[Gpdd] HEALTH: Does worming make outdoor grazing safe?

[Penny Charlesworth]

Joanie,

Now that Ann has discovered how quickly single post delivery can be answered 
she has beaten me in replying to your question so I'll just second 
everything that she has said. All of my herd have their three monthly 
Ivermectin and Panacur doses and regular anti parasitic baths and I have 
never had any trouble with parasites either.

I do not have as many exotic animals as you visiting my garden but I do get 
rabbits, grey squirrels and the occasional hedgehog. Birds too of course.

My piggies go out on the grass, when the weather is suitable, in an 
assortment of wire pens. One large pen for all the sows and smaller ones for 
pairs of boars. They have hutches, pipes and boxes to hide in but I always 
watch them very closely. I have never forgotten that many years ago a pack 
of foxhounds leapt my fence and tore into my garden in pursuit of a fox. It 
was a rush to get the fox to safety in my shed, my dog into the house and 
still stand ready to protect my piggies from harm. Everyone was OK ( but was 
I shaken up! ). The fox was released to safety later in the day.

I grow all kinds of veggies and piggy forage in my kitchen garden and gather 
extra grass from a farmer friend's fields. These fields border his fishing 
lakes and are never sprayed so the grass is very safe for my piggies. He 
just mows it all twice a year for the hay crop. I filled a box with grass on 
my way home from work today and he was getting his tractor ready for mowing. 
Luckily he only does one field at a time so the Piggyfriends will not go 
short of their favourite foodstuff.

I do not wash their grass. With a herd this size it would be impossible.

So, when Puff is fully protected, let her go out and have some of those 
lovely wild plants. She will be delighted.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.