencing commonly used in the building trade. www.herasreadyfence.co.uk) – two panels long and one wide –
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
to construct the other two sides. Recycled corrugated iron sheeting has been added to the bottom of each panel, creating a metre-high ‘lining’ that keeps drafts down and prevents the pigs from attempting to chew the otherwise exposed wires. All corner posts have been dug in deep and are well ‘clayed-in’, using broken bricks and, as the name implies, natural clay that I had dug out of a previously untended corner of the plot! However you construct your fencing, it needs to be sturdy and stand a minimum of 40” high. Wire spacing needs to be small enough as to not allow the heads of piglets to become caught (1.5 or 2”), whilst a strong enough gauge (3mm) to resist the best attempts at chewing! At around 30sq m, my own pen is larger than those used by larger, more intensive farms that claim their meat is from ‘outdoor pigs’, yet an awful lot smaller than is provided by the majority of today’s specialist pig farmers and the half-acre recommended on websites such as Direct.gov.uk (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Smallholders/DG_189284 ) – during a recent routine visit by my local Animal Welfare Officer, despite assurances that the pigs were indeed very happy and healthy, the pen was deemed only ‘adequate’. The answer then, is to either increase the dimensions of this enclosure (which can be problematic on a working allotment plot) or to allow the pigs out for regular exercise. The latter requires that the pigs be monitored closely so that they are not able to damage crops and tended areas or indeed allowed to stray and do damage to neighbouring plots!
Paperwork Before you may take possession of a pig, you will need to have been issued a County Parish Holding (CPH) number. This is a simple matter of making a telephone
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
call to the Rural Payments Agency to request one, and it is usually posted to you within a week or so – sometimes even issued over the phone, prior to written confirmation. Once the RPA has your details you will be issued with the following:
Single Business Identifier (SBI) number
Personal Identifier (PI) number
County Parish Holding (CPH) number
It is the all-important nine-digit CPH number that you will require when buying and selling your pigs – this is an identification number for the land and buildings where your animals will be kept and usually covers you for up to ten pigs. Once you have taken possession of your animals, your holding will immediately be under a ‘standstill’: a 20-day standstill is triggered for all existing pigs on that site and a six-day standstill is triggered on cattle, sheep and goats (though this is unlikely to be a concern to the allotment holder.) Once your pigs are in situ, you are required to contact your local Animal Health office to register them and to request a herdmark – two letters followed by four digits. According to the Defra website, the herdmark provides ‘a quick and effective means of identifying premises from which pigs have moved. It is unique, kept on a single database and available to inspectors for rapid tracing.’ Thankfully, no reputable breeder will sell a pig without exchanging the correct paperwork. To move pigs under 12 months old between holdings, they must be marked with a temporary paintmark (paintmark sticks are readily available online from specialist stockists such as Fearing). To move pigs under 12 months old to slaughter or to market, they must carry an eartag, tattoo or double slapmarks.
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
To move pigs over 12 months old between holdings, to any type of market or to slaughter, they must carry an eartag, tattoo or double slapmarks bearing your Defra herdmark. In my opinion, the easiest and most reliable form of marking is an eartag, which are again available very cheaply from specialist suppliers who will apply your details to the tags for you. Eartags pliers are also available, costing between £10-£20, and they usually come with very clear, helpful instructions. Should you wish to walk your pig, or take it on journeys, other than to market or slaughter, where they will return to your land (I know of one lady who takes her Kunekune boar to schools for the children to pet), you will be required to apply for a special movement licence. In most cases, you can move pigs under the ‘general licence for the movement of pigs’. The document advises you on what to do before, during and after the journey.
Breeds As stated earlier, pigs need space; as much as you can give them. It is vital, therefore, to ensure that you choose the right breed for your pen. Confined to a smaller area, a Gloucester Old Spot, for example, will not only suffer, but is also likely to demolish the pen and cause havoc on the rest of the site – do you really relish the prospect of facing fellow plot holders whose raised beds have been dug over and cleared of all produce by your half-tonne eating machine? Think small and look at breeds (such as the Kunekune) that are better suited to a smaller enclosure. My own pigs are a Kunekune/Vietnamese Pot Belly cross and therefore fall under that dangerous and somewhat controversial heading: ‘Micro Pig’. Whilst wary of the classification myself, Rosie, the oldest at a little under 12 months, stands at a mere 30” at the shoulder!
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
The Kunekune is a small breed pig that originates from New Zealand. They are a hairy, almost shaggy animal with a dumpy build and colours include black and white, ginger, cream, gold-tip, black, brown and tri-coloured. They have a placid, friendly nature and, like the pot-bellied pig, are often kept as pets. Suitable for the novice, the Kunekune is an intelligent, placid and friendly pig that seems to relish the company of humans and is easy to manage – they show little inclination to roam and are able to fatten on little more than grass! Perhaps the best-known of the domestic ‘pet’ pigs, the Pot Bellied Pig originates, as its full name implies, from Vietnam. Considerably smaller than standard American or European farm pigs, most adult Pot Bellied Pigs are about the size of a medium- or large-breed dog. They like living with other pigs and single animals are more likely to have behavioural problems, including aggression towards humans, than those with at least one other companion. They also like living with humans; they are highly affectionate and love receiving attention. As a social creature, Pot Bellied Pigs do not do well when left alone for long periods of time.
Cost Depending on the breed, age and even colour, pigs can cost from around £35 each to, well, hundreds of pounds. You will also be able to find many available online free of charge – quite possibly from people who didn’t really appreciate what they had let themselves in for! But it’s not just the cost of the animal itself, make sure that you look into feed costs carefully – it is no longer legally acceptable to feed pigs kitchen waste, including vegetable scraps, so you will need to source a supplier of pig nuts. Research the feeding requirements of your breed and weigh up the monthly cost – your pig will live a long time and you must be prepared to make the required financial commitment.
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
That said there is no reason why produce grown on the allotment may not find their way into the pig’s diet: brassica stalks that may otherwise end up in your compost bin are a much-appreciated snack on my plot! Also consider the fact that there will be healthcare costs. Like any animal, pigs are susceptible to any number of ailments, injuries and irritations, and will need veterinary treatment from time to time.
Assuming that everything is in place, go and get yourself a pig! Naturally, it is sensible to seek out a reputable breeder, but pigs are have become extremely popular and may be found through numerous online resources, including Preloved and even a number of Facebook groups. A word of warning though, you take a chance when using these channels – there are no guarantees and seldom any comeback. Caveat emptor!
Further reading The Defra website (http://www.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/animals/pigs/) is an excellent resource that cover all aspects of pig welfare and includes guidance on the legalities, as well as a number of very useful downloadable publications.
Similarly, the animal website has a comprehensive section on pig keeping: http://animalhealth.defra.gov.uk/keeping-animals/registering/pigs.html.
Linda McDonald-Brown's ‘Choosing and Keeping Pigs: A Complete Practical Guide’ is a very accessible beginner’s guide, with a comprehensive directory of over 30 breeds.
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk
Celia Lewis’ ‘The Illustrated Guide to Pigs: How to Choose Them - How to Keep Them’ follows the hugely successful format of her previous book on chicken breeds, and is a charmingly illustrated guide that covers 35 of the most familiar breeds in Europe and North America.
I would also recommend ‘Starting with Pigs: A Beginners Guide’ by Andy Case.
Andrew Climance is a writer, blogger and enthusiastically amateur allotmenteer. Contact: andrew@climance.co.uk Visit: www.shandysdig.com
Squid Inc www.squidpublishing.co.uk info@squidpublishing.co.uk