What's Your Strategy?
There's a couple perspectives I would consider in this situation...
1st step - Get as accurate count as you can early on to create a plan (What litter, genetics, boar/ gilt).
2nd step - Evaluate from mulitpe POV's
a) Where are you going next with your breeding plan? Most importantly, what's your boar plan when those age out?
b) Do you need to rotate stock for age/ genetics/ sales/ etc?
c) Can you make breeding pairs? How many teats / how to select the best traits for your program.
d) Be aggressive in castrating males and moving barrows if all of the above dictates that
e) Get ahead of social media/ marketing NOW....start talking about what you're doing, what you're picking up, what you could have, why you love the Meishan....keep your name out in front of people....post regularly, share in many groups, not just Meishan groups
f) What's your meat plan? How many do you want to grow out? Do you have a plan for that many? Are suckling pigs an option?
3rd Step - You can keep young boars together generally with little issue if they start that way. I have found that after 16 weeks, they are slippery jerks that are hard to catch and castrate. I separate litter mates/ male from female at 9 weeks. The youngest recorded breeding is at 10.5 weeks!!!
.....
Some of these thoughts are advanced - but I think that's what this member wanted - and it was! Food for thought to best achieve his goals.
And, my final take away from this for them:
IMHO, for what you are doing, you do need a proactive game plan to not end up overwhelmed with stock. There's also a genetics rotation model that you may want to consider too - depending on where you want your strategy to land.
......
Does your brain hurt now?
GOOD! That means I've expanded your thoughts on your herd management too!
What's your game plan? How would you move through this many piglets?
LMK!
~laura
