aggieterpkatie
Swiss Army Wife
I just saw the pics. They've really turned it over. I'm worried if I get pigs they'll totally destroy their pen. The area would be roughly 16X20...pretty small for 2 pigs.freemotion said:
Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19
- Thread starter freemotion
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #193
freemotion
Food Guru
I put them on the worst part of my pasture. I figure they will improve it with their tilling. I may toss some compost over the fence so they can work that in, too. My compost pile isn't cooking much since it is so dry, so there is some that isn't finished that they can have. Might as well really earn their keep!
- Thread starter
- #194
freemotion
Food Guru
Hmm, I just posted and it went off into cyberspace somewhere...
Tonight I picked up two armloads of old, overgrown sweetcorn for the pigs for free. The farmer next door cut down three rows of corn he'd planted for his family, and there are lots of ears lying on the ground, attracting racoons. Racoons+my hens= another axe-wielding psycho and my neighborhood just isn't ready for that! So I will try to pick most of them up over the next few days and toss them into the pig pasture. When I did that tonight, I saw lots more bread and English muffins in there, and two pigs with full tummies. I also noticed that the tomatoes that they'd been mostly ignoring were almost all gone. They must prefer them at a certain stage of rotteness...
A client has a field behind her house in the next town over (also happens to be in the next state over!) that she rents to a farmer. He grows gourds, pumpkins, and winter squash. When he is done harvesting (soon) I will be able to go glean before he plows it under. Well, she saw him tonight and he is giving me permission to glean another field he has behind his house that he is done with. Then I will have access to her field, so hopefully, lots of stuff for the goats and pigs.
Usually I only get pumpkins (lots, though!) in November, after the sales die down. I can get enough to last me into February, with a race against rot. It will be nice to have some produce to supplement my dried-up pasture, a month and a half earlier. Here's hopin' I come home with a carload....trunk and backseat.
Tonight I picked up two armloads of old, overgrown sweetcorn for the pigs for free. The farmer next door cut down three rows of corn he'd planted for his family, and there are lots of ears lying on the ground, attracting racoons. Racoons+my hens= another axe-wielding psycho and my neighborhood just isn't ready for that! So I will try to pick most of them up over the next few days and toss them into the pig pasture. When I did that tonight, I saw lots more bread and English muffins in there, and two pigs with full tummies. I also noticed that the tomatoes that they'd been mostly ignoring were almost all gone. They must prefer them at a certain stage of rotteness...
A client has a field behind her house in the next town over (also happens to be in the next state over!) that she rents to a farmer. He grows gourds, pumpkins, and winter squash. When he is done harvesting (soon) I will be able to go glean before he plows it under. Well, she saw him tonight and he is giving me permission to glean another field he has behind his house that he is done with. Then I will have access to her field, so hopefully, lots of stuff for the goats and pigs.
Usually I only get pumpkins (lots, though!) in November, after the sales die down. I can get enough to last me into February, with a race against rot. It will be nice to have some produce to supplement my dried-up pasture, a month and a half earlier. Here's hopin' I come home with a carload....trunk and backseat.
Dace
Revolution in Progress
They must prefer them at a certain stage of rotteness...
Your piggies have discriminating taste
That is awesome that you have so many people giving you 'free' grub for your porkers, must be because you are so nice and likeable
Your piggies have discriminating taste
That is awesome that you have so many people giving you 'free' grub for your porkers, must be because you are so nice and likeable
- Thread starter
- #196
freemotion
Food Guru
Aw, Dace....(blushing...)
Problem. People are giving bread to the goats, too. Mya is very sick today. I found crumbs along the outside of the goat's fence, and noticed that they now run up to the fence when strangers walk there. They used to all dash back to the barn, even if it was me and they didn't recognize me at first.
I'll have to put up a sign.
Problem. People are giving bread to the goats, too. Mya is very sick today. I found crumbs along the outside of the goat's fence, and noticed that they now run up to the fence when strangers walk there. They used to all dash back to the barn, even if it was me and they didn't recognize me at first.
I'll have to put up a sign.
ohiofarmgirl
Sipping Bacon Martinis
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2009
- Messages
- 5,488
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 189
oh no! about the goats. ick
but WOW and double WOW about the gleaning!! we are driving around just waiting for the combines to go thru. whooooot!
and yes, our pigs are picky about certain things. but my theory is.. then they can be hungry so it doesnt last long
;-)
great work! look at you! spreading the word on farming in your 'hood!
yay!
but WOW and double WOW about the gleaning!! we are driving around just waiting for the combines to go thru. whooooot!
and yes, our pigs are picky about certain things. but my theory is.. then they can be hungry so it doesnt last long
;-)
great work! look at you! spreading the word on farming in your 'hood!
yay!
- Thread starter
- #198
freemotion
Food Guru
Yeah, I am itching to get over there, but they are at the fair this weekend so I have to be patient...bleh! 
Mya was eating some hay this afternoon and her udder looks like she is a dry doe. What could dry a doe up so quickly? I need to milk her through!
I'm off to walk the dogs and inspect the far end of the pasture on that side, and put up a friendly sign. I hope it is friendly. Here is what I wrote...some things are big and bold, to emphasize things. Tell me if I need to run out there and change something:
Thank you
for feeding the pigs!!!
The pink boy pig is named PORKCHOP. The spotted girl pig is named BACON. Or is it the other way around?
Please do not feed bread or similar products to the goats.
It can make them very sick. Feel free to offer them freshly picked grass and leaves from birch, poplar, and maple trees only. They can also have goldenrod. Treats can also include small amounts of carrots or fruit sliced into small coin-sized pieces. Thank you!
Big goat with horns: Mya
Short fat hornless gray goat: Tea (pronounced Taya)
Short fat hornless black goat: Willow
Slender black and white young goat with horns: Plum
Larger blonde goat: Ginger
Smaller blond goat with horns: Peach
Mya is Plums mother. Ginger is Peachs mother. We think Tea is the oldest.Mya and Willow were rescued, so we are not so sure. Plum is the youngest.she and Peach were born this spring. Peach and Plum are half sisters and their daddy is an earless breed, hence their cute tiny ears. Watch for more babies in the spring! They will be for sale, hint-hint!
Mya was eating some hay this afternoon and her udder looks like she is a dry doe. What could dry a doe up so quickly? I need to milk her through!
I'm off to walk the dogs and inspect the far end of the pasture on that side, and put up a friendly sign. I hope it is friendly. Here is what I wrote...some things are big and bold, to emphasize things. Tell me if I need to run out there and change something:
Thank you
for feeding the pigs!!!
The pink boy pig is named PORKCHOP. The spotted girl pig is named BACON. Or is it the other way around?
Please do not feed bread or similar products to the goats.
It can make them very sick. Feel free to offer them freshly picked grass and leaves from birch, poplar, and maple trees only. They can also have goldenrod. Treats can also include small amounts of carrots or fruit sliced into small coin-sized pieces. Thank you!
Big goat with horns: Mya
Short fat hornless gray goat: Tea (pronounced Taya)
Short fat hornless black goat: Willow
Slender black and white young goat with horns: Plum
Larger blonde goat: Ginger
Smaller blond goat with horns: Peach
Mya is Plums mother. Ginger is Peachs mother. We think Tea is the oldest.Mya and Willow were rescued, so we are not so sure. Plum is the youngest.she and Peach were born this spring. Peach and Plum are half sisters and their daddy is an earless breed, hence their cute tiny ears. Watch for more babies in the spring! They will be for sale, hint-hint!
ohiofarmgirl
Sipping Bacon Martinis
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2009
- Messages
- 5,488
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 189
great work on the sign. but i'd leave out the names.. dont want to have the neighborhood kids cryin' while you and your dad are out there butchering them! the pigz not the kids yikes!
so i think their heat can dry out does.. my gals gave about 1/4 of what they normally do.. but then they were back to normal in a day or so. but now they are out there being moody and irritable. they want to watch Beaches and they want me to make them popcorn. and triple chocolate brownies.
i told them that they had better straighten up and fly right or the dogs (my Enforcers) would be happy to show them what was what. now they are out there sulking and apparently i'm the meanest person they know.
little do they know that their old pal, Legs The Rooster, is currently in the pressure cooker. keep it up, ladies... keep it up.
;-)
so i think their heat can dry out does.. my gals gave about 1/4 of what they normally do.. but then they were back to normal in a day or so. but now they are out there being moody and irritable. they want to watch Beaches and they want me to make them popcorn. and triple chocolate brownies.
i told them that they had better straighten up and fly right or the dogs (my Enforcers) would be happy to show them what was what. now they are out there sulking and apparently i'm the meanest person they know.
little do they know that their old pal, Legs The Rooster, is currently in the pressure cooker. keep it up, ladies... keep it up.
;-)
- Thread starter
- #200
freemotion
Food Guru
Mya has never dropped that much because of a heat cycle...I suspect a sudden bloom of worms. Pale eyelids, starting to look copper deficient...she looked fantastic a couple of weeks ago. So she got a big dose of Ivomec. Tonight she ate the 1/3 supper I made her and gave me a little more than a pint of milk from her floppy udder. Remember last winter she just would NOT dry up for me?
I thought about that, about the pig names, then the perverse side of me came through. Teach these kids where their food comes from. They will not likely be coming around anymore when we butcher (notice the incorrect use of the term "we..." ) them hogs because it will be December. I'll make sure the deed is done during a school day. We are considering having them picked up live and delivered vacuum sealed.....
Talked to the farmer again, and wasn't I clever to remember to stick the thank you card I'd written into my back pocket just in case I saw him or his wife. We got to chatting (his wife may be cussing me out when he doesn't come back from his errand for 20 minutes!) and he offered MORE CORN and pumpkins...he may even drop some boxes off in my driveway on Tuesday. He told me where to glean and also were to find lots of wild grapes! Yahoo!
Best of all....he told me his knee was really hurting this week, and it was interfering with his sleep it was getting so bad. He'd had xrays, etc, but nothing was revealed. I asked a few questions, got permission to palpate it, and I think he simply has a whopping case of tendinitis. Well, he definitely does have tendinitis, I'm hoping that is the entire source of his pain and not just part of it. I gave him some self-treatment protocols, and will follow up in a few days. I SOOOO hope I am right and he feels better. That will lead to....more corn and pumpkins!
Plus I really like helping people to feel better...
I thought about that, about the pig names, then the perverse side of me came through. Teach these kids where their food comes from. They will not likely be coming around anymore when we butcher (notice the incorrect use of the term "we..."
) them hogs because it will be December. I'll make sure the deed is done during a school day. We are considering having them picked up live and delivered vacuum sealed.....Talked to the farmer again, and wasn't I clever to remember to stick the thank you card I'd written into my back pocket just in case I saw him or his wife. We got to chatting (his wife may be cussing me out when he doesn't come back from his errand for 20 minutes!) and he offered MORE CORN and pumpkins...he may even drop some boxes off in my driveway on Tuesday. He told me where to glean and also were to find lots of wild grapes! Yahoo!
Best of all....he told me his knee was really hurting this week, and it was interfering with his sleep it was getting so bad. He'd had xrays, etc, but nothing was revealed. I asked a few questions, got permission to palpate it, and I think he simply has a whopping case of tendinitis. Well, he definitely does have tendinitis, I'm hoping that is the entire source of his pain and not just part of it. I gave him some self-treatment protocols, and will follow up in a few days. I SOOOO hope I am right and he feels better. That will lead to....more corn and pumpkins!
Plus I really like helping people to feel better...
