american guinea hog – Peacock Orchard

Every animal on our property needs the pigs

I have found the pigs to be surprising in their usefulness. Yes, they are delicious and extremely cheap to keep spring through fall. I didn’t expect the million other things they’ve done for the property and those that live here.

First of all, when we bought the pigs we had a problem. I actually asked game and fish to come out and try to figure out what was murdering all of our poultry. We lost a lot of them; peacocks, ducks, chickens, etc. It was determined it was likely a raccoon and we couldn’t catch it because it kept breaking out of our live trap. I had just accepted the end of poultry keeping. Then Joey was brought to our property and suddenly the killing stopped. We haven’t lost a single animal since getting Joey 4 years ago. So, highly recommend putting a boar in your barn. Apparently nothing wants to mess with one!

Next pig benefit is the way they roam the property digging randomly. Our property needs some disruption. It also unearths things for the poultry to eat. They love to follow them around picking up things they’ve dug up for them.

One very unexpected thing is that the pigs have absolutely no problem breaking the ice in the waterers. I try to make sure they have fresh, unfrozen water twice a day. It’s cold while I’m at work though. It freezes over. I don’t know how many times I’ve gone out to give them more water to find the ice broken and random animals taking advantage. I’ve found the cats in their water. The chickens, of course. Wild birds and rabbits. Water isn’t found often around these parts and in the winter it gets rough. The pigs are personally responsible for hydrating every animal on our property.

They also keep the chickens warm. I’ve found the chickens sleeping on them when it’s real cold out. Oh piggies, I do love you!

Obstacle Course step 2- Trees!

We decided the path could really benefit from the addition of some trees for shade while we are sitting and watching the kids play. So, we ordered 25 American Plum trees, 5 chokecherry trees and a single Eastern Red Cedar (because that’s all they had for sale).

Planting was a family affair. Daughter drove her car with the trees in the back and shovels. Husband and I would dig the holes and the kids would work together to plant the trees.

The problem with getting out there was that Daughter had ice cream and Carnitas the pig really, really wanted it.

It’s been a few months since we planted the trees and it’s been not great. They were eaten. We put tree collars on them. They were smacked and broken by hail. They were potentially eaten again, in spite of the collars. We have maybe 8 left. /sigh

The Homestead Dinner Process

Step 1: purchase breeding stock and breed pigs.

Step 2: Butcher pigs.

Step 3: Prepare trimmings for grinding

Step 4: Grind sausage

Step 5: Prepare filling and refrigerate.

Step 6: Prepare pasta.

Step 7: Fill pasta with pork sausage filling.

Step 8: Enjoy the perfectnss of your home made ravioli

Step 9: Cook in a white wine garlic sauce.

Step 10: Enjoy!

Sainfoin Year 4

Every year we eagerly await our sainfoin bloom. Acres of pink flowers blowing in the breeze. The sound of bees buzzing and watching butterflies flit from flower to flower fills me with joy. The sainfoin, it’s a success.

This year the pigs set out every morning to much their way through the field of growing sainfoin plants. I find how the pigs graze on the sainfoin quite interesting. They’ll take a bite of the top of a plant and then move on to bite a different one, leaving tracks through the fields as they explore all the plants with their mouths. It is also a very sustainable way of grazing. As they never eat an entire plant there are always flowers left to bloom and go to seed.

The field in it’s beginning growth this spring being grazed by our boar.

I don’t believe the sainfoin is as tall this year as it was last. It was a weird spring though, with snows into June and warmer weather in between. It killed many a plant and tree with the instability of the weather. Still, the field was tall enough that I lost the pigs in it entirely several times and freaked out thinking they’d wandered away or been taken.

We wandered through the fields many an evening trying to determine if the field was thickening and spreading or not. It has been determined that it is indeed spreading by seed beyond the original planting area. We can tell because we planted right up to the fence line and there are many plants on the other sides of the fences now.

We also have new critter activity in the area. We’ve had a badger going crazy digging holes everywhere, even in the sainfoin field. I’m interested to see what impact that has on the sainfoin around it next year.

Also, if you are wondering if it’s nutritious, enjoy this picture of Tu-Tu who clearly isn’t missing anything in her diet.

Pig plans and expecting a baby

Surprise, baby #3 is on the way. Due in Nov/Dec with another girl. If how much she moves right now is any indication, we’re in for it! This pregnancy has been very hard on my physically. I feel generally unwell a lot. My veins in my leg are really swollen and painful. It’s really prevented me from living fully as I had been.

So with another baby expected I’ve been looking at our pigs. I believe I only want to carry one female and our boar into the winter. Our boar has had a wonderful pen built for him so we will not have any more surprise winter farrowings.

As weird as it sounds I believe I’m going to keep our older female Tu-tu and slaughter the younger, smaller females that have farrowed. This would seem like a really odd decision except…these two smaller sows have had horrible problems free ranging. Grass seeds get into their eyes and I’ve been battling a lot of eye infections in them. I’ve had to lock them up 24/7 as a result. I decided I really didn’t want to breed pigs susceptible to eye problems so we are selling all of the young and eating the sows. I don’t believe other people will have the same problem with the eyes as I have had as I’m fairly certain I’m the only person ever to free range their pigs here.

So Ads are up for the piglets and we are excited to see them go to their new homes. Wish us luck!

PIGLET!

We knew it would happen. After a week of beautiful weather another hard snowstorm was expected. We’d been on high alert for one of our younger gilts to farrow. As the days ticked by we just knew she would do it as soon as it started snowing. Lo and behold, she did.

Monday morning I went out to do my normal checks and feeding and there was the tiniest little piglet shivering in the hay. I grabbed it up and stuck it in my coat to go inside to warm up. Then I turned on the heat lamp (which was not on before for safety reasons) and went out to check on Mama. She had another piglet (3x larger than the one in the house) that was stillborn. I couldn’t save it. No others.

I’m not sure what it is about my guinea hogs but they have TINY first litters. Tu-tu just had 3 babies her first time around. She did have 8 the second time though, so there is hope. This mama had 2 and was done.

I sat out in the barn with the piglet in my coat debating what to do. Do I decide it’s too cold out and keep the piglet as a bottle baby? I know the risks involved in that. I called a few friends and asked opinions. Most told me to give mama the piglet and let what happens happen. So I did. Oh the angst. I was just determined that our 3rd farrowing be successful. I checked mama and baby often. The tiny little piglet was staying under the heat lamp and mama was laying in front of it which helped block any drafts. I put hay all around them. Still, I did not expect it to survive.

I went out the next morning sluggishly. I did not want to have to pick up another dead piglet. To my utter amazement the piglet was alive. Same with the next day, and the next. The weather has warmed back up now and mama and baby are doing just fine. It may be the smallest piglet ever but it makes my heart feel light!