Today is the day... At least two hogs are scheduled to be butchered today. The "fun" part is always getting them into the processing pen to await their fate. This morning I am up bright and early, before the sun, to close the shelter pen gates and coax out the two that I want without letting the others get in the way.
It would certainly be a lot easier to do this the modern way of keeping the hogs in separate small pens and thereby having full control over them. But that would violate the basic principles of Little Sprouts Farm! We strive to provide as natural of a life as possible for each animal, which means we do not cage them like criminals in a tiny cell to live out their lives. Our principles dictate that we allow them free roam of enough land for them to feel free and able to live to their instincts.
So.. here I go to try to outsmart them. The amazing thing about these hogs (I am not sure if all are the same as the heritage breeds) is their capacity to learn. If these guys do something one time, only one, they learn it. I have often tried to simply herd them in a certain point and if I fail only once in my objective, the game is over in that way. You simply cant repeat a failed attempt, they have already learned what you are up to and how to work around it if they disagree. So herding these guys is truly a matter of matching wits. I have to change the approach enough so that they never know what to expect. I also have to be careful not to let others watch what is going on with one, because they learn that way also. If they see one hog treated a certain way and object, any that watch will refuse to go down the same path. It truly is an amazing testament to their intelligence.
Its even to the point that if I allow any adult hogs to watch me close and lock a gate, they will proceed to test that lock and gate to see if they can open it. Its not a matter of do they know how, its only a matter of can they physically do it. They know how by watching me!
So here I go! Hopefully in a short time there will be two safely locked away in the barn pen.
Follow along our adventure as we make the transition from corporate city life to the world of natural farming. Each day brings a new experience and brings us to a deeper understanding about the life and spirit that made America great. At our farm we do our best to give the animals we raise a natural, free, happy, stressfree lifestyle. Our mission is to learn and share how to manage a farming operation that is both profitable and humane.
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