Still have a bag of corn steep liquor i never used. Going to start feeding it once the piglets are a little bigger. I’m reading start with 3% of their feed and work up to 5% when you get closer to finishing. Stoked I can re purpose it.
Thanks for the tip @AgTonik
Also found this paper on it
Just skim read this, going to read it full tonight.
Second keeper gilt. Picking up a third from a breeder a few hours south of us. Super stoked on the next year of pig progression.
They are some lookers, for sure!
Piglets are being weaned and then the 3 we sold go home next weekend. Once they leave we are going to put the piglets in the new paddock for the first time. Set up a 3 acres for them. Has 2 different springs running through it and is a mix of wetlands and sub irrigated pasture. Pretty cool because it stays green even in the hottest parts of summer. Excited for the pigs to get to eat the cattails
Since we are only growing out 6 feeders this year, I’m letting them have the run of the whole 3 acres from start til finish, see how it can handle them. I will be moving the feeder and waterer around throughout the summer since that area always ends up getting a little moonscaped, but that’s it. Going to put our sow out there also but move her around in her own single wire paddock, so that she can’t eat all the feed lol. Next season when we do 20ish out there, I will end up breaking it down into smaller paddocks and rotate them
Our new Berkshire boar. 8 weeks old. This one will be for breeding our gilts we are keeping from this litter. Once he is big enough he will breed the older sows too and we will phase out our current boar.
The new pasture is a major success so far. We Have our old boar and an lgd out there right now testing it out. Will have been out there a week on Friday and So far so good. Piglets get their second deworming on the 18th and then they will be moved out there around the 21st. I don’t feel we have an issue with worms (all pigs seem very healthy and have no issues putting on weight), just doing it as a preventative when they are young, and then they will get an herbal dewormer mixed in their food the rest of the time we are growing them out.
Also got deposits down on our next two gilts, stoked on the genetics we will be bringing in from them. This will put us at 5 sows (4 of them currently gilts and then our sow that farrowed this spring) that will farrow next spring (as long as things go as they should with breeding). My goal is to sell 2/3 of the piglets and keep 1/3 of them to grow out.
Feels good to have a plan coming together.
Little update. Got our llc started. The wife has been working hard on branding and social media presence. All our butcher hogs for this fall are sold. Next year we will be doing whole/half hogs as well as selling cuts. The wife and kids will be hitting 3 farmers markets per week and we will be shipping as well. Also Working on a contract with the local school district and county jail so that we can hopefully supply them with sausage Pattie’s and links (crossing my fingers we can lock this in). We have gotten an insane amount of interest so far and I have a really good feeling about it all. Just going to stay grinding and hopefully keep the dream alive.
I want to follow and support! What’s the IG?
This mornings work.
Butchered our oldest kune. These pigs suck for meat production (not the quality, just the quantity you get vs how long they take to grow out), but at-least the lard is plentiful.
If I was somewhere more temperate they could make sense, but when you have winters like us they end up having to eat hog ration and I can’t justify it. With how bad their feed conversion rate is, it Feels like you are just throwing money away all winter lol.
I wish we were closer. I’d love to barter with you. I render well.
One of our pregnant sows. Due in about a month. Getting her farrowing area all set up now and will move her over tomorrow morning. Then we have another one that is due end of November.
Butchered a 600ish lb boar yesterday and got a shit ton of sausage. Stoked that it doesn’t even have any weird flavor to it, didn’t know what to expect as this was our first boar we had really tried to keep the meat from. The kune boar we just fed to the dogs.
that’s a huge bitch!
She is a healthy girl for sure. Still super docile though, she will lay down and my kids can crawl all over her. Berks are really amazing animals imo
Whenever this thread pops up I think it’s about people who have had kids that become cops
Hahaha if my kids become cops I have failed as a parent.
Momma pigs milk is dropping and she seems like she is starting to nest. Piglets soon. Stoked
I think the lady we got her from was a little off on her due date
Maybe she only knew when her husband was “inseminating” it
Couple loads of pumpkins and squash for pig feed. Can’t beat free.
Ended up getting 3 loads, all about the same size. Pretty hyped. Will definitely be a nice little supplement for them!
On the sows and boars I will cut their grain ration in half when I’m feeding them this. Feeders still get full time feed but some pumpkins on top as a treat.
Epic.
Any pork Stomach / chicharrones
Any more bacon shots? Jowl looks goooood
