Pigs

Last fall we were so excited when we purchased our first piglets.  We purchased two male piglets that had been, what they call, cut.  That means they had been fixed.  The breeders of the piglets will do this when the piglets are just a few days or about a week old.  The breeders state this will make the temperament of the pig better during the process of raising them.  Plus it will let you keep them together with the little girls without the problem of breeding happening.

Our two boys we picked up from a local farmer and we put them in a crate in the back of my SUV to bring them home.  At this age they are small enough to do this, if it is a short ride.  They will go to the bathroom so you will want to make sure you have a bottom on the crate and shavings in the crate.  But for a short ride it works out fine.  

Our plan for these two pigs were to raise them for the meat.  The plan was a five or six month process.  When we brought them home they were placed in our garden area.  It was spring before planting time.  We had plans of the pigs tilling the area and doing some composting of the soil before we would plant our garden.  That plan worked out well.  

Just before we were ready to start our garden we set up some electric fencing in a wooded area with some grass section for them to make their new home.  Then we would rotational graze them every week or so when they would till up the land.  They would grow and thrive that way.  

The process of raising pigs was going so well we decided to purchase a couple of sows ( female pigs).  Our plan is to breed them when they are old enough and have piglets of our own.  Then we found the right Boar one day and brought him home.  This will be our daddy pig.  He was so gentle he came home on Russell's lap.

We named him Big Red.  He is the cutest and the nicest pig ever!  Now lets count we have five pigs on the farm.  Well the town of Skowhegan has a fair every year.  During this fair they have what is called a pig scramble.  I had never heard of that before.  But to let you in on it if you have never heard of it either, its when you put about 4 piglets in an area with about 10 children and if you catch a pig its yours.  Well my daughter had to go with her friend in hopes she would catch a pig.  

Well the results were, my daughter did not catch one but her friend did.  Her Best friend lives in town and they don't have a place for the pig to live.  So we became foster parents for her pig that they named Betty.  So now we have six pigs on the farm.  Six pigs with three of them being raised to be butcherd.  

Three will be raised for breeding purposes.  Here on our farm we are trying to raise all of our animals as organic and natural as possible.  We believe in rotational grazing all the animals and organic food whenever possible.  The owners of Betty happen to own the Grist Mill in the town of Skowhegan that process all the grain for Maine.  So for raising their pig they supply our farm with the natural grain for the pigs.  You cant get any better than that.  Our pigs eat better than we do.  They love it.  

Time has gone by and the growing and slaughtering process has happened for three of our pigs.  Please let me tell you the quality of meat that was raised here on the farm.  I would say like no other meat that my family has ever tasted.  I can not speak because I eat a vegan diet and did not try any of it but I cooked it all and I have never seen anything so juicy and you could just tell it was the best quality pork.  

Humanly raising animals make all the difference in the end result.  What you feed them and how you treat them and how you let them live gives you the best quality of meat.  

Today we have our Big Red, Lilly and Lola our two mommas that we hope will be due in the spring with piglets.

Going through the winter has not been easy raising pigs.  Not on them, they don't seem to mind.  It is cold on us to feed them and make sure they have fresh water.  Water freezes here so fast.  So making sure they have fresh water is the most important thing.  And if someone ever tells you that pigs don't eat hay well they are wrong.  Pigs love hay.  They love to eat it in the winter when the ground is frozen and it is hard for them to till the ground.  It helps keep them busy.  I hope you liked the information about our pigs and please ask questions and I will keep you posted on the status of the litters of piglets.