Baymule's Pigs 2017-2018

baymule

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First off, let me clarify-- we ain't got a lick of sense. I repeat, we ain't got a lick of sense.

Last night I was looking at Craigslist and at 10:37 I found an ad for 2 pigs. A 1 year old boar and 2 year old sow, take both for $75. I had to read it a few times to make sure it really said both for $75. I read it to my husband. Then we tried to talk ourselves out of buying the pigs. We wrangled with it and finally came to the conclusion that we'd have to be purdy darn stupid to pass up a deal like that. No picture, really buying a pig in a poke.

Being late, I texted and we went to bed. I got a response at a quarter to midnight but I slept through it. I responded this morning and the upshot was, we were going to go get them between 1 and 2 PM.

Still had chickens in the trailer from the poultry trades day a week ago. Moved the half grown ducks in with the big ducks, put the chickens in the little ducks pen.

The Hawg Hut was in the backyard and needed to go through 2 gates, down the driveway and through another gate to the front pasture. We called Robert over to help. With DH on the Kawasaki Mule, we jockeyed the Hut around. The skids have holes drilled through and I have pins I put through and we wrap a chain around them. We had to take up part of a fence. When we got it lined up, DH took off and didn't stop until he was at the pasture gate. He swung wide and dragged the Hawg Hut to it's new home.

There was a mangled mess of a car body in the trees and Robert chained onto it and dragged it out. It was the entire rear end of an old 1951 Studebaker. A neighbor, Jerry, came over to get it for scrap metal. He was glad to get it but we were even more glad to get rid of it.

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We took a cold water break, DH was sweat soaked,dirty and splattered from washing out the trailer. He headed for the shower. I finished up outside.

We went to get the pigs, about 45 minutes away. That lady had rabbits, goats, ducks, chickens, quail and a ram. All were healthy, we'll fed, and very friendly. Her pens were a hodgepodge of pallets, wire and scrap lumber. The pens were clean. There was no smell. She had a LOT of animals but it was obvious she took very good care of them. The pigs were friendly and looked happy and healthy. I couldn't help but think of BYH and how many people are living their dreams with their small farms.

She, her son and his wife walked the pigs to our trailer using hog panels held together at the ends. I coaxed them in the trailer using dog food and the door slid shut.

The lady had on a tank top that showed red marks on a very flat chest that bespoke radiation burns and a double mastectomy. I didn't have to ask. She said she was tired of pigs and I paid her. We figured this lady had seen the dark side of hell and her animals were her sanity and gave her something to get up for every morning.

We got them home and turned them out.

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She said the Sow has had 2 litters. We plan on letting them breed, then slaughtering the boar. After she weans the pigs, we'll sell them and slaughter her. Neighbors have already come over to admire them. They weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. Seventy five dollars. The chickens bought them. We used egg money.
 

baymule

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Idk. The spot I would want to put a pig pen isn't trailer accessible.

How hard are they to halter brake?

Halter break? That would be like putting a halter on a speeding bull dozer.... don't think so! But you could put up a temporary chute with cow panels to where ever you could back the trailer up to. We built one to load up our lambs when we took them to slaughter. Cow panels are great to have around. You can also build a portable cage with handles and no bottom. Drop it over the pig and with 2 people, "walk" the pig to where you want it. You could use a hog panel, cut it to size desired, make a wood frame, staple the hog panel pieces to it and ta-da! you have a easy way to move a pig.
 

sumi

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@CrealCritter I had one of those. We actually called him "Jumping Pig", because no matter what I did to the pen, he got out. My MIL's gardener, Jackson, used to help me round him up and chase him back to the pen. The number of times I went out and yelled "Jackson! The !@#$%^! pig is out again!" And Jackson would burst out laughing and go down to the pen with me… We'd get the pig cornered and into the empty pen next to his, catch him, slap him around the head for his troubles (me) and toss him back into his pen. Only to do it all again the next day…

One day we chased JP again, off the empty pen he trotted, jumped over the fence into the pen... and misjudged his landing. He landed flat on his face and went rear over feet, rolling over to his back, before scrambling to his feet. The funny part was he did it so graciously, you'd swear he practiced for weeks. Jackson and I laughed so hard, I didn't slap him for his troubles that day! I felt a mix of sadness and relief when JP's butcher day came finally. I certainly will never forget that animal!
 

baymule

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So whaddaya do on a cold day? Sit outside and smoke the bacon! DH is upset with me. He is sick and I won't let him out to play. Smoking meat is his job, but not today. Got the first batch in the house, working on second batch.

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NH Homesteader

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these guys look good- https://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/d/8-feeder-pigs/6293333930.html

https://carbondale.craigslist.org/for/d/feeder-pigs/6310481076.html

These guys look great!
https://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/d/duroc-berkshire-cross-pigs/6291808160.html

I would get the last ones, but going price here is around $100/head so that price is good with me. Look for alert eyes, curly tails and a pig with a good amount of heftiness to them.

Meat pigs: duroc, Gloucestershire old spot, berkshire, Yorkshire, poland China, chester white, Hampshire, red wattle, mulefoot... It's early, I'm missing someone. Also the guinea hogs, smaller lard type hogs.

All are good in their own rights. I don't like Yorkshires, they're not as hardy. Some are fattier than others. Duroc is a muscular breed that is great bred in with some of the other breeds to decrease fattiness.
 

NH Homesteader

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Also, most places spring piglets will be more expensive. Well maybe not in Texas... But anyplace that has winter, lol. I've raised pigs over the winter in NH, it gets expensive because they use up plenty of grain just staying warm. Warmer places are easy to do winter pigs.
 

CrealCritter

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This is our third time with pigs and we have bought them all from Craigslist. Kudos to you for planning on raising your own pigs!

Did I mention I really like you? I think I did... I've re-read this thread several times... the more times I read it, the more I like you. I've only dreamed about being as self sufficient as you and your husband / family are. I stand to learn a ton from you.

All humor aside... Learning is the main reason I joined SS in the first place. Lord knows I have a lot to learn.
 

baymule

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@crealbilly that is so sweet of you and I like you too. You are immensely talented in all things wood. I think you are awesome.

The best advice I can give you regarding pigs is; just jump in. It ain't rocket science. If I can you can too!
 

baymule

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Hogs are loaded. We built a small enclosure with one cow panel and a half one for a gate in the corner where the 12' gate is. Then we could block them out while we opened the 12' gate and DH backed the trailer up. Our neighbor Robert came over to help. DH dumped wood chip mulch and raked it up for a loading ramp.

I didn't feed them yesterday so they'd be hungry this morning. I saved a stinky soured bucket of corn and when they got a whiff of that, they were pretty easy to get loaded. We opened the half cow panel gate, let them into the enclosure, then shut and tied it off. After several false starts, they both climbed in and the end gate banged shut.

They are parked in the shade and I spray them down once an hour to make sure they stay cool. I fill their water tub, they blow bubbles then tump it over. We pull out 6:45 AM in the morning.

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