Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[lcertuche]

Speaking of crossbreds. I believe that they are often the strongest, healthiest, most productive in almost any type of livestock. I believe that's why most small farm flocks and herds do so well. More poultry houses have their own special mixed breeds that grow faster, heavier and lay quicker and more.

Wild hogs can be very dangerous to people and animals. I heard some grunting at the edge of the woods when I was trying to track down where my pullets are sneaking off to during the day. I didn't know if it was a bear or hog but I decided to leave and not take any chances.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I know I did a lot this weekend, but dang if I can even remember it all. Dammit - I hate having to admit that, lol!

It's coming back to me now...
DH was out of town Friday night, so I had the laziest evening ever. I fed, milked, and literally went to bed at 7:30pm. I grabbed a book and a cup of chocolate milk and just vegged all night! Raised the head of my bed - raised the foot of my bed - turned on the heated mattress pad and just snuggled down in my little nest and did nothing more strenuous than turning a page and lifting a cup! It was heaven.

Did some mowing Saturday and moved some square bales from the big barn to the smaller barn just to make distributing it a little easier. Had to catch some chickens and trim some wings cuz they are getting into the neighbors flower bed - stoopid chickens. Happens again - chicken soup! I've decided to butcher the Ameraucana roos. I'll keep the hens cuz they're good layers, but I like heavy breed chickens - and they aren't a heavy breed. But, they'll cross with some of my bigger roo's and end up a nice bird - based on the couple that have already accomplished it.

Somethings been getting any eggs that get left out at night. Not sure if it's a rat or something bigger - but I'll try putting a live trap out there and hope I catch something besides a chicken. Need to find a safe place to put out some more poison. I hate rats!

We planned to put out a round bale yesterday, got the mower off and got ready to put the bale fork on and dang it if "we" (not ME) lost the pin to hook up the fork. GRRRR... we should have extras... we had extras at one time...guess what happened to 'em? Guess I'll be heading to TS tomorrow on my lunch break.

Ms Piggy is still not intent on dropping her piglets yet. So, I counted forward three weeks from her first due date - and guess what? Thanksgiving... Now, I'm not counting on that, cuz there's a bunch of variables involved. Not like I eyeballed a breeding, I'm just counting from the times that the boars broke outta their pen and made way to the girly pen. But, that'd be my luck... Not sure what's happening Turkey day anyway...too many places to be and not enough of us to go around.

Dang, here it is just past 7:30 and I'm thinking about bed already. Guess I could get real accustomed to an early bedtime...besides it's REALLY 8:40.

 

[NH Homesteader]

The time change totally messes me up! Fortunately my 4 year old is on a normal sleep schedule already and is in no way affected by the time change. Just a little more tired than usual perhaps.

Your Friday night sounds amazing. I wish my husband would go away for a night

Come on piggy! Thanksgiving? Really?

 

[snappy1]

Your Friday night sounds delicious! And good luck with the little piggies! I say the day after Thanksgiving-Black Friday sale on little piggies! LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

Weeeellll, I'm sorry for the frustrated waiting for ya, gal! But it is kinda nice that our piggy girls are looking to be closer together for farrow time. Company is good! Seems they are not like the minis with guessing gestation length OR birthing issues. We should both be very pleased with that!

I wish we were closer as this would be the PERFECT time to trade piglets for future breeding genetics. Someone about an hr out had a CL for one male, one female, about 4 months old for $40 ea or $60 for pr. OK, tempting as I would like the male so he would be old enough to breed when these two wean theirs. Nope, didn't buy. I really need to be sure I want to do this again before I go there. Do have names of a few who raise them, some registered (mine are not but are fullblood) so I know I can get a male when needed, within a 2 hr drive. I've given some thought to butchering to BBQ whole at a much younger age. Then, who would be here to eat it?

As we become one, rather than a family with kids, the animal for meat raising becomes more unappreciated....IMO. Love my fresh milk, cheese, veggies. Less hassle

So -- we could put a bow on them for Christmas gifts!!!
Grandaughter always looking for unusual teacher gifts.

 

[lcertuche]

I had friends that would roast a pig every fall and practically everyone in town it seemed would show up. I ended up buying a couple of gilts from them. They were sweet girls. I don't know if they were literally sweet or not as I wasn't around when my ex decided to throw a big barbecue but they had very sweet temperment's. All this talk of piggies make me want some again. I already have a pen that would take much to fix up. It just needs a new gate and some one cut a big square of wire out of the back of it (?). It even has a small 3 sided shed already in it. I'm thinking potbellies this time around.

 

[Mini Horses]

So, pet piggies? My AGHs are very friendly & while a lard type hog the meat has not been real fatty. The marble is there and the heavier fat is along the outside of the cut. You can trim easily. Meat is sweet and tasty, not fatty. They are very bulky & short legged -- as FEM has said "hippo looking" !

The leaf lard has been great! I didn't try to render the back fats this year. With 2 butchered at one time I have about 25# of leaf lard. Sure I won't use all that before next butchering.

FEM are you butchering one soon? I actually took both boars to freezer camp, after gilts were bred. These hogs had NO taint. I used a USDA facility and all was well with all else. You can be sure I had concerns with taint under circumstances & glad it was not a problem. I will separate males/females if I have them to the breeding age with these litters coming. Not wanting to castrate. Been there, done that. No help here either.

You will love the meat.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My plan is to butcher one of the boars within the next couple months. I don't think that the gilt "took" so I need to turn her and a boar in together. I want to breed her to the same one that her mama is bred to. Then I can keep the other boar and have a little more diversity. I don't worry too much about line breeding - most of the offspring is gonna be terminal anyway.

Might have a problem with mama pig though...she's limping on a hind leg/foot. I noticed it Tuesday. She's getting around, but obviously has a problem. I caught her laying down and with a good belly rub got her to turn on her side so I could get a look at that hoof and can't see a darn thing wrong with it. I'm thinking the problem, and I hate it, is that she' kinda 'down' in that pastern. Might be that she's just carrying too much weight on it. If it's gonna be an issue, she might be next on the butcher block. If she bounces back after farrowing, I might reconsider. All up in the air right now because I'm not really sure what the problem is. Hoping she'll farrow and be just fine afterwards. But, I'll feel bad if she's in pain for the next couple weeks. I need to do some research and maybe give a call to my vet.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Hmm I wonder if the babies are pressing on a nerve or something? Happened to me when I was pregnant, lol!

Hope it's nothing major!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That could definitely be part of it... I've seen it happen with other critters. Thanks for reminding me!