# My Valentine's Day Gift!-In the Freezer!!



## aggieterpkatie

She'll be 3 weeks on the 17th.  She's a cross, with a lot of Duroc.  












She's in the barn in her own little pen next to June, who is due to kid at any time.


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## jodief100

I want a spotted piggy!


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## Erins Little Farm

Adorable!!!


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## daisychick

She is so cute!  That is a great Valentine's gift!!


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## elevan




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## ThreeBoysChicks

She is cute.  What do you plan to do with her?


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## neener92

Cute!


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## TTs Chicks

neener92 said:
			
		

> Cute!


x2 !


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## Royd Wood

Welcome to  the pig world - I know you've been after a piglet for a while


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## aggieterpkatie

Yes Royd, I've been wanting one for a long time!     She'll be raised for meat, as long as she does not stay this adorable.     I have thought about keeping her for a breeder, but I really don't think I have the space for her permanently.


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## Hillsvale

She's only three weeks... what are you feeding her? I hope she does OK away from the sow... mine would have still been nursing. She is very cute, happy valentines.


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## aggieterpkatie

She's eating solid pig feed, but also some goat milk.


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## SmallFarmGirl

I want a spotted piggy!


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## Stratmoore Farms

Better than a box of chocolates any day.


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## aggieterpkatie

The pig has bonded with the goat kids and she doesn't know she's not a goat.  

















She even climbed up in my lap last night.


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## Stubbornhillfarm

OH MY GOODNESS!  Those are about the cutest pictures ever!  A super cute bunch of little critters there.


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## jessica_1285

Beautiful


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## aggieterpkatie

Here are some updated pics!


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## Stubbornhillfarm

Wow!  She is getting HUGE!  But still adorable.


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## Royd Wood

Look at those hams - coming along nicely


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## Cornish Heritage

Looks like the goat & her are truly the best of friends.

Liz


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## aggieterpkatie

Cornish Heritage said:
			
		

> Looks like the goat & her are truly the best of friends.
> 
> Liz


Yeah, which I thought was great...but I really need to sell the goats but worry she'll be too lonely.    Maybe I can try to sell just one goat. LOL.


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## aggieterpkatie

Here's  a video I took this past weekend.


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## aggieterpkatie

Here's  a new video I took yesterday of the pig grazing with the goat kids.  

And here's a couple of pics of piggy eating a banana.


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## Stubbornhillfarm

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Here's  a new video I took yesterday of the pig grazing with the goat kids.
> 
> And here's a couple of pics of piggy eating a banana.
> 
> http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/100_0969.jpg
> 
> http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/100_0968.jpg


Sounds so peaceful at your house!  Lovely!


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## aggieterpkatie

Here are the updated pics!      She's about 11ish weeks now.  





















The goat kids are leaving on Wednesday, and there will be a little lag time until I can get the new piglet. Hopefully she won't be too miserable then!


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## Hillsvale

very cute... love the video from March 20 where the kids were head butting piggy..


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## Erins Little Farm

Oh my gosh!!!! That is the cutest pig! I have to have one!


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## BrownSheep

Erins Little Farm said:
			
		

> Oh my gosh!!!! That is the cutest pig! I have to have one!


I want one too. Even asked for one for Christmas and Easter.


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## Erins Little Farm

BrownSheep said:
			
		

> Erins Little Farm said:
> 
> 
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> Oh my gosh!!!! That is the cutest pig! I have to have one!
> 
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> I want one too. Even asked for one for Christmas and Easter.
Click to expand...

I am going to beg my parents


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## Stubbornhillfarm

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Here are the updated pics!      She's about 11ish weeks now.
> 
> http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/100_1177.jpg
> 
> http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/100_1173.jpg
> 
> http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/100_1185.jpg
> 
> http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/100_1169.jpg
> 
> The goat kids are leaving on Wednesday, and there will be a little lag time until I can get the new piglet. Hopefully she won't be too miserable then!


Hopefully you can just spend some extra time with her so that she is not lonely!  She seems very sweet.


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## drdoolittle

Just love the pics. of your pig----especially where she's eating banana.  My pots LOVE bananas too!   Your piggy is beautiful!


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## aggieterpkatie

Been a long time since I posted an update, but here's a pic taken last week.








She'll be roasted for a pig pickin' bbq at the end of the month.  I'm a little sad, but I think I'm ready to say bye.


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## autumnprairie

she is beautiful


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## Stubbornhillfarm

She has grown into what she has been  intended for and she is very nice looking.  I can understand you being a bit sad.  I have tried really hard to not become attached to our pigs for that reason.


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## aggieterpkatie

Updated pics of my gilt.  She's approximately 200 lbs now...only a little longer until she's ready for the freezer!

















She has grown a bit since this pic....


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## aggieterpkatie

Well I was thinking Big Pig was about 200 lbs, but the lady from th extension office was here yesterday helping me tattoo animals, and since she's a pig raiser I asked what she thought the pig weighed.  She said at least 240, but she thought more like 260!     I'm calling the butcher today to see if I can get an appointment soon.  I'm still slightly sad about not having her anymore (well, we'll still have her, but in the freezer), but I'm so ready for her to go.  It'll be nice to have one fewer (but big) mouth to feed!

Now I'm contemplating what to do with the other 2 smaller ones.  It would be nice to sell them and get some money (to help pay for processing and a new freezer), but I also sort of want to raise them up a little longer and then BBQ them and maybe have a big party!


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## Stubbornhillfarm

She looks beautiful!  I personally think pig weights to eyeball are so decieving (because I have a lack of experience).  I would have quessed ours to be about 120-125.  But they look to be about the size of yours.  Ours are 19 weeks old now.  We will have to find that tape and use it to get a rough idea.  

Tough choice on the little pigs.  You could go either way and win I would say!


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## aggieterpkatie

Alrighty...one week left!  Big Pig has an appointment with Mr. Butcher on the 25th!


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## Royd Wood

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Alrighty...one week left!  Big Pig has an appointment with Mr. Butcher on the 25th!


 Dont forget to ask for the liver & kidneys - they dont always save them


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## SheepGirl

I can't wait to hear how she dresses out!


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## Stubbornhillfarm

YUM! YUM!


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## Hillsvale

if she is 260 pounds live weight she will dress out to be around 150 - 180 lbs and will have large quantaties of fat, you may want to check with your butcher as some leave it on assuming that if you grew it you get it... but would trim excess if you ask.

Good luck with the loading of the piggy on the trailer.


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## aggieterpkatie

I'm going to ask for every bit of her back that I can get!  I want the lard, ears, feet, hocks, head, etc.  I'm feeling adventurous, and I thought I might try to cook down her head and get all the meat off.  I use the lard for cooking.  I hope she has a good bit!  Not sure what I'll do with the ears..maybe give them to the dogs.


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## aggieterpkatie

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> aggieterpkatie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Alrighty...one week left!  Big Pig has an appointment with Mr. Butcher on the 25th!
> 
> 
> 
> Dont forget to ask for the liver & kidneys - they dont always save them
Click to expand...

What do I do with the kidneys?  I'm not sure I want to eat them.  :/   And I'm not a huge fan of liver, but I could always dry it for the dogs, or give it to someone who wants it.  Although does pate taste much like liverwurst?  I love liverwurst but I'm not sure I want to eat the liver.


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## Royd Wood

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Royd Wood said:
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> 
> aggieterpkatie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Alrighty...one week left!  Big Pig has an appointment with Mr. Butcher on the 25th!
> 
> 
> 
> Dont forget to ask for the liver & kidneys - they dont always save them
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> What do I do with the kidneys?  I'm not sure I want to eat them.  :/   And I'm not a huge fan of liver, but I could always dry it for the dogs, or give it to someone who wants it.  Although does pate taste much like liverwurst?  I love liverwurst but I'm not sure I want to eat the liver.
Click to expand...

I eat kidney in stews, pies and stir fries as for pig liver - I eat fried with onions and gravy on a bed of potatoes. I know it turns alot of folks off but if you know whats gone in the pig and they had a healthy life then serve it up as its so good for you.


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## aggieterpkatie

Ok, well today is the end for Pig.  It's bittersweet.  I'm sad to see her go, but so happy to have raised a happy, healthy pig!   The borrowed trailer that we had lined up fell through, so we had to make our own trailer. It worked really well.  May have gotten a few laughs going down the road, but hey, if it works it's fine by me!  

Here's a pic of us last night. I was giving her some good scratches and rubs.  






And here's our trailer.  It's a flatbed trailer with a dog kennel on top, ratchet-strapped down and secured with cinder blocks.  





This morning we dropped the ramp, and covered it with a moving blanket since it is expanded steel. We figured she might balk at it if she could see through it.  She followed a bucket of feed (and me) right up into the trailer like she'd done it before!  Unloading went smoothly too. 






She was a good girl and I had a lot of fun raising her!   I think the 2 smaller ones we have left will be for a pig pickin' party in late August!


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## SheepGirl

That's actually not a bad idea for a trailer!


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## Royd Wood

Well done Aggie as its always hard to send the first few. Like the trailer


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## Roll farms

Ahem....I dunno if you're still coming to herdstock, but I'm right partial to Bacon.

Jes sayin'......


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## aggieterpkatie

Yeah, the trailer worked really well, and we're thinking about keeping our eyes out for a used 6X8 trailer to convert over.   I'd rather have a stock trailer, but I don't want to spend the money on it.  Actually the truck and cap works fine for the sheep and goats, but it's too tall for pigs.  

And I'd love to come to Herdstock, but we just can't afford the gas right now!  :/


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## Stubbornhillfarm

Congrats on a job well done all the way around.  And thank you for sharing your experience with us!


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## dwbonfire

great job! i can imagine it being very bitter sweet, i will be going thru this for the first time this fall sometime. how old was she today? just trying to get an idea on how much longer i have to go with mine too.

hope you enjoy her, and know you gave her a happy life!


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## aggieterpkatie

She's just about 6 months old now. She was born right around the end of Jan.


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## Royd Wood

LOL Rolls after your bacon


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## aggieterpkatie

I couldn't wait any longer, so I called the butcher to see what her hanging weight was.  He said it was 200 lbs.  I'm so glad, because I was afraid she wasn't heavy enough.     Can anyone guess what her live weight may have been?


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## Elm Tree acres

225lb ????


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## SheepGirl

If she had a dressing percent of at least 70% my guess is she was 285+ lbs live weight.


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## aggieterpkatie

We got the pig back!  We're guessing she weighed between 250-300 lbs live weight.  We got a TON of meat!


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## redtailgal

I'm hungry  now, lol.

Congrats on your piggy experience!


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## SheepGirl

Yummy!!


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## Cornish Heritage

LOOKS delicious  Bet you're enjoying that tasty pork. 

Pigs are normally calculated at around 60% so with a hanging weight of 200lbs she was probably a good 300lbs plus which is a good size for butchering at. Much more than that & you start to get more fat. Did you get the lard & render it? That is GOOD stuff 

Liz


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## aggieterpkatie

Cornish Heritage said:
			
		

> LOOKS delicious  Bet you're enjoying that tasty pork.
> 
> Pigs are normally calculated at around 60% so with a hanging weight of 200lbs she was probably a good 300lbs plus which is a good size for butchering at. Much more than that & you start to get more fat. Did you get the lard & render it? That is GOOD stuff
> 
> Liz


Yep, I got the fat, feet, and ears.  Everything else went into the scrapple.    I didn't get as much fat as I'd hoped....2 bags full but I didn't weigh them.  Maybe 5-7 lbs of fat?


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## Royd Wood

That smoked bacon looks good - I'm sure it was yum
We render the fat here too and its a good seller from the store but it always seems to be the hottest day of the year whenever we do it and the house smells like theres a three course dinner about to be served


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## Stubbornhillfarm

Oh my goodness!  That looks wonderful!  Congrats.  One of ours is going to the butcher for my boss on Saturday and our other three we are doing at home next weekend.  Can't wait!


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## aggieterpkatie

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> That smoked bacon looks good - I'm sure it was yum
> We render the fat here too and its a good seller from the store but it always seems to be the hottest day of the year whenever we do it and the house smells like theres a three course dinner about to be served


I'm definitely saving mine to do this winter!  I can't even think of turning on the stove for that many hours this time of year.


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## Cornish Heritage

> I can't even think of turning on the stove for that many hours this time of year.


It really does not take long. Did they grind it for you? If so all you have to do is get a good heavy frying pan on the stove top (we use cast iron), turned to medium, fill with fat & let it simmer down. The good stuff will melt, the "dross" will rise to the top. Pour through a cheesecloth when done & voila! There is your lard in the jar. I don't bother to pressure can ours, just put it in the freezer except for the one jar I am using which stays in the refrigerator. 

If you pressure can it, it can just live on your pantry shelf. 

Liz


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## aggieterpkatie

No, they didnt' grind it. I forgot to ask!  No big deal, I just cut it into chunks.  Another reason I wanted to do it over the winter is because I wanted to try "cleaning" it this time. Last few times I've made lard it was very easy, but it had a porky taste. I wanted to try to clean it so I could use it in non-savory things, like icing.  If it's cold outside, then I can put the lard/water mix out on the deck and let it cool that way, instead of having to wait so long for it to cool inside.


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## dwbonfire

this thread has been very interesting to me because in a couple months i will have my pig butchered as well.. looks like you have a TON of meat!!! i am hoping they all package the bacon and chops that way? as i wouldnt mind selling some of it or just give it to friends and family, i myself couldnt eat all that pork!... i dont think 
i have only heard the term 'rendering the fat' but i know nothing about it, wondering if this is something i should plan to do? what do you use it for once you melt it down and store it, do you use it in place of oil or just in place of lard?

we are going to talk to a man who will process the pig for us, but i have no idea average costs to have this done so if anyone wouldnt mind sharing what the average costs are for butchering that would be great.

congrats on all that good looking pork!! yumm


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## Cornish Heritage

> i am hoping they all package the bacon and chops that way?


Each processor has its own way of packaging & whether you can legally sell to others depends on your state. Most times when you send meat to the processors as a private person, it comes back labelled NOT FOR SALE. IF you are wanting to sell it you need to check with your local state laws. As to how much they put in each package that is up for you to tell the processor. They will pack it as you want it.



> what do you use it for once you melt it down and store it, do you use it in place of oil or just in place of lard?


If you have some spare cash purchase the book Nourishing Traditions - http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Tr...346435296&sr=8-1&keywords=nutrition+tradition It will open your eyes  Once we have rendered our lard we store it in pint jars & then put it in the freezer to preserve it. You can pressure can it & store it on your pantry shelf. The only fats in this house now are butter, lard, coconut & extra virgin olive oil. We do not care for the taste of beef tallow so use that for making soap. Lard is also excellent for soap making. 

Around here the kill is about $50 to $75 then 46c a pound for the processing. That is based on hanging weight once the pig is skinned & gutted. 

Liz


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## aggieterpkatie

Our fee for butchering was $15 kill fee, then $.60/lb (hanging weight) for cutting/wrapping, with an extra $.60/lb for any cured meats (the bacon and hams).  Our pig was 200 lbs hanging weight, so the total bill was $172.20.


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## Alice Acres

This was a really nice post - from beginning to end.

We've raised our own, and butchered/processed and packaged too. Didn't do smoked hams or bacon though.

Our last one we sent in to be done - nice to get all those packages back! We are in MN - got our bacon wrapped like that, the ground sausage and ground pork in the little bags too. Chops, etc were wrapped in a thin plastic, then white butcher paper. 

Love the picture with your kids and all their bounty!


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