We finally moved the last load of pigs to foothill to finish their growing season. This became an emergency with the three new litters on the ground. The "teenager" pigs keep pushing the piglets away to get to moms milk... and the piglets suffer. So off they go!
I am happy with our pig loading setup. We used it three times so far this season, with slight adjustments each time, and it worked amazingly well ! We were able to safely load a trailer load of pigs in record time! When I get a chance I'll take some pictures to show how we built the setup.
We also have a third generation setup at foothill for the electric movable pen. The first one had the heavy wooden corners, that arent necessary at foothill (because the ground there is soft). The second had t posts but the pigs kept burying the lower electric line. The third one is improved so that they do much less burying.
This setup I am very happy with. one person should be able to set up a new pen, move the pigs, and break down the old one within a couple hours. Its amazingly easy! And so far no escapees! We now have a total of 38 pigs in various stages of growth in a pen that moves to fresh pasture once a week. I estimate that a third to half of their diet is grass, roots, and bug foraging with the other part being sprouted grain. they get an abundance of minerals and probiotics by rooting around int eh fresh soil all day. Happy pigs!
We will be posting pictures of the pasture pen setup soon also.
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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