Newest venture on the farm!

[Ryan]

We've been working on getting into pigs for quite some time now, ever since friends invited us over for dinner and we had ham stakes from pigs they raised themselves. That was the first time I've really ever tasted real pork, there just isn't any comparison with store bought. Eventually we would like to breed our own, Tamworths in particular but for now these two weanlings we picked up this past weekend will do just fine for our freezer next fall.

Meet Bravo and Charlie.....Sweetened loves her themes when naming the animals and refused the usual "Bacon and Pork Chop". This time she wanted a Military theme lol.




They're in a temporary pen inside the shop that's being used as our barn, I 80% finished the pig pen last fall when we were originally looking for some so I'll finish that off this weekend and move them to their permanent home.

[redmoose]

Exciting stuff Ryan. Pigs are next on my list too.

Do you have heat in your shop? If not, how do they tolerate the cold?

[Sweetened]

I won't steal Ryan's post, but the place we got them from was... wow, incredibly cold! I was surprised, really.

[Pig Whisperer]

Nice!

Time to fatten them up.

[niglefritz]

What we were told, and tried, was giving our pigs a round straw bale to keep them occupied and warm. They dug into it and had fun, and I tell you, those were the toastiest pigs outside even in the coldest of winter blasts.

Recently, a neighbor fellow originally from Scotland told us that over there they put large rocks in the outdoor pens to help keep things drained. We have had issues with them building up mud walls in a pen, and then when it rains they have a mud pool. It is not good for them at all, and it was hard to drain it, as the mud was super thick. Once our pig is gone, we plan to move it to a different area with some minor changes.

I have been reading with interest how to do the electric fencing for them. Now, how does that work as far as predators go? I have been wondering that for some time. I know some do this as well for poultry, but I don't see how it would protect poultry from certain ground predators.

[Pig Whisperer]

So far, have had no issues with predators in the pasture. I do keep one of the strands pretty low to the ground, which might help. I'm a little worried at times though, you can hear the coyotes in the bush, which is within 50 meters of the pig huts.  

[Ryan]

Exciting stuff Ryan.  Pigs are next on my list too.

Do you have heat in your shop?  If not, how do they tolerate the cold?

The shop is insulated and there's an oil furnace in there but I haven't been heating it at all. As Sweetened mentioned all they've known before we got them was a small pen in an unheated and uninsulated barn that didn't even have much bedding, just the other pigs for warmth.

So far a nice big pile of hay is more than enough, they bury themselves down and keep close to eachother and look perfectly fine. Dry and out of the wind are always the two biggest factors.

[Ryan]

So far, have had no issues with predators in the pasture. I do keep one of the strands pretty low to the ground, which might help. I'm a little worried at times though, you can hear the coyotes in the bush, which is within 50 meters of the pig huts.  

I'm not so worried about predators at our place as Lola our Pyr has done an amazing job of keeping coyotes out of the yard since we got her, before that it was a constant threat. I have heard of coyotes testing electric fencing, most if they get shocked back off and stay away but there are others that will learn to jump it.

Best predator protection by far is an LGD (Livestock guardian dog) as long as you can get a good one that won't go after the smaller livestock itself(Chickens).

[niglefritz]

We have found that our norwegian elkhound does a great job of keeping coyotes (she controls the ones that might get too close until we shoot them) and bears out of our place. A fox, well...she is getting older already. We are hoping that by getting a new young male to help her out, that good things will continue.

She is good with poultry, except possibly snagging a few little ones (ducklings) here and there...but we were not sure it was her. They did wander and get lost sometimes. We found some in odd places. She is naturally excellent at guarding and herding and also trustworthy with the kids.

They were kept and used by the Vikings. I think that is wonderful.

[Ryan]

Believe it or not our ultimate farm dog is not our dedicated LGD Lola the Great Pyr although she does great with what we need her to do. No our best all around farm dog is actually my 11 yr old American Bulldog X named Bull or Bulldozer, I know not very creative but he's my boy.

Bull spent most of his life living in the city, by 6 months old no one in their right mind would dare mess around with my house or his family. He loved everyone and everything unless he thought you were a threat and he was damn good at recognizing a threat. When we moved onto the farm it was a brand new experience to Bull and so were all the animals we've added since. Bull however can walk around chickens without even looking twice, well except when our old rooster attacked him....he turned tail and ran!! He's great with every animal on this farm and I trust him completely but he never lost his protective instinct, he's killed a couple coyotes even though I'd rather he didn't get into that these days.

Great farm dogs are born not made and priceless on the farm.

[ooptec]

They train real fast on a elec fence. They're smart. That way you can easily move them around. Great rototillers for cleaning up scrub in the trees by yard and in pastures. Winter exceptionally in coldest weather outside if have round straw bales to use. Farrow out there too no matter what the weather if straw. No need to clean bldgs or pay for heat if have the room outside

Never heard of coyotes etc bothering pasture pigs. Pigs are very good at lookin' after themselves and coyotes are very smart as to what is easy and what is not.

Coyotes won't even bother newborn calves if is any momma cows around. They know that one little alarm bawl from a calf and all the mom's will stampede over there and turn it into a grease spot. Dead ones, another story. Cows even w/calves won't stop them then and why would you want them to?

Neighbor installed cameras in his calving barn and corrals. Says several times nightly coyotes thread their way thru the cows and calves in the pens and neither pay the least attention to the other.

Lady who still milks and I get my milk, cream and cottage cheese from had some pigs her whole life as they consumed the surplus as well as whey etc. People would drive miles to buy a milk fed pig for butcher. She's pensioned now but still milks and sells and is talking about getting a few piglets as hates spilling on the ground.

Whey is killer good for laying hens and they love it. She gives me when go for coffee once a week or so, but has lots I don't use. Make ricotta too in winter out of it for the birdie girls as doesn't last long enuf to freeze like whey does.

[niglefritz]

I just can't bring myself to give the whey to the chickens, even though I know that it is good for them. We use it for so much else here. I use it in bread, & as a hearty soup base. It has so many other uses too, but that is what I do with it. I generally freeze it for these purposes. I will need to make more cheese soon because our stock is getting low.

My dad had said that he had pig meat from milk fed pigs, and he said that it was mushy and tasteless. This is why we have only given young ones milk, that and we generally can consume all of our milk in one way or another. We drink lots of milk.

I wonder what other specific factors played into this lady's meat and also the meat that my dad had. I know that a lot of things can affect flavor and they most likely the texture too.

[Fowler]

"No whey!" - Ted, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

[niglefritz]

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