Pig Is Gone

       Finally!  A different person came and loaded him up on Sunday evening.  It was pouring rain all day and the whole while we loaded.  (can we say muddy pen?)  Pinky didn't want to load again, but, an experienced person doing it makes all the difference.  He used pallets to herd him into the doorway -- yelled for me in the trailer to keep his head up with the food.   When the pig only put his front feet in again, his hind quarters were lifted in by the tail.  It couldn't have hurt him, he didn't squeal at all, and only wanted his food.  He was in and loaded.  I was thankful he didn't have to spend another rainy night in his pen, after so much rain, he only had an island of dry land under his tarp.

     The stress at the end here trying to load them I could have done without.  Rick is pretty sure he doesn't want to do it again.  I was more than ready to do it again until this last bit.  Moving the pen became harder the older the pigs got because of all the rooting.  Maybe we just have to let all this pass in our minds and get a taste of ham before we make a decision.  Maybe a smaller pig breed we could process ourselves would be in order.  Maybe buying organic lard is the answer :-)  Anyway, just waiting on the meat and fat.....

    

    

    

.....dr momi

This Little Pig Went To Market. This Little Pig Stayed Home.

     One pig was loaded yesterday, and one pig escaped the pen.  Ugghhh!  Rick and I came to the conclusion the young kids were pure rookies loading pigs.  Even I could guess what the next move the pig was thinking before he did it, they had no clue.  "Don't let him push through that side!!"  Fell on empty ears as I watched the young man do not a thing.    .....and Pinky was loose.  The pen not being secure was my fault.  We chased him around for 1 1/2 hours.  As they were leaving the driveway I finally lured him back into the pen with food.

     I don't think Pinky sees well.  I mean worse than other pigs.  According to the young men he was the worst pig they ever had to load.  What???  I raised a rogue pig???  I don't think so.  I think he can't see well and wasn't going to go into that dark truck.  And he's big.  And if he wants to turn around he will.  And he did.  Gordo walked right in for food.  (they brought the ramp this time)

    The search is on for a different processing place -- I'm not doing "strike three".

Being lonely has not stopped him from eating.

.....dr momi

Pig Wrestling

     Ok then, that was a learning experience.  If you think we fought with them and got them on the truck -- think again.  They are still here.  The closest we got was the front feet in the trailer.  Two young men came with a nice rig with a 1 1/2 foot step in.  The pig pen was downhill from the truck which made the step higher yet.  They "forgot" their piece of plywood for a ramp.  Well......I didn't have any around.  There was no way a bucket over the head and back them in would work with that high of a step.  I thought Pinky was going to die of heat stroke so I said, "how bout you come next Mon. with your equipment, and I move the cage to an uphill position from the truck by then."  They only pick-up on Monday's.  So, next Monday it is.

     And this has never happened in a very long time to me.  I grabbed my camera for pictures and the battery was dead.  Well, this has been an interesting morning.!!!!!

    




If they were this small we could have just picked them up :-)

.....dr momi

Pig Sayings

      All of these "sayings" about pigs make perfect sense to me now that I've owned pigs.


     "Squealing like a pig."  I will never forget the ear splitting squeal those piglets let out when the guy who sold them to me picked them up by the hind legs to put in my crate.  It actually hurt my ears.

     "This place looks like a pig pen."  When the kids were growing up, many a bedroom looked "rooted up".

     "Smacking like a pig!"  Pigs really do smack.  .....but only because it tastes so good!  :-)

     "Eating like a pig."   Pigs like to eat fast before someone else gets it.  And, they eat, and eat, and eat.....

     "Dirty as a pig."  Pigs roll in the mud to keep cool and keep bugs off.  I remember Logan in the muddy sandbox saying to me, "Grandma, I'm just like the pigs.....I like mud."  :-) 

     "Sweating like a pig."  LOL, every time I would say "I'm sweating like a pig" this hot, hot, summer; my husband would remind me that pigs don't sweat!   And then there is.....
    
    "Sleeping like a pig."   My own coined term. (See Sleeping Like A Pig)   .....you know.  Like when kids won't get out of that bed for school, and end up falling back to sleep.  (Yes, my darling kid, you know who you are. :-)

    

       Having pigs for the first time has been a learning experience.  I'd do it again.  Monday is the day the pigs meet their destiny.  Not looking forward to fighting them onto the truck.  I'll let you know how it goes.



No worries.....he's eating overgrown cooked beets :-)


.....dr momi

Linked To: Farm Girl Friday
Linked To: Homestead Barn Hop

I'd say.....Half Grown

     The pigs are growing exponentially. 

    They have long out grown their "doghouse",  and we were trying to figure out how to shelter them.  The problem is, that moving the dog kennel every week has worked out so well, we don't want a shelter that would stop us from doing that.  Now I think, because it is (finally) summer, if they are protected from the sun and rain with some tarps, that they will be just fine.  The plan is to butcher in late Aug. or early Sept. anyway. 

     Rick built a shelter, but it is too big and heavy for inside the kennel, and using it outside the kennel with some pig panels makes it too hard to pick up and move it.  Guess what, the pigs have no idea we are having this conundrum :-).  They are still way happy pigs.  Extra duck and chicken eggs,  last years venison (from a nasty big buck -- shall we say a bit strong tasting), fish head and roe soup, and weeds from the corn rows are all supplementing their feed right now.  When they see me in the garden, they beg like little dogs for food.

     On the "cleared land" after we move the pen, we ended up planting oats.  We now have 6 successions of planted oats.  The first plot is just heading out.  There is some weeds in it, but not quack grass!  I doubt we will get grain on all of it, (probably planting some of it too late) but it is fun experimenting.  The oats will be for feeding the chickens this winter.  We will dry it and leave it on the straw.  When I throw it to the chickens, it becomes bedding and scratch all in one.




Oats are just starting to head out.
We're working the pen back this way,
should end up with a 48' x 24' new garden space.
Check out Happy Growing Pigs to see how
we started out this adventure.





You KNOW what I'm thinking......  :-)

   
.....dr momi

Happy Growing Pigs

     Check out how well the pigs cleared "quack grass city" in only a week and a half.  It's not perfect, but now I think I can get the roto-tiller in there.  It will all get turned under to help keep the smell under control.  In the middle I am planting some giant pumpkins.  If the manure doesn't burn them out, the pumpkin leaves will keep it shaded and weeds held down for this year.




"Gordo" is running around, playing like a dog.

     This last Sunday three of our guys just picked up the pen, and moved it to the next section of land to clear.  The pigs never got scared, just thrilled when all of a sudden green grass showed up :-).  It's taken them only 2 days to root it up like you see now.  I think they figured out what their "job" is!  The old dog kennel is working out great for now.  So is the old dog igloo for a shed.  They love it.  Rick is already building a lean-to for when they are too big for this.  We fit the old 50 gallon waterer that we had, with a pig watering spout, works like a charm.  We just have to get it up on some bricks so they don't keep pushing dirt up into it. Notice the fly trap is already in place, but it's been so cold, there really aren't any flies yet!!  Huh, blessing in disguise!
     Tonight for supper they had warm fish egg, fish spine, fish head and rice goolosh.  They were so full they couldn't eat another bite.  Then they started playing tag with each other.  They seemed awful happy to me :-)

.....dr momi

Sleeping Like A Pig

     I thought I killed them.   "I killed the bees and now the pigs!!", was running through my head.  The morning after their first night here, I went to give the pigs breakfast.  This wasn't all that early mind you, maybe 9:30.  I called to them as I came out.  ......I've been practicing my pig call :-).  Nobody moved.  I opened the squeaky door.  Nobody moved.  I peeked in their dog igloo (which they love, but won't fit in for long) and yelled "time to wake up".  Nobody moved.  Did I see them breathing?  I started to panic.  I kicked the side of the kennel four times -- not all that gently.  Nobody moved.  I was distraught now.  I went to the front of the kennel thinking I was going to be pulling dead pigs out, when all of a sudden, deep scared oinks shot out!  I think I actually jumped off the ground!  I scared them and they scared me :-)

     I have never seen an animal sleep that hard before.  You've heard of "eating like a pig"?  Well, I'm coining a new term, "sleeping like a pig".   :-)

Of course, trying to get a picture of them sleeping didn't work :-)
Oh,.....they ended up with names.  Pinky and Gordo.

.....dr momi

Weaners Are Ready

     No, I didn't misspell weaner.  (I may have misspelled, "misspell" but not weaner :-) Two weaned from their mother piglets, just joined the Redtail Ridge family today.  They are in their pen and secure as I write this. ......chowing down on quake grass roots!

     They have a job to do before they become food.  The job is to clear out another section of land behind the garden that will be used for growing grain to feed all my animals.  I'm taking this sustainability stuff to heart.  I want to be able to produce the food to raise my pigs and chickens and ducks.  Feed prices aren't going down!

     So far the piglets have taken their new job seriously and are rooting away out there furiously.  Man those noses are strong!



Starting at 40 lbs. each, they should be about 300 lbs. this fall.
Welcome to Redtail Ridge piglets!


     I watched the ducks race over to the pigs with their necks stretched long to see who just moved in.  The pigs had their noses to the air to smell who was coming to greet them.  It was so funny to watch.  About 15 feet away from each other everybody went back to grazing/rooting, and the official greeting was over :-) .


.....dr momi

Ordering Trees/Bushes

     Rick (my husband) and I have been getting our order together from the Menominee Conservation District in Upper Michigan. We ordered from them last year.  The trees and bushes were absolutely beautiful!  So strong and healthy.  We learned the lesson of not ordering more than we can plant in the next day or two from when we get them.  Rick and his brother ordered 200 Norway spruce and some apples last year.    ..........let's just say the chiropractor could have used a chiropractor :-) They are ordering 100 Norway spruce this year and some wild apple trees for their hunting land.  Hopefully they spread it out over two days.  They won't get any help from me :-) 

     I will be planting what I buy for the homestead.  Last year what I bought from them was; 5 elderberries,  5 sand cherries,  5 nannyberries, 5 highbush cranberries, a Wolf River apple tree, and a flowering crab apple.  Everything is alive and well.

     This year I'm buying 5 nankin cherries, 5 more highbush cranberries (part of a windbreak), a Lodi apple tree, 5 hazelnut trees,  10 forsythia bushes, a Stanley plum, and a Victory plum.  That's about all the holes I can dig.  Actually, I will have most of the holes dug and ready before they come.

     Why such an array?  Am I really interested in feeding the turkeys and deer?     uuhhhh No.  I'm sure they will take their share though.  Everything being planted has a reason.  It's either food for our table, with any extra going to the pigs, ducks, and chickens, or, I am specifically planting it for winter feeding of the chickens.  (all those small fruits I will dry).  The forsythias are for early feeding of my bees (and because I love them blooming so early in the spring too :-)........and I might make some sand cherry wine this year. :-)

   

Raising A Pig

     30 years living in the country and I never had an urge to raise a pig for butcher.  Now I want one.  I want it for two reasons.  1)  I hate weeding, and my garden is always out of control come late summer.  It is my understanding that a pig allowed in your garden after the harvest is done, will root up those crab grass roots, and leave some manure for next season!  2)  I want the lard.  I want the lard for the very occasional high heat frying I do.  .....and for my bread recipe that calls for shortening.  .....and for pie crust.
     Lard is stable at high heats.  In other words, it won't throw off free radicals.   Every time I fry perch in vegetable oil I cringe.   Vegetable oil is not stable at high temperatures, and gives off free radicals.  I know it's not a good thing to be doing.  My bread recipe calls for shortening ---I won't do it! --- full of trans fats, formed by the hydrogenation process.  I don't make many pies, but, have you ever had pie crust made with lard?  We are talkin' about flaky.  .....and the plus to all this, lard is an excellent source of vitamin D.  I know this is thinking outside the box for some of you.  Try googling "free radicals", "trans fats", and yes "lard".  The thinking is changing on this stuff.
     The meat will be organic, and I will save some ribs for a summer picnic, the hams, some bacon, and try some liver sausage.  The rest I will probably give away.  (we just don't eat that much pork, I know my Dad wants some pork chops that taste like when he was growing up -- he can't find it in the store.)
     So, I am gathering fence posts and pig panels, figuring out feeders and waterers.  Checking into solar electric web fencing too.   Come spring I just need to find my feeder pig.  Maybe someone will barter for maple syrup.......