Hobby Pig Keeping - Health and Welfare Workshops - ADAS

Health and Welfare Workshops

ADAS invites you to the first Defra-funded

meetings for hobby farmers with pigs.

The workshops will provide small holders with easily accessible, relevant practical and technical training delivered by experienced pig specialists with a recognised track record in small holder sector training; to increase the health, welfare and productivity of the small pig herd.

Topics covered: 

•      Pig Welfare legislation – 5 Freedoms (Animal welfare Act 2006) 

• Biosecurity, disease control and effective quarantine 

• Pig health, vaccinations and worming, fallen stock 

• Movements, ID and legislation 

• Feeding and legislation

• On farm record requirements

The workshops will be held during the day (10.30 am – 1.30pm) unless otherwise stated, in January and February 2012 and are free to all small scale pig keepers.

If you are interested in attending please contact Georgie Fomes for further details on 01354 697200 or email georgie.fomes@adas.co.uk

A series of workshops sponsored by Defra and organised by ADAS

24/1/2012 Plumpton (7pm-9.30pm)

2/2/2012 - Exeter

9/2/2012 - South Lincolnshire

16/2/2012 - North Yorkshire

25/1/2012 - Billinghurst

8/2/2012 - Gloucester

10/2/2012 - Staffordshire

17/2/2012 - Hexham

Ansell & Sons butchery course

Sunday  6^th February was the first butchery course for our small holding group and was a great success here is the report by Phil.

We all arrived for 9.30am at Ansell & Sons on Maldon High Street for a demonstration on how to butcher a pig. Our expert tutors were Paul and Derek. Some useful handouts were distributed for us to take home, on the types of cuts that come from a pig with corresponding recipes.

The hanging of the pig was first discussed, this is done for approximately 4 days to allow the meat to settle, making it easier to butcher.

We were then shown how all the different cuts and joints on the pig are broken down, with advice on how to cut using mostly the tip of the knife and following the bone or seam of the meat.  By this point most of us had started salivating; a half time interval with bacon or sausage sandwiches would have been most welcome.

On the subject of sausages it was reassuring to find out what isn’t added to sausages at Ansell’s but what is normally added to less reputable sausages in the form of an extruded paste made up of all the crap like the gristle and spinal cord.

Ansell’s have said they will butcher our pigs for at a price of around £35 but please pre-plan and give them plenty of notice, so that they can make a good job of it.

Some other interesting facts I learnt from the day:

           -        80% of meat in catering is imported

           -        Most British meat is being exported at the moment, because of its superior quality and the strength of the Euro

 The morning’s demonstration was well worth the price. Even if you don’t have your own pigs it was good to see what you buy and how it fits into a pig. I’m looking forward even more to getting my first weaners and having a go at butchering myself, but probably in front of the TV watching what I have videoed.  I will endeavour to get this onto DVD, for the next meeting.

Here’s their website:  www.ansellandsons.co.uk

SX Environmental Supplies - Evening at the Blue Boar

Phil from SX Environmental Supplies kindly showed all present a very good design of a pest control box where a trap is placed inside to catch the rat/mouse. and bait can also be put in to attract the rodent.

 

For more details of the Trapboxr go to this link:

Pest Control online

 

Phil mentioned that as a group, requiring a purchase of 50+  a further discount may be offered.

 

He also explained the rules and regulations regarding the supply of large quantities of poison and that currently individuals are only able to purchase 3kg of bait at a time. In order to purchase larger amounts, we need to have training to be approved users of poisons.  A suitable course would cost £25 and SX would be happy to come to the Blue Boar to train a group of us.

 

The advantages of this is:

3kg of a bait block - £28 with the certificate of training 20kg of bait block - £35!

 

So you would get a return on the cost of the course very quickly.

 

For those interested in either the boxes or the course, please email Danni at info@eastessexsmallholders.co.uk