Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Dawn419]

Just caught up on your journal and I am tired!

So sorry to hear about your sister!

Love the goat stories and will be keeping up with them as they are on my menagerie wish list. Been trying to convince doc that we should add goats AND ducks this coming spring but he's just not convinced!

 

[Denim Deb]

OK, it's a little early, but, WAKE UP!!!!! OK, now that that job is done, I might just go back to bed.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

G'morning! Deb - thanks for the wake up! Hope you've got something fun on your agenda today.

Dawn, thanks for the hug - you can never have too many hugs!

Speaking of tired - DH and I are cussing and discussing the merit of owning pigs right now. My days are pretty long already and pigs would add to my workload. But, automatic waterer and a self-feeder would make them pretty low maintenance. The taming and training is what would be time consuming. Pigs need to be tame! Good thing they have a sweet tooth...our 4-H pigs would do ANYthing for an Oreo cookie, lol.

We've had a few pigs in our past, mostly when the kids were doing 4-H, and when 1st hubs brought home some feral piglets once...geeze! That reminds me of my best GP dog story. The feral piglets that we had absolutely NEVER tamed down. Ex-DH brought them home when they were about 40 lbs each. They grew pretty well and when they were close to 200 lbs, one of them got sick. Vet recommended antibiotics (injectable of course) and even though the pig was wild he was so sick he really didn't care what I did to him - for a few days. Once he started feeling better it was a different story. I had one of those hog holders where you stick a loop in their mouth and tighten down...they only way they'll go is backwards and you can put them in a corner and if you're quick you can do what you need to do. I didn't even need it for the first few days...I could just walk up and give the pig a shot and he never moved or made a sound.

So, I waltz out one morning ready to give the pig his injection and he was feeling much better...much better! I got the hog holder in his mouth and he wasn't too unruly, but OMG, when I stuck him with the needle he started squealing. When he started squealing - his brother decided to come to his aid - right at me! Our pen was built out of standard hog panels - and I'm just tall enough that I can step over them. The GP was outside the pen watching all of this happen. I gotta tell you - when that other pig started after me that dog came over the fence, into the pen and got between the pig and me. She was a 100 lbs, but this pig was close to twice her weight and she never backed down. She would grab that pig by the nose and he would chase her instead of me. Every time that pig turned and started coming my direction - she would do the same thing. As soon as I got finished with the sick pig, I literally DOVE over that fence and she was right behind me. If you could've seen the look she gave me - it was priceless! I could almost hear her telling me what dummy I was - and that I shoulda been glad she was there to save me ... and I was! I miss that dog!

DH and I have been talking about getting Red Wattle pigs for awhile. He's more gung-ho than I am, but he's not the one who takes care of the critters. He works really long hours and it's almost always dark by the time he gets home. So, it's not that he's slacking - he simply doesn't have the hours in the day to spare. I may decide to back off of a breeding pair of pigs right now and just get a couple feeder pigs. He's never had pigs - so this would give him a chance to get his feet wet and see how he likes being a pig farmer, lol! That way we can decide if we really want to make a long-term time (and money) investment in the RW's. And if I get the pigs this fall and overwinter them in the garden area, they'd probably be close to butcher weight and ready to move on right about the time I could start my spring garden - hopefully well plowed and fertilized by the piggies! This is starting to sound better and better.

I finished making cheese last night. I had started it Sunday morning, and when I got home from work yesterday it was time to drain it. I added roasted garlic and chopped rosemary into it and it was mighty tasty on a spinach salad last night - about 10pm - when I finally had time to eat. I sleep so good at night - all that country living!

Okay, coffe break is over and I need to get busy. Hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful day!

 

[pinkfox]

id definatly do 1 "now" and see how he (and you as primary care giver) like it, at best you love it and decide pigs are the way to go, as worst you can ALWAYS butcher early, you wont get the same hanging weight but the meat it even more tender and delicious for things like chops and loin (and in the meantime the pig can be tilling, fertilizing an prepping your garden space for spring

yup, im no help LOL!

if you like the wattles but decide to go with something a little smaller you might also like the guinea hogs, beutiful prok and sweet temperments, super hardy, just overall smaller.

personally i want GOS pigs and Kune Kunes (talk about hard to find lol)

 

[frustratedearthmother]

We have a breeder fairly close by who breeds Red Wattles and GOS, she even has a cross bred litter - affectionately called 'spotted wattles'. I'm still tossing ideas around in my head. Here's another idea... won't help my workload, but maybe get the breeder pair AND a feeder pig...That way, the feeder pig would have some competition at the feed trough (which is supposed to help them gain quickly), and we'd have something to eat while waiting for the breeders to come of age. I'm gonna keep all options open. Whichever way we go - they will start life in the garden area like Pink suggested.

Pink - you're like me - you come up with loooooooooots of options! I've never even heard of Kune Kunes. I've heard of Guinea hogs, but haven't seen any advertised around here. My interest in the Red Wattles is because their meat is supposed to be really yummy and I think there will be a good market for the piglets.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Got the usual afternoon chores done. Even mowed the back yard. It was the last piece that we didn't get done on Sunday.

I have a quiche in the oven.

My brother called and they took my 84 yo dad to the ER tonight - they're admitting him to the hospital. I'll be going first thing in the morning to see him. Prayers please?!

 

[Denim Deb]

Will do.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Sounds like you've had a day! I sure hope your Dad will be ok. I'll be praying for him and you.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Deb and MississippiFarmBoy, thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers.

 

[SSDreamin]

Hope your Dad is OK