Breeding time, so much to learn

Owning a farm has been a daily lesson.  Before we purchased our first animal we purchased about five books about animals and farming/homesteading.  It is something you just don't open the door of a home and say, OK I want a farm and lets do it.  It takes some planning.   Some things you find out along the way.
We have found out farmers are very friendly people very willing to help out other farmers.  They are willing to give advise to get you started.  To talk to an ole timer is interesting to say the least.
Their whole mentality is why we wanted to take this journey on in the first place.  A farmer has an inner peace, I think like no other profession.  Farming is a job that is never ending, 24/7 days a week.  You are always on call.  But the pride you have from your bounty is unremarkable.  The way you feel about your family, homestead and all your sweat equity gives you a better quality of life.  I truly believe this.
In our plan we have vegetables, compost, rotation, animals, breeding, butchering, meat, eggs, milk and whatever other uses we can think of our land can provide us.  Now we would love to add more to this like grains in the future but we have some work to do on our land to provide the quality soil for this to happen.  This will take equipment we don't have at this time.  Our limited funds hold us back from doing things fast.  We must take baby steps on every process.  But we are doing it.  This home and farm need a lot of work.  We did know this when we bought it.  But we took on the task because my husband is handy and we have a strong son that can help him.  They work well together.  It takes a family to make a farm work.  Most of all takes time nothing happens overnight.
First we started with some chicks.  But first we had to build a chicken coop.  That cost money.  We try to use recycled materials as much as possible.  With chicks soon came eggs.  With eggs and chick also came compost for the garden.  This helps with our organic homestead.
Next we purchased pigs.  I have written some post on our pigs.   We have butchered a few of our pigs and stuffed our freezer with the finest pork we have ever tasted.  Now we are in the process of breeding two sows for a couple of litters of piglets.  Our plans are to sell some and to keep some for our meat for this years freezer.  We look forward to the bounty of raising pigs.
Now our goats.  We have blogged about our goats.  We just love our goats.  Recently we added a new goat to our herd.  We call him Master Billy Goat.  He is our Buck and will do our breeding for our two girls.

We have been so lucky with our animals.  He is just the kindest buck.  Most people say bucks can be mean or ornery but not him.  We are lucky, I think he has done his job so if all goes well we will have two baby goats coming in July.
With babies coming that means we will have two goats in milk.  That just thrills us.  We have been waiting for goats in milk for a while.  It will be in the plan to get at least one more goat.  But we must take things slow.  So with goats milk we will be able to have of course milk but also we can make cheese and soap.  This will help the farm out a lot.
So by July we should be full swing with piglets, baby goats and maybe even baby chicks all over again.  Our garden should be full swing by then also.  We are hoping it will produce even better this year.  Day by day the hard work that takes 24/7, 365 days a year does pay off.  When you sit at your table and eat your own grown food and drink a fresh glass of milk I don't think you can get any better.

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.

Round House Farm, it all begins :)

It is funny how time flies.  When I decided to start this blog I was so excited to write everyday.  My mind would not stop thinking about what I wanted to write about next.  Well I still think that way but with one thing or another it just does not seem to get posted. 
A lot has happened since my last post.  So I will, hopefully, get you all caught up to date soon.  But for now let me tell you about our farm.
We moved here with some intentions on getting some animals but well might I say we have kinda gone hog wild.  First we all as a family thought long and hard on a name for our new home and farm.  We came to agree it was fitting to name our farm- Round House Farm.

The reason for the name is part of our home is a round house.  It just seemed to fit.  We all love the name.  First we were really wanting to start with chickens as our first animals.  So we started with a lot of research on the internet and by reading books.  When we thought we had enough knowledge we made the purchase of our first six chicks.

Within the first few days we soon realized six would not be enough so we went right out and bought six more.  We soon fell head over heels  in love with our new flock of babies.  Chickens are one of the greatest part of our home, we just love having them around.  They can make you smile and laugh they just bring you joy in so many ways. 
My husband worked hard and made a great chicken coop for our new chickens and they seem to love their home.  Our chicken flock now is about 30 chickens, some babies and some full grown layer hens.  Fresh eggs for our family is the only way.  The daily droppings they give us provides us with the best fertilizer for our garden.  It all just works out perfect.

My husband and son worked hard on our garden.  We decided to place the main garden in our front yard it is were we have sun for most of the day.  We want our farm to have an old time look and we want to use our resources wisely so we decided to make the fence around the garden with the timber we cut from our land. 

The garden has come along way and we watch it grow everyday. 

Our main goal for our new farm is to have it provide for our family.  We are well on our way.  It takes a lot of work.  My husband works every minute on one thing or another, we have a list that is never ending.  But I am sure it will pay off for our family three fold.