Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

I'm here! We didn't lose power with the snow -yet! We're supposed to get another 6-12 inches tomorrow into Wednesday....so hopefully we'll still have power

So far everyone is A-OK. It did get pretty cold last night, and was only 1* when we got up this morning, so I was running - er...can't run in this deep white mess - so I was trudging lol - as fast as I could to the piggies to make sure they were ok since it was so cold. They were good! I mixed up their pig food, and they were happy as could be to get their breakfast! I love their little snorting noises they make as they eat! and they literally squeal - I like to pretend it's with joy - when they see us coming with the bucket - I also like to pretend they are happy to see US and not just happy to see their bucket of food. Yes, I realize I am just fooling myself.

BBH, we buy 50# bags of Pig/Sow feed. It looks like a bunch of ground up corn or a mash of sorts. We mix it up with water, looks like a thick porridge when we're done, and they eat it up. I think it helps that our Pig Man was feeding them the same thing before we got them.

How often are you feeding him? We're mixing up pig feed and filling our piggies bowl twice a day, and setting out fresh water as often as we can for them.

They loved the banana I chopped up for them. I only chopped up one banana, and made sure they all got some.

I wanna try chopping up some apples for them, too.

I'm also really trying to not make pets out of them all (Except Bella) but it's hard, especially when they are running right up to our feet, looking up at us, and talking to us in pig speak....or is that pig latin?

Our piggies are sooooo cute! I love 'em!

E, who was all "we're not gonna raise and breed our own pigs" is coming around to the idea! It helps that my mom bought him the Stories Guide to Pigs, and he's been reading that thing like it's his bible! LOL He is into it now!

We're building our Hog Heaven inside Cow Pie Pasture, so if the piggies escape Hog Heaven, we'll still have them sorta confined in Cow Pie Pasture. Thinking of running our electric fence around the perimeter of Cow Pie Pasture, but we'll see.

We've gotta build a Sow Sauna and a Boar Batchelor Box. The Pig Book says you gotta keep Boars by themselves, until it's time to "do the deed". Don't have a boar yet, but we want to have the housing situation all under control before we jump into Breeding Basics.

I'm so excited about these pigs!!

And, I think we've narrowed it down to 3 pig breeds to choose from....Hampshire, Duroc, or Giant Blacks....I like all three! GAH! How does one choose?!

Giant Blacks are expensive to get, but a wonderful Heritage Breed.

The other two make adorable piglets! HAHA I love the golden to red color of the Duroc piggies! They are dolls! (It's why two of our piggies have red in them!)

Hampshires are you black piggies with the white band around their belly....if we go with them, we've gotta name the Boar Oreo...it's a must!

Anyhoo....

Told ya'll, I'm addicted to this farming thing! LOL and what's funnier, when our piggies arrived, first words out of my mouth, "Eeeeeek!! We're really farmers now! We got PIGS!!!"

I'm such a dork!

Just need that tractor, and we're complete! whoot!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Everyone ok after the big snow? Glad you found Monroe!

I have a question for ya about your piglets. They seem to be the same age as my pig. Do yours like "piglet food"? Mine hates it and refuses to eat it.

My piggies will be 8 weeks old on Wednesday. Is your food pellets? Ours is not.

Do you give him a lot of treats?!

Ours aren't breaking down fences - yet. Why are you putting in the third fence?!

 

[big brown horse]

Everyone ok after the big snow? Glad you found Monroe!

I have a question for ya about your piglets. They seem to be the same age as my pig. Do yours like "piglet food"? Mine hates it and refuses to eat it.

My piggies will be 8 weeks old on Wednesday. Is your food pellets? Ours is not.

Do you give him a lot of treats?!

Ours aren't breaking down fences - yet. Why are you putting in the third fence?!

"Benson" aka Porky is an escape artist. He originally was housed in the chicken coop's run b/c the chickens don't use it during the day, they just sleep in there. It is very sturdy, fully enclosed and lined with landscape timbers at the base. I was told not to house them with chickens, and he stank it up, so I built him an area off to the side yard about 100x100...mostly forest and some grass. He escapes that like there is no tomorrow. I still have not found where he gets out. So now the third attempt...a sturdy landscaped-timber-lined fenced future garden plot. He is going to build me a sweet, tilled garden addition while he is among the living...though may not get to finish the job if he gets out of that!

Ok food, now I got him the piglet 16%-something pellets...my "pig man" (funny how we both have one ) recommended. He said that is all he needs and treats are optional. Well, he loves boiled eggs and bananas, so he gets those especially when we have to lure him back to his pen. He roots around the whole yard eats treats, steals dog food BUT wont touch the pig food. He is spoiled rotten and has an "I'm entitled" attitude.

 

[keljonma]

That must have been pretty worrisome for you, so I am glad to hear you found Monroe and he was okay!

I am with you - sick of winter and it sounds like we are going to get another 5 to 10 inches this week up here ...

I am sending you an email...

Stay warm and safe!

 

[FarmerDenise]

Quail, I am sure glad you found Monroe. I know how worried I was, last month, when we couldn't find Susie.

I am ready for spring also. I want to dry out and warm up. I'm tired of being soggy and cold. The chicken house needs a major clean up and hose down and we cannot do that in cold wet weather. The rabbit pen needs cleaning too. I have boxes and boards on bricks in there to keep Hutch the rabbit on dry ground, but it is nasty on the floor of his pen And he poops in his litter box, so the nastyness is from old wet hay, spilled kibbles and his fur. I try to get it out, but it is hard to do a good job, when everything is a soggy mess and no sun to dry it out.

 

[keljonma]

And, I think we've narrowed it down to 3 pig breeds to choose from....Hampshire, Duroc, or Giant Blacks....I like all three! GAH! How does one choose?!

Giant Blacks are expensive to get, but a wonderful Heritage Breed.

Around here, Duroc x Hampshires are very popular and as a result, "a dime a dozen"..... so I'm not sure how a pure Hamp or pure Duroc would sell....

(Personally, I love the Giant Blacks and the Landrace.... but I'm not set up for raising pigs right now. :/ )

Keep doing research. Is it possible that you could raise the Giant Blacks and make a tidy profit because of their rarity and the fact that they are a heritage breed?

 

[rty007]

QA I admit I am still trying to figure out who's got how much land here but if you have a couple of acres of forest, you could make it a home to those piggies. I have an uncle who has vast lands, vineyard (a couple of acres) and a forest on it( about (12ha) 40 acres of forest I think) so he divided it by electric fence into 4 padocs built a small "hut" on each of them and released a couple of piggies in there he rotates them somehow. He says that he gets some deaths sure, but in his opinion (mine too for that matter) it is THE BEST pork you can find. The piggies run like crazy around, he says he throws in some seeds in each plot every year and what rises goes for the piggies. directly or is thrown over the fence. he says that it might not be the best economic wise way, but sure is the yummiest his main income is the vineyard and a nursery of vine plants so his "kielbasa" ing: is a bonus.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

keljonma, I'll have to wait until I am on my computer to check my emails. Right now I'm on the kids computer printing out their assignments. Actually, just printing out DS1's assignments. Younger DS and DD are done with theirs for the day.

I'm really liking this online schooling! DD is breezing through her assignments, and is having no troubles at all!

The boys' assignments are a little more involved, and they need me with them more than DD does with their work. I have to work with them on the lessons, so that's OK.

The coolest part is, they only really have to do 1 lesson a day. 1 Lesson doesn't mean 1 assignment. Each lesson tends to have all 4 subjects in it, so they are doing 1 assignment in Social Studies, Science, Reading, and Math daily. It's so cool and pretty easy.

Except the KidPix program. It's like a fancy formatting of paint shop, and it took almost 2 weeks for the boys and me to figure it out. Once we got through it though and figured things out, we were like, "This is cool!"

The best part is, my kids are getting an education, I don't have to provide/make up the lesson plan, and they are still home with me!!! WHOOT!!!

Anyhoo....

Back to pigs...

keljonma, Giant Blacks are really the breed I would like to have, but we're talking like $300 a piglet. Not sure I can do that yet, but it's worth looking into.

I did find one breeder in Ohio for Giant Blacks. I think they are in South Western Ohio. I'll have to look that back up.

BBH, see if you can get the mash stuff (pig/sow feed) that's not a pellet at your feedstore. It runs us about $8-$10 a bag, depending on where you get it. I'm telling you, Benson will love it (if he doesn't, somethings wrong with his taste buds!)

Ok, well, gotta go for now ya'll. Got the math worksheet printed out and we're going to go have some addition fun! whoot!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

QA I admit I am still trying to figure out who's got how much land here but if you have a couple of acres of forest, you could make it a home to those piggies. I have an uncle who has vast lands, vineyard (a couple of acres) and a forest on it( about (12ha) 40 acres of forest I think) so he divided it by electric fence into 4 padocs built a small "hut" on each of them and released a couple of piggies in there he rotates them somehow. He says that he gets some deaths sure, but in his opinion (mine too for that matter) it is THE BEST pork you can find. The piggies run like crazy around, he says he throws in some seeds in each plot every year and what rises goes for the piggies. directly or is thrown over the fence. he says that it might not be the best economic wise way, but sure is the yummiest his main income is the vineyard and a nursery of vine plants so his "kielbasa" ing: is a bonus.

We have a little over 7 acres here.

We do have a little bit of a woodsy area, but it's not huge. We're working on purchasing the wooded 2 acres across the road from us from my parents. I bet if we fenced all of that in, it'd make a great pig lot! whoot!

 

[lorihadams]

Wow, sounds like you've been having one heck of a week. I'm tired just reading about it. The piggies look scrumptious.....glad to hear you found Monroe safe and sound.....sorry about Job and Trouble but it sounds like it may be a better situation now that they're gone. We are supposed to get more snow tomorrow.....how about you guys?