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Post by WindyRidge on Apr 18, 2016 12:18:58 GMT
I finally feel like a pig farmer. Around February our first sow farrowed. She had 9, but with the cold we lost 7 of them. Sigh. Partly we didn't set her up right, and being a first time momma she didn't overcome our goof. This is Naomi, followed by her two surviving piglets (8-10 weeks or so - I don't have the date in front of me). The male we'll keep to butcher. He lost his tail and a bit of ear to the cold so we call him Frosty. The female is Ruth, and we'll keep her as a breeding sow.   We never got our two young sows butchered, and they both farrowed the last couple days. They bred to their brothers, so we'll keep a couple to butcher ourselves and sell the rest as feeder pigs. Momma 1 had 7 yesterday. Her afterbirth was out so I know she was done, but there are 8 on her this morning.  And Momma 2 had hers last night. I don't see afterbirth, so I'm not sure if she's done or not. But counting the one that snuck over with Momma 1, she also had 7.  |
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Post by shellymay on Apr 18, 2016 16:55:42 GMT
Congrads and they are so cute when they are born,  Love us some pork around here!!!!!! |
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Apr 18, 2016 22:11:34 GMT
Aw, love to see the piglets all lined up and eating away. Congrats on the new arrivals!
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Post by countrymom22 on Jun 19, 2016 21:58:13 GMT
Congrats! As cute as piglets are, I love to picture them as bacon on my breakfast plate!
Good luck with them. And don't feel bad about that first litter. As we all know, the learning curve in homesteading is pretty harsh! Live and learn!
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Post by grannyg on Jan 1, 2018 0:03:19 GMT
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Post by trailrider on Apr 19, 2018 9:48:18 GMT
Congrats! As cute as piglets are, I love to picture them as bacon on my breakfast plate! Good luck with them. And don't feel bad about that first litter. As we all know, the learning curve in homesteading is pretty harsh! Live and learn! Ain't it the truth! |
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 5:34:45 GMT
I promised you a photo of our latest addition, Apple, our miniature kunekune pig. She's 6 months old and can melt your heart every time she looks up at you and says "Love you Mum. What's up? Where's my dinner?" In the photo she's sitting down like a dog. I love the way she positively chortles when she greets you.  |
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Post by Woodpecker on May 14, 2018 10:41:51 GMT
So cute, and sits like a dog...how big will the miniature grow... are you gonna keep her, please, please, or eat her, yuckš¤
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2018 11:26:56 GMT
So cute, and sits like a dog...how big will the miniature grow... are you gonna keep her, please, please, or eat her, yuckš¤ While I'm sure some would see her as the perfect spit-roast size for a family get-together, there's no way Apple will ever be in that situation. She's our baby girl and you only have to look into her eyes and see the almost human intelligence and trust there to know that killing her is not even in this galaxy. When she looks at you, it's like she can see right into your soul. It's freaky.
No, she and all our animals (well, I have to fess up and say that we have eaten a few of our sheep, but not for a long time) are forever pets and will live out their days loved and cared for.
You ask how big she'll grow? Not a lot bigger, I think - although she's quite a portly wee thing. Smaller than our labrador, Gem by about a third at the moment. But she's heavy! For all her short stature she can get up a lot of speed from a standing start when it's dinner or breakfast time. Same with Baby, our full-sized Kune.
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Post by Woodpecker on May 14, 2018 13:24:00 GMT
oh, I'm so happy she won't be dinner and is such a loyal piggy friend. I love Apple, she's so adorable.
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Post by countrymom22 on May 17, 2018 0:03:49 GMT
Apple is so cute! Knowing how smart pigs are, it just kills me to know how they live out their short little lives in a commercial pig enterprise. That's why we buy a pig from the local farmer whose pigs are pasture raised. They may still get slaughtered but at least they get to live a good life while they are here!
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Love us some pork around here!!!!!!
