Piggies!

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• 3equines Posted : 1/15/2012 2:44:12 AM Just picked up some wiener pigs, my husband and I raise a lot of our own food. I love raising the pigs, they are so fun. It makes it hard when 'the time comes' but I enjoy every minute of having them around and give them a darn good life while they are here. Meet Bob and Betty II, we have created a habit of naming all male pigs Bob and all females Betty. They are Hampshire/Berkshire cross (50/50). Bob is the black one. Betty has spots. They were pretty frightened when we got home, but once they were turned loose in their new pen they got busy following their little noses, turning up the hay and the loose dirt. They had been raised in a brood box without much environmental stimulation, so it was exciting to watch them discover their sense of smell, taste, and touch! LIKE 13 REPLIES 1953 VIEWS LAST POST DOLPHIN Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Connie Posted : 1/15/2012 1:40:34 PM Cuties.  My Hubby  brought home two jersey bull calves 3/4 years ago.  He said they were going to be beef so I named them Lunch and Dinner.  If they got loose, I was elected to go and catch them.  I would put a collar and lead on them and say "come on stupid cow" and the one I had the lead on would come and the other one would follow him.  Raising one's own food is an interesting process. LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• 3equines Posted : 1/16/2012 5:32:09 PM the pigs definitely become 'pets' because they get so tame and friendly, I leave it up to my husband to do the dirty work when the time comes. It doesn't bother me to process or consume the meat after the fact, but I just don't like to be there when they go. These two little boogers are way cuter than last year's batch, especially the female with the spots! LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• hunterseat Posted : 1/16/2012 10:42:10 PM Ooh.  I think I'd have to NOT name them.  I'd be mean to them (in my mind) and try to not like them.  It would be so difficult.  I can appreciate raising ones own food, however.  LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• danastark Posted : 1/19/2012 2:26:38 AM Ahhhh, love pigs!  They are so smart!  We used to raise them when I was a kid, sell all but 2 to butcher for ourselves.  My sister and I had so much fun with those piglets!  Usually the sow would have more piglets than she could nurse so we'd bring the runts in and care for them for a while.  Can still  hear those little hooves tapping on the floor, hard little snouts rooting at you   LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Dolphin Posted : 1/21/2012 8:16:30 PM Too cute! I just love piggies! Years ago I use to raise pigs. I had 3-5 sows and a boar. He was the biggest baby. His name was Buckwheat, a hampshire. I raised him from 10 pounds and he grew to over 1250 pounds. He would take a grape out of my hand, he was so gentle.This past summer, I raised 2 pigs for the freezer. My sister's boss named them Tom and Jerry. They were a hamp x duroc. They were the first pigs I had in about 3 years so I did all I could to stop from making them pets. But it didn't work; they knew their names and loved zucchine! Good luck with them 3equines keep us posted with new pictures! Oh, I love the names too. Everyone needs to be called something instead of "hey you". LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• 3equines Posted : 1/23/2012 7:50:03 PM Moved the piggies to a new pen.... in the greenhouse, where they will rototill and fertilize while having a great time doing it! Catching piglets is a game of strategy...... run and tackle, then get their hind legs! The only way to transport them is either by hanging onto their hind legs or putting them in a crate, they do not lead at all! But they were very happy when they got to explore their new environment, which is an average 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the outdoors, right now, and will get nice and warm on a sunny winter day. LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• danastark Posted : 1/24/2012 4:21:04 AM They are so cute!  My sister and I showed pigs in FFA way back when but our pigs were tame and we taught them go where you wanted with a stick and voice commands.  They sure are strong and can take your feet out from under you when they don't want to cooperate!!   Someday, we'll get back into pigs but the timing with our dogs will have to be right so the pig is bigger and we can get a&nbspuppy for the pig to train! LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Dolphin Posted : 1/25/2012 8:49:14 PM They look so happy. Will the greenhouse be their new home for permanent? Yes, catching piggies is a "game" unlike any other, but loading hogs into a trailer is quite another thing all together.Have fun! LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• 3equines Posted : 1/26/2012 7:05:25 PM We're keeping them in the greenhouse for a few weeks, to 'rototill' the leaves, and its nice and warm. The extra barn space is being used by a herd of mini goats right now. We tend to move the pigs around the property, my husband set up two 'pig gardens' which we plant with edible crops (they love beets, chard, peas, broccoli and carrots). Then we put the hog panels up and turn the pigs into their garden to forage and 'rototill'. We have a large wood doghouse on skids that can be moved from place to place. But it is too early in the year to move the little guys outdoors yet. LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• danastark Posted : 1/27/2012 4:15:56 AM My dad built a pigpen that just sat on the ground and he would put groundpoles under it and roll it, pig walking along inside to the next spot.  Worked great   LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Dolphin Posted : 1/28/2012 1:02:52 PM Wow that's a neat idea! I gave my feeder pigs a large outside pen and a large shed in which to live. I gave them all kinds of veggies and fruit, but my pigs favorites were always beets, apples, grapes, romaine, bananas, and cookies. The cookies were just a treat. When people come over to the farm to buy bunnies, they always say that my "meat" pigs live like kings (or queens) [] LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• 3equines Posted : 1/29/2012 1:35:26 AM Last year's pigs were CRAZY over grapes. We have several arbors but never get around to using the fruit (half the time frost hits before they are ripe) but the pigs just went bonkers over the grapes. We're looking at setting up a rabbitry for home use and for sale of meat rabbits. There is a local guy who butchers, cleans and bags rabbits and fowl for about $3 per animal - it's USDA inspected so you can actually sell the meat when it is processed there. I have no trouble doing the work myself for home use. But folks will pay $2/ pound for rabbit meat, when you can sell a good meat rabbit at $12 to $15, its easier to cut the loss and let someone else do the hard part. My husband is on to all sorts of plans for making the farm 'work' for us. We are considering investing in a brood sow and possibly a milk cow, but need to cull the horses down to 4 before we invest in any more large livestock. LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Dolphin Posted : 1/31/2012 5:44:13 PM Yeah, we use to do great selling bunnies and meat rabbits, but when the gas prices started climbing, people didn't drive out anymore. We still have 2 guys that buy from us,and they both buy live, so we don't need to mess with the butchering. Which is fine with me as I turn green when that job needs to be done. Yes, pigs are just too funny and their personalities are all so different. I just love them...good luck with your rabbit venture.... LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login