Before we started to raise pigs naturally, we discussed what that would mean on our farm. Since then, many litters of piglets have arrived, showed off how cute they can be, were weaned, fed for a few weeks, or even months in some cases. All were sold and the waiting time would begin again. The sows had some time off after each litter, to gain some weight, rest and completely dry off. Then, Charlie would welcome them back into his pasture area and the breeding cycle would begin again. … [Read more...]
Adding Animals to the Homestead
Somewhere along your homesteading journey, you will probably get the itch to start adding animals to the homestead. Or, the opportunity will present itself in an offer you can't refuse. Perhaps someone is giving away a flock of "free" chickens, or you fall in love with a baby goat and decide this is the right time for adding animals to the homestead. What Is the Right Time for Adding Animals to the Homestead? Whether it's a well planned adventure, or a series of events, you should have an … [Read more...]
Raising Pigs to Clear Land
We didn't start out raising pigs to clear land. The truth is we raise pigs and cows for meat. Some of our pigs are kept for the purpose of making more pigs. The correct farm term for this is breeding. The sows or breeders, (momma pigs) live with Charlie Pig right now and there is a new boar being raised to help Charlie with the job as he ages or as we need to vary the genetic pool. Who is Using Pigs to Clear Land? So how did we realize that pigs are amazing at the job of land clearing? We … [Read more...]
