With regard to Pigs let me first say that I have never kept pigs, but in my
defence I have kept goats. Now here in the good old land of the long white
woolly cloud, we have a tendancy to run goats like sheep. There are a few subtle
difference however. Sheep are grazing animal, but do enjoy the occasional
browse, they self-cure from worms within 2years. Goats are browsing animals
which enjoy the occasional graze, they do not self cure from worms, but if
allowed to select grazing and browsing tolerate, and perhaps even require a low
worm burden to stimulate metabolic changes relating to different qualities of
hard browse (autumn and winter) and softer grazing (spring and summer) - see the
superb Goat Husbandry by John MacKenzie for someone who knew goats somewhat more
intimately than I do.
What has that to do with pigs. Well pigs are made to root. What of their
peculiar (in our view) natural diets of roots mushrooms etc would have protected
against worms? What I am politely suggesting is that grazing pasture is not
actually a natural preference of pigs. Remove the rings and we all know what
they will do!!!. I think that the many natural vermifuges are great, but in the
end, if we are going to improve the quality and reduce the input cost we will
have to redesign the system.
Humusly
Alfred Harris
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