justusnak
Almost Self-Reliant
We started out piggies out on a mash type feed. We get ours from the feed mill here in town. They loved it with a bit of milk...or pickled beet juice.
Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19
- Thread starter freemotion
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #92
freemotion
Food Guru
Pickled beet juice??? Do I have to pickle beets now?? Sheesh! OK.....(trudges to the spare fridge to get some beets....)
They are showing a bit more interest in what I have for them. They ate a little of the dry pellets today. I learned not to bring them more than a cup, no matter what the books say they should be eating, wasteful creatures.
Their preferred food now is fermented whole corn. I started another batch tonight, simply dumping some whole feed corn into a small pail and covering it with whey from last week's cheesemaking. The whey is older now, so it is bubbling already. Interestingly, EVERYONE follows that pail across the pasture, noses scanning the air....even the dogs want a shot at it, and I kicked Biscotti out of it several times already.
I know it is not a balanced diet yet, but they do need something to eat. Today it was about two cups of the corn, a cup of sprouted barley, and a cup of pellets. And whatever they found in the dirt. They are digging much deeper now.
I occasionally notice a rank smell, but had not, until today, seen any clear reason for it, if you know what I mean. Today there were four piggie turds lined up neatly along the fence, almost touching. They want to keep their potty as far from their house and their diningroom as they can!
I scratched and patted them both today. They only tolerate it if I am positioned so that their ears block their view of my hand. Then the push their backs up into my hand like a dog that wants more affection...it is....aaarrrgh....kinda cute. Well, they need to be tame enough for basic handling, so I have to spend a little time while they are small and their teeth are also small. I admit they scare me a little. Especially when startled, they bark!
They are showing a bit more interest in what I have for them. They ate a little of the dry pellets today. I learned not to bring them more than a cup, no matter what the books say they should be eating, wasteful creatures.
Their preferred food now is fermented whole corn. I started another batch tonight, simply dumping some whole feed corn into a small pail and covering it with whey from last week's cheesemaking. The whey is older now, so it is bubbling already. Interestingly, EVERYONE follows that pail across the pasture, noses scanning the air....even the dogs want a shot at it, and I kicked Biscotti out of it several times already.
I know it is not a balanced diet yet, but they do need something to eat. Today it was about two cups of the corn, a cup of sprouted barley, and a cup of pellets. And whatever they found in the dirt. They are digging much deeper now.
I occasionally notice a rank smell, but had not, until today, seen any clear reason for it, if you know what I mean. Today there were four piggie turds lined up neatly along the fence, almost touching. They want to keep their potty as far from their house and their diningroom as they can!
I scratched and patted them both today. They only tolerate it if I am positioned so that their ears block their view of my hand. Then the push their backs up into my hand like a dog that wants more affection...it is....aaarrrgh....kinda cute. Well, they need to be tame enough for basic handling, so I have to spend a little time while they are small and their teeth are also small. I admit they scare me a little. Especially when startled, they bark!
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Are you kidding me? What would you rather eat ... dry multivitamin people biscuits or the GOURMET feast that you are feeding!!
Fermented whole corn covered with bubbly whey from cheese making, sprouted barley... PLUS dessert of roots, bugs, worms and grubs - a pigs food fantasy!
All you need to add now is some fruit cores and veggie trimmings and the occasional egg and they will think they are in pig heaven!
NO wonder they won't eat their dry pellets!!
Fermented whole corn covered with bubbly whey from cheese making, sprouted barley... PLUS dessert of roots, bugs, worms and grubs - a pigs food fantasy!
All you need to add now is some fruit cores and veggie trimmings and the occasional egg and they will think they are in pig heaven! NO wonder they won't eat their dry pellets!!
Henrietta23
Yard Farmer
Let's hope it gives that bacon some nice flavor!!Farmfresh said:Are you kidding me? What would you rather eat ... dry multivitamin people biscuits or the GOURMET feast that you are feeding!!
Fermented whole corn covered with bubbly whey from cheese making, sprouted barley... PLUS dessert of roots, bugs, worms and grubs - a pigs food fantasy!
NO wonder they won't eat their dry pellets!!
- Thread starter
- #95
freemotion
Food Guru
OK, OK, FF!!! 
Laughter at my expense, I can take it! My plan was to buy one bag of pellets to transition them to our good food here, but it turns out....found out too late....they've never seen a pellet, just their mama's teat! And pasture. I bought and paid for that bag, and they WILL eat it, dang it! 
I hope to get scraps and such from a local deli, but haven't approached them yet...no time this week, maybe next. There is nothing worthwhile from our house right now. The only scraps from my kitchen are the occasional carrot peel and apple core, maybe a few brocolli stems, maybe a cucumber end. Maybe. If I don't eat it first. We really waste NOTHING. The goats that are lactating get first dibs on the fruit and veggie scraps and they always want them.
Since I don't have variety for them yet, I figured they could eat balanced pellets....
Later, we will have garden waste, veg processing waste, lots of whey, and they will have access to a larger pasture and all the acorns the squirrels buried last fall. As the year progresses into fall, there will be a new acorn crop and unlimited pumpkins, squashes, gourds, maybe corn and some apples from the farm store next door. If I need more, I bet I can get apple mash from local cider mills. I'm sure there's more that I haven't thought of yet.
Until then, I am loath to see them eating mainly GMO corn as their primary source of nutrition. So it is GMO pellets.....ugh! I will probably end up fertilizing my garden with those stupid pellets.
Laughter at my expense, I can take it! My plan was to buy one bag of pellets to transition them to our good food here, but it turns out....found out too late....they've never seen a pellet, just their mama's teat! And pasture. I bought and paid for that bag, and they WILL eat it, dang it! I hope to get scraps and such from a local deli, but haven't approached them yet...no time this week, maybe next. There is nothing worthwhile from our house right now. The only scraps from my kitchen are the occasional carrot peel and apple core, maybe a few brocolli stems, maybe a cucumber end. Maybe. If I don't eat it first. We really waste NOTHING. The goats that are lactating get first dibs on the fruit and veggie scraps and they always want them.
Since I don't have variety for them yet, I figured they could eat balanced pellets....
Later, we will have garden waste, veg processing waste, lots of whey, and they will have access to a larger pasture and all the acorns the squirrels buried last fall. As the year progresses into fall, there will be a new acorn crop and unlimited pumpkins, squashes, gourds, maybe corn and some apples from the farm store next door. If I need more, I bet I can get apple mash from local cider mills. I'm sure there's more that I haven't thought of yet.
Until then, I am loath to see them eating mainly GMO corn as their primary source of nutrition. So it is GMO pellets.....ugh! I will probably end up fertilizing my garden with those stupid pellets.
- Thread starter
- #96
freemotion
Food Guru
I made a batch of eight quarts of yogurt and accidentally left the jars of milk in the sink for hours, theoretically warming, but in reality....just sitting there at a not-so-good temperature. I warmed it when I found it and cultured it, but it didn't smell right so it went into the spare fridge for the pigs. It wasn't BAD, just not GOOD.
The pigs had a different opinion.
By the time this batch is gone, I suspect I will have some pretty tame pigs! And once they come when called, they can have the entire pig pasture to dig up and forage in.
The pigs had a different opinion.
By the time this batch is gone, I suspect I will have some pretty tame pigs! And once they come when called, they can have the entire pig pasture to dig up and forage in.
Henrietta23
Yard Farmer
Go piggies!!
- Thread starter
- #98
freemotion
Food Guru
The pigs are coming when called pretty reliably already. Unfortunately, I am into the heavy part of my work week until next Tuesday, so I don't know if I will have time to get them out in the big pasture before then. We need to lower the bottom wire first, and it's been raining and I am tired of being wet and cold. They can wait.
They are eating the pellets soaked in yogurt and water, so I will be using those darn things up. I stopped giving the barley for now unless it is sprouted to the grassy stage because they really don't eat it well yet. They chew it and spit out the shells. I think they need to be a bit older in order to handle it well.
When I saw the shells left behind in the feed pans I though that rodents were finishing the grain up. I was surprised at that because the pigs presence seemed to be keeping the squirrels out of the pen, as evidenced by the whole corn that I scatter for them to dig for and find all day that was not cleaned up completely. Finally it became clear to me that the pigs were chewing on the slightly sprouted barley and leaving the chewed up shells. Smart piggies!
They are eating the pellets soaked in yogurt and water, so I will be using those darn things up. I stopped giving the barley for now unless it is sprouted to the grassy stage because they really don't eat it well yet. They chew it and spit out the shells. I think they need to be a bit older in order to handle it well.
When I saw the shells left behind in the feed pans I though that rodents were finishing the grain up. I was surprised at that because the pigs presence seemed to be keeping the squirrels out of the pen, as evidenced by the whole corn that I scatter for them to dig for and find all day that was not cleaned up completely. Finally it became clear to me that the pigs were chewing on the slightly sprouted barley and leaving the chewed up shells. Smart piggies!
Kim_NC
Lovin' The Homestead
Oh, I had missed your photos. They look all happy in their new home. And WOW! You know how to spoil a couple piggies with their diet. LOL
- Thread starter
- #100
freemotion
Food Guru
I somehow feel rather obligated to spoil them rotten and keep them as happy as possible. It is the least I can do, in apology on behalf of my species for the horror that their species has been subjected to. They will have a brief but glorious life!Kim_NC said:
