Got some new pigs and put together a new pen for them in the last week[attachment=0][/attachment][attachment=1][/attachment][attachment=2][/attachment]
here in the new house.[attachment=0][/attachment]
Is that a concrete floor?
Yes, then we finish in the woods for last month in electric fence under the oaks.
JT,
Are you using this to fatten them up for butchering or are you going to breed them?
Jim Altmiller
nothing like acorn fattened pork! :smile:
Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 07, 2019, 10:09:00 AM
JT,
Are you using this to fatten them up for butchering or are you going to breed them?
Jim Altmiller
fatten them up. A lot of coyotes in my area and don?t want the escaping.
So what are you doing to keep the coyotes from getting them?
Jim Altmiller
My back 5 is fenced in high field and there pen in in that. Front section had barb wire. So keeping them in the back. First go with pigs my self other then hunting the feral ones last 4 years
If you are going to continue to do this, you may want to consider building an automatic feed box. My buddy feeds 6 pigs at a time with a feeder he built and an automatic water valve. The feeder is tall and narrow with a small slot at the bottom that allows a little bit of food to go into a tray on the front. I think his holds 300 pounds of feed when full. It would save you a lot of time.
Jim Altmiller
Been looking at making the feeder. Did a 55 gallon water they drink it in 5-6 days gonna put in some plumbing to the pen and pipe in auto water but will have to be prepared for hurricane season, first to lose power last to get it back.
Same here about the power. I just finished putting power and water to the new turkey house we are building as well as Judy?s garden, shed and the old turkey pen. Rent one of those saws that are nothing but a 24? circular saw. Makes a narrow trench for easy backfill. It cuts the trench real fast.
Jim Altmiller
Pigs still growing about 150lb now [attachment=0][/attachment]
Really nice JC. You have every right to be proud. I like your set up. Would you be interested in trading some of you sausage for some top quality honey?? HAA HAA as you need more honey. :shocked:
Quote from: Ben Framed on July 13, 2019, 09:43:44 PM
Really nice JC. You have every right to be proud. I like your set up. Would you be interested in trading some of you sausage for some top quality honey?? HAA HAA as you need more honey. :shocked:
Hay I make trades all the time. Just pulled 30lb from a hive. So good for a while. Gonna hope for a nice deer to mix with it soon.
Quote from: jtcmedic on July 13, 2019, 10:38:22 PM
Quote from: Ben Framed on July 13, 2019, 09:43:44 PM
Really nice JC. You have every right to be proud. I like your set up. Would you be interested in trading some of you sausage for some top quality honey?? HAA HAA as you need more honey. :shocked:
Hay I make trades all the time. Just pulled 30lb from a hive. So good for a while. Gonna hope for a nice deer to mix with it soon.
Sounds good. Good sausage, sugar cured county fresh ham, big homemade biscuits, fresh home churned butter, good fresh just laid big brown eggs, boiled strawberries and fresh honey for the biscuits, move over Cracker Barrel!!! Oh yes , don?t for get the grits!! 😁😁😁😁
Well the pigs are in the freezer was a long process took 3 days to process after 5 days to ice and age for them all wrapped up with my wife?s help.[attachment=0][/attachment][attachment=1][/attachment][attachment=2][/attachment]
Nice! Did you do the butchering yourself? How many lbs. of meat did you get?
Thanks yes did all the butchering almost 300 lb of meat, we did 50 lb of sausage in 3 different flavors . I used to work as a meat cutter in high school learned a lot looking back it was a great job to learn the skill but at that age I thought it was torture.
Very nice! I do all my own butchering. It's a lot of work, but definitely worth it - on several levels. Very nice!
Quote from: CoolBees on September 19, 2019, 02:11:42 PM
Very nice! I do all my own butchering. It's a lot of work, but definitely worth it - on several levels. Very nice!
thanks, it is a lot of work. But my wife and I touched it all and know every piece and that is definitely worth it. Wish I had the room to do a steer but 250 is my limit for cooling down. I will hope to get a deer soon this season and our meat will be done for the year.
Quote from: jtcmedic on September 19, 2019, 04:57:29 PM
Quote from: CoolBees on September 19, 2019, 02:11:42 PM
Very nice! I do all my own butchering. It's a lot of work, but definitely worth it - on several levels. Very nice!
thanks, it is a lot of work. But my wife and I touched it all and know every piece and that is definitely worth it. Wish I had the room to do a steer but 250 is my limit for cooling down. I will hope to get a deer soon this season and our meat will be done for the year.
When I was a boy we did it a large variety. Pigs, calf, chickens, garden. fruit trees, YUM only thing ,no bees.
Quote from: Ben Framed on September 20, 2019, 02:35:53 AM
When I was a boy we did it a large variety. Pigs, calf, chickens, garden. fruit trees, YUM only thing ,no bees.
Thats so awesome Phillip. I have to say - adding the Bees has been a really amazing experience. It's almost as if they filled a previously unknown void in the equation - at our house.
Quote from: CoolBees on September 20, 2019, 10:54:38 AM
Quote from: Ben Framed on September 20, 2019, 02:35:53 AM
When I was a boy we did it a large variety. Pigs, calf, chickens, garden. fruit trees, YUM only thing ,no bees.
Thats so awesome Phillip. I have to say - adding the Bees has been a really amazing experience. It's almost as if they filled a previously unknown void in the equation - at our house.
Yes, I wish we had, had honey back then also. One thing that we did have, was sorghum molasses!! I mean the real deal! There was a family who had passed the tradition of this sorghum art to its family members, since before the Cilvil War Days, and brother it was good!!
My family still has farm in P.A. spent the summers there with my uncles it was hard work. My wife has always had there own pigs and chickens, she had a uncle with a orchard that had bees but that was years ago. I want my kids to have some other knowledge and if this can instill a little with tasing our own meat and hunting and fishing then it is worth every min of time.
Phillip - I grew up in cold country, Tapping Maple trees and making Maple Syrup. Mmmm! I have a good friend who grew up in Florida - he swears by sugar cane syrup. All of these are wonderful things! ... I'd love to try your Molasses some day. :grin:
Jtcmedic - I completely agree. Teaching the children, passing down the old ways, is the greatest investment of time anyone can make.
Quote from: Ben Framed on September 22, 2019, 04:29:14 AM
Yes, I wish we had, had honey back then also. One thing that we did have, was sorghum molasses!! I mean the real deal! There was a family who had passed the tradition of this sorghum art to its family members, since before the Cilvil War Days, and brother it was good!!
That is so cool, Phillip. Sorghum molasses is a mountain tradition around here, although I've never personally had any. Sorghum was the only real source of sugar for the mountain people back in the old days, other than honey of course.
Quote from: CoolBees on September 22, 2019, 01:27:51 PM
Jtcmedic - I completely agree. Teaching the children, passing down the old ways, is the greatest investment of time anyone can make.
x2
Nice job! I used to raise pastured pork. Berkshires and Berkshire/old spot crosses...they did well for us.