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Here is our current pig family. Two big, beautiful sows that have proven to be excellent mothers and give us just the right size litters. Behind them is our happy-go-lucky boar (black). All three love to follow us around and we spoil them with their favorite snack...hard-boiled eggs.
Scroll down to see previous years' pictures and read more about our hog program. You will be amazed to see the pictures of our "demolition crew." |
For a Laugh-out-loud read on pigs, check out the September 2011 blog entry titled, "Run, Dave, Run!" in the farm journal (scroll down in the archive column)
Please note...Dave is NOT in the pasture...we are standing outside of the field! So guess who has the ability to get in and out at their convenience?!!?
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FREEDOM!!!! While the boar is trying to get some order over this meet and greet session.
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Our Pigs
Raised basically the same as our cattle. We take pride in our pastures offering grass to the pigs too. While they have access to the grass and outdoors, we figured out a couple of years ago that pigs have to have corn to grow. We tried 100% grass fed pork. It was delicious, both meals! The meat was super, but they did not grow large enough in 8 months to support their existence. So, we modified the plan, giving the hogs free choice of grass and our home grown corn. The result, much meatier pigs. When possible, we grazed our standing corn fields (as you can see below). They became mobile tillers; fertilizing and plowing as they went. We breed our own gilts/sows and farrow our own hogs. Again, we have a 100% home grown product with our hogs never leaving the farm until processing day.
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Natural Farrowing
While part or our country is sticking their hogs in farrowing crates to have their piglets, we choose the natural way. If you have never seen it, here is how the mother prepares to deliver her piglets. This is an area of about 50 square feet. She took every cornstalk in the field, piled them up all day long, and come evening she was in the middle. Most of our hogs have been farrowing at night. By morning, our girl had uncovered the pile and was nursing her litter. It is really as sight to see!
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Moving Day (PREVIOUS PIG PICTURES)
Only one pig initially moved easily from the pasture (or what was left of it as seen from the above picture) to the corn field by way of another pasture. As you can see, "Baby," our runt from last year's litter had no problem crossing where the fence once was. Baby was spared last year as she was too small to make enough sausage to be worth butchering. She has since become our pet (a very vocal one) and will be bred next year as she has finally caught up (size-wise) to her other female littermates. Oddly enough, Baby shouldn't even be with our group of 18 pigs as she was fenced in with the sow and her piglets and another Duroc gilt. Seeing that the grass must be greener on the other side, she snuck over into their field (not quite sure how with the electric fence) and left the other ladies behind without a second glance. She is now the foreman of large pig herd but will one day be reunited with her littermates. Until then, she is enjoying the lazy life in the sweet corn and getting first pick of the fruits and vegetables thrown into the field.
 The corn field before the pigs were called in to clean up. |
 That same field (not even a week later) after the demolition crew (as seen here) was brought in. |
