They Did It Again!

Oh my gosh! What's with this group of pigs?! Yea...that's them up there!Every time we try to move them to a new area, they don't seem to be thrilled and cross under the electric wire. The snow and the frigid temps put us way behind with moving them. Their noses aren't rung so they can go through a field pretty fast. Very efficient tillers!

Scott, Tony and Jonah finally had the opportunity to build out a new paddock in the woods. It was important for us to move them there since pasture is non-existent. This way, they will be able to finish on acorns and roots. It felt like such a huge accomplishment to move these"joys" today. I stood there and watched as they dug through leaves. I find it very relaxing.

Tonight as I was closing up the farm, I got this intuition to check on this group. I wasn't planning on going over there but I wanted to see if they were still foraging or sleeping in their hut. As I was getting closer, I heard a grunt by the Sycamore trees. There should not be a grunt by the Sycamore trees! Geez!!! Pig silhouettes were fast approaching me. I ran back to get some feed. Luckily they seemed to be hanging out in the back. Four of their friends, still in the paddock, didn't want to chance a shock. I was able to get all of them back in, except Lulu. Jonah had to help me with her.

The last time we moved them to this area, they got out a couple of times and got into the cornfield...way out front. It's scary when you go out to feed them and you arrive to an empty paddock. They were missing for several hours. Scott went everywhere on the 4-wheeler to look for them. It wasn't until later that morning, we happened to glance down at the cornfield and spotted pigs darting back and forth between the rows...having a great time. They were mighty tired when they followed me down the lane and back up towards the house. I think they actually slept for two days. After that, we moved their paddock back up by the house. I just thought since they were bigger and older, it would be different this time. I thought they would enjoy foraging through the woods. We believe these guys need to be in the middle of it all. They need to see the action. I sure do hope I see them in the woods tomorrow!

Happy New Year 2010!

I do like winter. Maybe not so much this bitterly cold wind. When it's this cold, it is very challenging keeping the house at a temperature where we are not in a "hunched over" state. We have radiator heat which is incredibly toasty, however, oil is incredibly expensive. We had two fireplaces restored and rebuilt and we found a thimble flue in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Old wood stoves used to be located there. When their purpose was no longer needed, they were taken out and the wall was rebuilt. Luckily for us, there had been a leak at the opening of the flue inside the wall. A new discovery led us to an additional heat source(and we often say the best purchase we ever made!)...a woodstove. Once all of the fireplaces are going, the woodstove is roaring, and maybe roasted chicken in the oven, it is very comfortable inside this old house.

Since we're located up on a hill, it gets extra gusty up here. The other night I kept hearing what sounded like a ball bouncing. The sound would be slow and then gain speed as if a ball was getting ready to stop on a floor. I didn't think much of it at first. Maybe one of the cats was playing with a ball. But it was too uniform and kept on going for a while. A cat would have been bored after a few minutes. In the middle of the night, it was very easy to imagine a "Ghost Boy" playing with a bouncy ball. Of course I knew it was NOT that and before anyone asks....no, there are no ghosts inside or outside of this house! The sound wound up being the cellar window. The gusts were making the loose window vibrate.

I noticed the pigs are sleeping in a bit longer these days. Why would they want to come out in frigid temperatures when they are warm inside their huts. Last night I went to put extra straw in with the weaned piglets(15 of them) and as they all came out to see what was going on, I could feel the rush of heat from inside. That made me feel better. They are okay even when the temps dip into the teens.

We always assume we are going to have a "break" over the winter months. Sometimes I feel that we are more busy, just in a different way. We have two pig groups that need to be moved to another area. Usually not a problem but the blizzard didn't help with that. More fences need to be built but the ground is solid. I want to get my next pork group in the woods so they can finish on good roots, acorns and whatever else they might find. Next month we start getting broiler chicks already. Winter seems to go by quickly for us.

Jonah took this picture from his bedroom window last year. When it is this cold and windy, it's easy to forget that days will be warm and colorful again. "That's right! The trees do have pretty green things on their branches!"

Finally Free!!

Yikes! I wanted to take some pictures of this beautiful day but my family took the digital camera with them to Pennsylvania. It was sunny, warm(or warmer) and the snow was finally melting in spots. It was the first time since the snow that I found the chickens in my front yard. I wanted to take a picture of the rooster and his ladies on my front porch. Ramona's piglets were out and about for the first time today! It was fun to see little red things dart back and forth across their field. I wanted to take a picture of that, too! My next group of Berkshire pork was completely covered in mud. I can tell and name each one of my pigs. All of them. But today, I couldn't tell any of the Berkshires apart. The time just before sunset was really beautiful. It was a great opportunity to look at my animals and make sure everyone is happy and healthy. Mary Lou(a Tamworth gilt) needed extra rubbing. I love when you touch them and they just collapse right on the ground. She is just like her mom(#2). It was also a great opportunity to study conformation. Hopefully we can expect quite a few litters in the spring.

Because of all of our wonderful customers, our farm is busting at the seams. I can't think of a better "problem"! Too much demand, not enough supply. We are researching now in hopes of expanding our markets. We still will only provide pork and poultry. We love the pigs, love the birds...no need to expand the livestock list. This is what we want to specialize in, what we want to educate everyone with and simply what we want to tuck in every night!

Just thought I would add a picture of part of the restoration. This was at the very beginning. The portico was falling on one side...had to be raised. The pilasters had to be rebuilt and the front looked as if it had been bombed in the Civil War. But notice the perfect symmetry of the flowers and flower pots! I am a complete spaz about symmetry!!

Red Dalmatians?

Back in August, a Berkshire sow, Ramona, decided to get out of her paddock for an early morning walk. I discovered her down the hill walking alongside Big Daddy, our Tamworth boar. Scott and I got Big Daddy back in his paddock and we walked Ramona to the pasture in front with the other Berkshires. She was in heat so it was important to get her with Ollie. So, for the next 114 days, we would question what the outcome would be...crossed piglets or pure Berks.

Ramona started farrowing late in the evening on December 15th. I quietly walked over to the hut with a flashlight and was surprised to see the first three piglets..."little red dalmatians"...Big Daddy got to her first! I woke up around 3:00am and realized I would never be able to go back to sleep unless I checked on Ramona and her piglets. Ramona was absolutely huge and we were hoping for a large litter. At 4:00am I got my coat on, grabbed my flashlight and made the trek up to the hut. She had a total of fourteen! However, one had been stillborn and one was most likely dead for a long time. It was very small and already decomposing. Twelve incredibly cute piglets.

For the first few days, I feel like I always hold my breath as I approach the farrowing hut first thing in the morning. It's common for the big moms to lay on small piglets, especially the runts. We'll lose some every now and then because of that. Ramona did lay on one, I'm guessing, last Friday. It's disappointing.

Already they are running around inside the hut. If there wasn't snow on the ground, I'm sure they would be exploring outside. We won't be expecting any more piglets until next spring, which is fine since it appears this will be a snowy winter.

Pretty Pigs in the Snow

We've been here at Pleasant Hill Farm almost five years and haven't needed to experience livestock management in blizzard like weather yet. We haven't really seen much snow in the last couple of years, at least since getting the pigs. Scott was supposed to go into D.C. yesterday but since the storm was definitely heading our way, he thought best to work from home and get the animals ready.

One thing we learned about farming is how closely connected we are to the weather. You listen to the reports and prepare. Prepare for rain, extreme heat, snow, etc. We had to make sure we were aware of what the wind direction would be. Scott moved and turned all of the pig huts so the snow would not be able to blow inside. He made door coverings out of extra plywood we saved, just so the pigs could have extra warmth and shelter. Fresh straw was placed in all of the huts. All of the feed bowls had to be brought into the shop so they wouldn't be covered. The water troughs were dumped and moved directly in front of the huts. We also needed to make sure our newly farrowed litter would be okay. It was an all day event and just after it was dark, we were done.

Today, with almost two feet of snow and four foot drifts, it was another all day event feeding and watering. Feeding wasn't so bad but our irrigation system is still primitive. Our one and only hydrant was covered in a huge drift. Easy solution...my oldest son, Jonah, filled up the water buckets with hot water from the bathtub. What wasn't easy was walking through the drifts trying to hold up the buckets. One time I fell on some rough ground, but I saved the water!

Watching my hogs in the snow made me appreciate the Heritage breeds. They can handle this harsh weather. Lulu, one of my Tamworth gilts was outside walking around all morning. She was beautiful with her striking red hair covered in snow. Scott and I took some water down to the Large Black Hogs at the bottom of our hill. I looked up and saw several Berkshires running down towards us, with snow just about half way up their bodies...not even phased. I will be glad to greet them again tomorrow morning...and do it all over again.

Leftovers Plate Number One

Of course my favorite part about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. It makes the best breakfast! I already had my big plate this morning. We went over Tony and Careen's last night. Tony cooked two Bourbon Red hens...one smoked and one traditional. Everything was wonderful. We took half of everything home. I can see for now on, Thanksgiving day for us means taking a huge breather and being thankful for a day of rest. I don't have a desire to cook all day. I would much rather enjoy the event on Friday or Saturday.

Scott did very little farm work yesterday. He enjoyed cups of hot tea and reading the book, "Omnivore's Dilemma". I, on the other hand, finally enjoyed getting my hands on my pigs. I haven't seen them in a week. I cleaned out feed and water troughs, made sure everyone got enough feed and made sure all grunts and oinks were normal. We also have a sow, Ramona, who is due very soon with a litter. We moved her to the hill with the farrowing hut. Now we just have to watch her milk rows. That lets me know just how soon she will deliver.

We sure do hope all of our customers enjoyed their Pleasant Hill Turkeys and the time spent with their friends and family. We were glad to see our repeat customers and it was a true pleasure meeting new ones! We're thankful for all of you. Now it's time to order turkeys for next year!

Weaning

When our piglets are about six weeks old, we wean them from their mom and put them in a confined area with hog panels. I have to say I absolutely detest this part of pig farming. Piglets are like puppies with playful, mischievous spirits. When they are first born, they don't wander too far from mom. After about a week they start to explore. It doesn't take too long for them to realize that we keep the feed in the shop. Before I know it, I am greeted there with tiny grunts and oinks. "Where's my food? Where's my food?!" How much fun it is for them to find a new spot to explore and see new pig faces who may be their future friends. My neighbor has called me, "I just want to let you know there were a bunch of small red piglets way up in my yard." Life is good.

We just weaned a litter of Tamworths today. I find myself feeling melancholy because for a short period of time, they will not be free to explore. I can hear them grunting because they don't know where they are and of course they miss the security of mom. Mom pigs really do need to separate from their babies at this time. Nursing a big litter is hard on them and they start to lose some weight.

Eventually we'll run some electric wire in their weaning pen to get them to "respect" the electric fence. When they get big enough, we'll build out large, wire paddocks for them to roam and explore. They surely will be happy again!