Kunekune showing entries needed in Scotland

[HappyHippy]

Hi folks,
It's only a couple of weeks til the entries close for the Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival in Lanark on Saturday the 28th of September and we could do with some more kunekunes for people to see and to make the competition more of a competition
It'll be a great day, there's lots to see and do and plenty of pig chat
The festival website, with all the info can be found at www.scottishsmallholdershow.co.uk

Hope to see you there on the day,
Karen x

[repatexpat]

Looking at affordable transportation to/from shows and stud visits and trying to understand the rules as outlined in the DEFRA publication on pig transportation. While a livestock trailer is optimal, as long as the animal is safe and comfortable and provided with an access ramp of no more than 36.4% slope (with sides?), is an owner allowed to move an adult pig in a panel van (payload 650 kg)? If yes, any suggestions for fitting out the cargo area so that it can be properly disinfected?
Thanks! V

[The Rushbury Pig]

Legally you can transport in anything so long as it fulfils all the criteria set by defra. You would also need gates that can be secured across the access to the back of the van so that when you lower the ramp the pigs are still gated in and cannot escape

[repatexpat]

Thanks, Sam. Forgot that the side-gates double as access gates across the opening.
Hmm, with all that custom work necessary to make a van compliant, perhaps a trailer is more economical!

[The Rushbury Pig]

I think so!

At a recent show someone turned up in a customised trailer and hadn't included sufficient ventilation and two of the 5 pigs were dead on arrival The welfare of the animals is paramount (and I know this will be at the centre of your thinking) and so purpose built trailers have many advantages. The plus side in terms of financial outlay is that if you buy a good trailer and look after it it will hold its value. Frequently second hand trailers are the same price as new and sometimes more (have never worked that one out.......good sales person no doubt!!).

Alternatively many of the local companies selling trailers hire them out. If it is likely to be only occasional use this can work out to be a cheap option but then eventually, after enough hires, you will have paid for a new trailer

[repatexpat]

How awful -- heat-stroke/suffocation a horrible way to go!

It's as much the towing vehicle as the trailer that I'm thinking about. While it would be fun to extend human inter-actions, perhaps the joy from daily domestic interactions with our four KKs is sufficient and I'll continue with the occasional borrowing of vehicle and horse box for breeding purposes.

Thanks! V