# a probably 3 month old pig walked into my yard..now what?



## heckerdy

About six years ago a dear friend and member (I believe of this board) let me know a piglet walked in her  yard and she was going to raise it he was so cute and little and I thought she was telling fibs and had snuck it in and said it walked in LOL (you know us animal folks are always trying to sneak another animal in ) ….we laughed and laughed and he grew and grew..I teased her so much  about a pig wandering in the yard….but it was true and well he ended up feeding a lot of us the most amazing meat ..she fed him so very well 

so fast forward to coffee in the yard and a baby pig wandering up 3 days ago then into the live trap and  ..he now is happy in a pile of straw on my deck and I have no idea where to begin?! I tried to find his home and will continue hoping for the "ideal outcome"..I worry someone is missing him  ..but if not I am going to go ahead and feed him …just like my friend and hopefully can reciprocate the massive gift she gave us 

I am open to all help and direction ..this year we have just started beekeeping and have way more chickens and ducks than we planned on half an acre but everyone is happy and healthy ..can he go in the chicken yard ? can we train him to poop in one area ? 

is it realistic to think I can add this pig to my craziness ? he is very stinky how do I bath him if he wants to take my hands off?  ..he has been thriving on windfall apples and eating from my garden for a week at least … super chubby and healthy and proven as an escape artist …and I am worried about lice? ..we are going to the feed store tomorrow first thing ..I am not thinking the chicken food is that good for him but it is all I have should I make him something else? he is also getting corn from the garden  he looks about 12-15 weeks old maybe? brown with white streaks like bacon so we have named him "Bacon" 

I am going to read the boards but am in "shock"  if you want to direct me or give me advice or just pat me on the shoulder ?

 I always wanted to raise a pig ..but my house is torn up for a remodel and my garden a disaster this is not the best timing for one to just walk in the yard..but whatever 

I would love to have this work out well 

thanks in advance for anything


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## Goat Whisperer

Welcome to BYH! 

Don't know anything about pigs so I'm no help with your questions, sorry.

Call around to your local feed stores, check craigslist, etc. and see if anyone is missing a pig. I know a breeder who just brought a young breeding boar and he escaped his pen and in less then 24hrs he was 2 miles away.  They put flyers all over including the local BBQ and grill (where most of the folks eat). Someone saw the flyer (@ the grill)  and the pig was returned, thank goodness!


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## heckerdy

I have alerted everyone and have msgs everywhere I can put them thanks. Either way but I have a  feeling he is staying and I need to figure this out ..i do have a space for him so I will reenforce it and then go talk to my vet tomorrow


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## Goat Whisperer

Sounds like a good plan


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## babsbag

I am not a pro at pig raising but have raised two, once.  They are escape artists, but we raised ours in a 10x16 chain link dog kennel. They never dug out, but they did dig a lot. You can put a piece of stock panel flat on the ground around the inside of the pen and put dirt on top, that will keep them from digging near the edge, but they do like to dig and root so I would leave the middle of the pen with dirt and not wire, they will be happier.   Get him a big horse trough to play in with some water and he will bathe himself. I suspended a sprinkler above the trough and had it on a timer, it would come on for a minute or so every few hours, but is was summer and they liked the shower, and the mud it would make.

I used a nipple waterer for swine and didn't have to worry about them getting their water dirty. I fed them in a big plastic trough tied to the fence.  Lots of kitchen scraps and pig feed from the feed store.

With boy pigs you need to get them cut and their tusks removed when they are very little (I think). That is about all I know about pigs.

Oh, they will poop in one corner of the pen, smelly, nasty stuff so the farther from  your house the better. 

They are very smart and usually very friendly, I didn't attempt to make pets out of mine, but many people do and I guess they like belly rubs and back scratches. Not sure about raising with chickens, but not something I personally would do, pigs will eat ANYTHING and I would worry about him eating the chickens.

Good luck.


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## heckerdy

thanks so much Babsbag I appreciate all the tips …he is a  am feeling better after talking to the guy at the feed store ..i always read all the horror stories first with every animal …but this little guy was very unexpected
he is going to be a very large pig the guy I spoke with thinks he is "for sure a duroc and less than 8 weeks" OMG.


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## goatgurl

@heckerdy I'm by no means a pig expert but have raised several over the years.  i kept mine in a 16x32 pen made of cattle panels.  the panels are strong enough to keep a pig from stretching and rooting them up.  but be aware that they will fit thru the holes in the panels till they are a little bit bigger.  as far as housing them with the chickens, i would not be doing that.  I've had pigs that were fine with chickens and pigs that would eat every chicken that they could catch and they worked hard at catching them.  i have dairy goats and I've fed the pigs extra milk, extra eggs, garden produce and "store bought" food.  some of them were sweet and friendly and some of them i wouldn't even go in the pen with.  if its boy be sure and have him castrated, that will help keep him from getting more aggressive.   have fun with him and good luck


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## babsbag

For some reason I was told to never feed raw eggs, have no idea why, never asked. Also never raw meat. But I raise chickens so I had lots of eggs...I would hard boil them and then just smash them shell and all and toss it in whatever feed I was giving them that day.

I worked at a school and had access to lunch room scraps and that saved me a bunch on feed. If their is a school near you you might ask if you can take a 5 gallon bucket to the lunch room and ask the kids to contribute. I was bringing home two buckets full every day.


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## heckerdy

great info thanks you guys! I have been texting my girlfriend relentlessly and she has a chain going with local pig folks and on and on …

no prob on no raw eggs I am the only one who will eat raw eggs in my house and I put one in a smoothie every day  the animals do get my leftover smoothies …oh well ..for the most part no raw meat or eggs for anyone here so that is ok ..but great because  I boil a bunch of eggs to feed back to the ducks an chickens anyway ..this time of year I can double that much for sure and give some to the pig..so how many eggs a day can a pig have? 

…there you go one question leads to the next and next and lots of good folks have posted some amazing info her ..I feel like a great big pig sponge now

I joined BYC ages ago and it was so brilliant and fun! …now I have this crazy little farm going with a massive number of garden beds 13 chickens now running rogue as well as 6 KC ducks and a pair of Muscovy, parrots ..and a very confused dog..on just a half acre on the side of a hill

it all works out and it is very good that there is an old orchard right behind me LOL..going up at sunrise with a bucket this time of year they are full of worms and the ducks/chickens dig the really bad bad apples the most

i have learned so much about feeding pigs and housing them just from this forum so far

now my brain hurts!

the pig is fine happy and hiding in his cage in a straw den he built in there ..still on my deck …

my gazebo is on hold and the remodel work we were doing has ground to  a halt ..we keep hoping someone will claim him but for now are happy with the "gift" and as each day goes by it looks like we need to put the pen where the gazebo is now and get that electric fence going NOW he is getting bigger each day and from what I read …wow ..they grow fast and HUGE

oh and then there is the castration debate…holy crap there is a lot of dialog ..I brought up the subject at the feed store and I guess boar meat is on trend right now? because everyone yelled "don't neuter him you want boar bacon" and then went on and on about how good it is for what ..

one question leads to another …LOL thanks so much you guys for being here how wonderful!


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## goatgurl

oh honey girl you don't want boar bacon.  they may have just been feeding you a line of poo.  boar meat is strong flavored and nasty for the most part.  any one else have an opinion?


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## Latestarter

I've eaten a lot of pig over the years, and wild boar is always gamier than sow, so my guess is the same would hold true with farm pig. I've never raised my own (yet, but hope to) and IMHO a castrated male of any species is always better tasting than not castrated... Now if I could just test that hypothesis with a few mule deer and elk... Hmmmmm


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## heckerdy

you guys it is all over the internet so you know it is all true right ? LOL kidding ..but really there are a lot of very interesting articles I am not sure of the posting rules here yet but I am happy to post links for some good ones about castration but I have not visited all of this board and think it has probably been discussed ..it is not a bad thing to leave a lone mail intact I guess the meat should be fine if I butcher by 10 months and even at that I read several articles about even leaving them with females and intact ..that is just so crazy sounding to me since I have always had neutered dogs and am fine with it ..but if I do not have to do it for a little guy I am gong to raise to about 200-300lbs? I am going to just leave him be there are no other pigs around here at all and he is not going to be very confined at all it seems that with fresh air and sunshine he should be fine and not have tainted meat when we butcher

the other thing is the eggs he LOVES eggs but I am not sure if I can give him too many eggs? I am so confused I feed him a smallish pile of food three times a day including garden pullings right now and a scoop of animal chow


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## babsbag

I don't think you can give him too many eggs. The trough I used to fed in was about 18" x 36" and 6" deep. I filled that 2x a day for 2 pigs and I am sure they would have eaten more. If you can find a grocery store that will give you produce go for it.  I raise goats too so they had a lot of milk. I used a hog grower feed from a local mill. Lots of garden and orchard scraps plus all the feed from the school, they are eating machines.

As far as castrating...I would do it. Would it be worth raising him with all of this time and money invested only to find out that the meat is yucky? I know a person that raised one intact and the meat was only good for highly seasoned sausage.  I wouldn't take the chance. Mine were done before 7 weeks. They also had tusks "clipped".


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## Ferguson K

The only time I would recommend not castrating a pig is when you're planning on breeding them. They put nasty pheremones I'm the meat. Even wild boars... Fwew! If he's not around females, and there's no wild females to entice him, he will probably be okay.

The longer you wait the more likely you are to catch infection. Then you have to treat infection and use antibiotics. All antibiotics have withdrawal times. Avoidance is key.


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## HomesteaderWife

I read your first post and I am scratching my head in severe confusion and irony. About 5 days before you posted this, my husband and I came across a young female pig someone had hit...in the middle of nowhere on back road. (It wasn't a wild hog, it was domestic). About 3 days before this, in a separate part of the state, my family came across a young pig running in circles and in/out of traffic like mad....my step-father tried to call it to him and it stopped, looked at him, then went running into the woods. Very crazy!  


Best of luck with the little piggy!


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## jhm47

Be sure to castrate him.  Boar meat is HORRIBLE!!!


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## heckerdy

HomesteaderWife said:


> I read your first post and I am scratching my head in severe confusion and irony. About 5 days before you posted this, my husband and I came across a young female pig someone had hit...in the middle of nowhere on back road. (It wasn't a wild hog, it was domestic). About 3 days before this, in a separate part of the state, my family came across a young pig running in circles and in/out of traffic like mad....my step-father tried to call it to him and it stopped, looked at him, then went running into the woods. Very crazy!
> 
> 
> Best of luck with the little piggy!




Thank you so much! it is crazy huh? how does this happen ? We (husband and I )  were comparing photos to her pig (my friend who had one walk in her yard six years ago at the same time of year)  and Bacon and wow they are the same breed same age and both boys …just a strange thing to happen and really there are no pigs around here anywhere! little scoundrels for sure


Jhm47 please elaborate because what you are saying is truly not what I am hearing from folks here I would like to know if you boar tainted meat or just do no like the taste of boar?

now "gamey" is a tough one because people have described a lot of meat I adore as "gamey" I love mutton and venison that has not been hung I like the taste of wild meat and aged meat so that kind of "gamey " would be a bonus for me ..taint would not  

I want to read as much as possible and not make a mistake so I need more than just "it is horrible " I know if boar meat it "tainted" it is horrible but not all boar meat is tainted that is a fact i know it is not just a thing that they taste bad it is more to do with hormones and living conditions is what everyone including my vet told me and she contacted a local vet who specializes in pigs for me.

as far as castrating goes the argument against it is growing

the debate is fierce and I am having difficulty finding folks who do it LOL! I am talking to folks and reading some compelling info ..no one is pulling my leg and I was a totally "going to get those off " kind of woman ..I neuter everything LOL I have never even had a dog that has not been neutered..the only thing that escape me neutering are my husband and poultry LOL But I promise I keep getting the "don't do it have you ever tried boar bacon???" they are not castrating as much in this area and boar meat is very "on trend" and people are selling boar meat putting it on menus and really disproving the whole boar taint thing.

most of the discussions I am getting from locals here about boar taint are based on first hand info of farmers doing it "this way now"..and "we just were going on what we were taught but decided not to do it and are glad now" discussions the taste of the meat how healthy the pigs are and what they are doing differently from their predecessors   this one kid is young and he has after several boars on the table convinced his dad he no longer needs to do it his dad was of the castrate it side of the table until eating the meat …and they are just not doing it as much, honestly  and some even are leaving the boars around females having realized a lot of the "taint" has had to do with previous methods of keeping pigs IE no fresh air breathing their own poop and the timing of the butchering  also they say if you toss them out in the fresh air and let them graze the taint comes out anyway.

there is always controversy huh? I am still in the "discussion phase" but the two farmers I was told to call and ask about it told me they were no longer doing it on their own pigs as well.  there are some really good articles online and discussions in person on both sides but lately the trend is leaning towards leaving them alone


times change info changes and what worked before can be different today and what worked yesterday will come back tomorrow ..I am still vacillating and for sure  I am gong to actually taste some boar meat shortly and see how it compares ..the kid swears once "you taste really nice boar you never go back to castration" he raises boars intentionally now for the bacon mainly he says it is off the charts good … and he is third generation in pigs …(I wish he lived closer he was so generous with info and invited us over I would tap his brain more but he offered to keep in touch online so that is cool nice kid and the feed store folks said he was "the go to guy , brilliant and legit"  )

I did an inspection on him the best I could .. he is a very healthy looking guy (but I am comparing him to a dog or what I know should be healthy skin eyes hydration ..lol I am a people nurse so I triaged him up close finally now that he is warm and well fed he is more amiable that is for sure) I do not see any testicles at all on him and he has no teeth but can chew things because I thought he did have teeth the way he is eating pumpkin and harder things (and snapping!) ..he also smells fine now …I love that he  goes right to a cardboard box with some pine shaving in it and tries to poop in it ! how cute is that?  but he walks far from his bed to poop and then poops right next to the box so he gets the idea I just used a scooper to put it in the box and then I can take the box to the compost heap when he gets it …hopefully it will become a habit but it gave me an idea how far he looks to "go" from his bedding …I had not clue but obviously just from this guys behavior he wants to be clean  just a few days of clean straw and a blanket and he is so much better looking ..there are no fleas or lice i can see and I looked close so I am going to not treat him (I worry about treating fleas and lice with my beehives ) he is getting used to us but still quite feral. We are finishing the pen this week we have a  star plate geodesic dome (we were going to put a cedar hot tub in but now it is turning into a pig dome for him LOL it is ok we could not do this for another year anyway) ..wood and electric fencing we needed badly  anyway so no matter what that will be repurposed elsewhere ..we have invested about $200 total but nothing we can not use a anyway for the yard and animals we have …so far Bacon is still a "free pig" to us and he is eating everything I put in front of him and his stools are normal ..(see nurses we want to know what goes in and what comes out LOLOL) so even though I know nothing about pigs I do know dogs and people and could tell you if they were healthy so hoping I am correct in the same assessment of Bacon

thanks so much for the input this is so valuable and very much appreciated

should I move this discussion you think is this ok?


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## Ferguson K

If he's around three months and you see no testicles he's neutered. By three weeks you typically know they are there. At three months they're quite obvious. You can't miss them. He might be castrated.

I may have missed it, but, is he a potbelly? Or just a pig of some sort?


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## Latestarter

I want a little bacon to wander into my yard...


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## heckerdy

I am going to post a photo asap and share with you I do not know but I think I see " them" I see he is a boy???  but????   

I would sleep better honestly .. If they were already gone!


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## heckerdy

Ferguson K said:


> If he's around three months and you see no testicles he's neutered. By three weeks you typically know they are there. At three months they're quite obvious. You can't miss them. He might be castrated.
> 
> I may have missed it, but, is he a potbelly? Or just a pig of some sort?



no not a potbelly he is a random pig who is probably a Duroc mix from what the feed store people said 
thanks ..I see NO testicles anywhere but he is just 24 inches high and has no teeth? do you have a guess how old that may be?


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## heckerdy

I really will use the poll results even though they sound silly btw


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## babsbag

Is his head 24" high or his back? That is a pretty tall pig, how long is he from base of neck to base of tail?  I would guess he is about 3-4 months with that height. 

No teeth...maybe they were clipped at birth and if someone did the teeth they probably castrated him too.


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## heckerdy

babsbag said:


> Is his head 24" high or his back? That is a pretty tall pig, how long is he from base of neck to base of tail?  I would guess he is about 3-4 months with that height.
> 
> No teeth...maybe they were clipped at birth and if someone did the teeth they probably castrated him too.




Thanks Babsbag! Ok I was WAYYY OFF on my measurements and had to come back and edit .. WOW! I seem as a lot bigger and I was using a ruler ..I am so sorry! my husband took a tape measure and found him at 14 inches height and about 26 inches long..

should I know if he needs gelding and how old you think a duroc cross this big would be? thanks! ( I know posting photos..it has been a crazy day)


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## Latestarter

That's a young piglet at that size (if a full sized pig). Not much more than 6-8 weeks would be my guess...


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## jhm47

Some people seem to not be able to detect boar taint.  I'm NOT one of them.  When we cook meat that is from a boar, the taint gets into my nostrils and sinuses and makes me sick.  Even a small amount of it is enough to sicken me.  Normally I'm pretty much able to eat anything, but not boar meat.  I can detect it instantly. 

As to you---do what you want.  You might not be able to detect it at all, and I hope that's the case.  Good luck!


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## Bossroo

jhm47 said:


> Some people seem to not be able to detect boar taint.  I'm NOT one of them.  When we cook meat that is from a boar, the taint gets into my nostrils and sinuses and makes me sick.  Even a small amount of it is enough to sicken me.  Normally I'm pretty much able to eat anything, but not boar meat.  I can detect it instantly.
> 
> As to you---do what you want.  You might not be able to detect it at all, and I hope that's the case.  Good luck!


Me too... me too !!!   I can even smell when there is even a trace of peanuts as an ingrediant or peanut oil in food --makes me upchuck  sick.   Same with cheese  --- YUCK !!!   So meat from a boar, NOT good at all.


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## Baymule

I enjoy reading Walter Jeffries web site. He raises pigs. There is more about pigs on his site than I ever even thought about. He doesn't castrate his pigs, but he has raised his pigs for many generations and has no taint in his stock. Here's what he has to say about the subject.

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2009/04/08/tainted-big-pharma/

Myself, I have butchered feral hogs and the boar taste is definitely there. I have never left a feeder hog uncastrated. But since you butcher them at around 6 months, testicles or not, I don't think they develop much of a boar taste. that said, I am getting 3 castrated feeder pigs in a few weeks. The decision is really up to you. But I wouldn't keep him past 6 months.


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## babsbag

I agree with latestarter, about 8 weeks would be my guess. I brought mine home at 6 weeks and they were about 12 inches tall and they grow like weeds.


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## heckerdy

Thanks for the input you guys! A friend of mine who raised pigs said he didn't care if they were not around females and you butchered at 200lbs then there should be no "taint" also he said he always "pastured them" first before butchering ..I have tasted his meat and while I am very sensitive to food in general and do not even like commercial pork bcuase it tastes like the barns they raise them in ..

but ..that said …it puzzles me more about where this little guy came from and  my husband came running in to tell me he took his glove on a stick and rubbed "Bacon" so much he flopped on his back spread eagle and it looks like he has a 1 1/2 inch scar on his abdomen below the last set of nipples?

I know where dogs get their scars? but pigs anatomy is it the same? if so he is "most certainly " neutered per my husband. boy did I learn a lot about neutering pigs over the past week. Zero pig knowledge to holy crap I wish I did not know what I just read!  now he gets lots and lots and lots of acorns and filberts  thanks so much!


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## babsbag

My pigs loved acorns...so do my goats.


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## Baymule

A scar on the belly is not where castration occurs. For a pig, the cut is made on the testicle sac, testicles are pulled out, dabbed with ointment and turned loose. The scar, if any would be on the rear part of the pig. 

Personally I wouldn't worry about castrating the pig. Just butcher it at about 6 months.


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## heckerdy

darn It sure looks like a BAD neuter scar but what do I know about pigs anatomy ..guess I will learn as Bacon grows

he is so big in just a couple of weeks here! I just feed him everything hope that is ok but we eat a really healthy diet so I figure that and some chow he is good to go ..and lots of eggs and I do toss raw garden veg into his 

I am wondering how people who live with pigs are able to butcher them ..this is not going to be easy 
ducks and chickens do not bug me but then again I do not do it ..my husband does and I do not get attached to poultry for some reason ..I love them but they are fine in soup 

this pig is different ..he is very smart and adorable and wow 

my husband said I will get to a point where he looks like food again to me for sure


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## goatgurl

i would be willing to bet your husband is right.  by the time they have knocked you down a couple of times and weigh 300# they aren't so cute anymore.
if he has castration scars they should be on either side of his bottom, kind of on either side below his tail.  and for obvious reasons there should be two. lol


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## heckerdy

ok nowwwwww I am feeling like a complete dork fish here, not knowing the anatomy of a pig and spending so much time looking at this guys backside trying to figure out where his testicles are! Seriously I finally googled it but not knowing what to google ?  ..( "where are pigs testicles?" worked but the stuff I had come with it  ) they really are up in the back end more  and not at the base where dogs are … I know human anatomy as an RN but not sure about pig and wow I was way off LOL!!! 

my husband has never been around male pigs who were not castrated and I have not been around pigs in general ..except the one who walked in my friends back yard six years ago (see original post on the thread ) and he went from baby like Bacon to a guy the size of a fridge in 10 months (she wanted lots of lard! I would like it too but can not imagine keeping a big here that long ? 

there they are we finally found his "set"  (we think LOLOL)  of tiny ones up under his tail ..but when my husband had him relaxed and was ready to look close he rubbed up against the electric fence and zapped himself and Bacon ..that was the end of that adventure!  ..he said though he thought he found two tiny ones before the zapping (we are such pig NUBES!!! we have never had an electric fence but watching everyone get accustomed including my pit bull has been kind of funny actually ) 

whatever we will be butchering at 6 months and are not going to castrate him, even the farmers who do it said they are doing it less and less because the trend is to leave them intact now for the "boar meat" I swear it is a "thing" here now and I keep being told " don't worry just leave him be" and you will love the bacon from this pig..I was given some boar bacon and will try it later and let you know what I think if you are interested…

I feel like the meat will be great I am not at all worried and will report back on that as well 

I am going to feed him as many nuts as I can acorns especially that is what Italians do get good ham 

I love making bacon and ham and have done this for years this will be the first time  I do my own from a pig that we raised ourselves I am so grateful and what a strange thing to have happen. 

I can NOT believe it took us this long to figure out his man parts LOL silly us


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## Latestarter

Picturing hubby exploring Mr. Bacon's nether regions and finally grabbing hold of the old peanuts just in time to hit the electric fence! LMAO! <---really! too funny. Seeing smoking bacon with my inner mind's eye  Love watching everyone experience hot wire for the first several times... Can be a real hoot!


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## goatgurl

oh heckerdy you gave me my laugh for the morning.   poor bacon turned up with his bottom exposed and zapped.  and your poor hubby.  hope you piggy adventure turns out well.  keep us posted


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## Ferguson K

Oh lord! Hot fences and pigs are the way to go. At least your husband tested it and you know it works!


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## heckerdy

I was cracking up to you guys it was hysterical! he put up so much fencing I am done going in the back yard and watching the antics from the safety of the window now! 

I am absolutely shocked at how big Bacon is in just 16 days since I posted this! 

I will take a photo and post it I am sorry we are remodeling as I think I mentioned and it is all DIY so life is kind of random right now ..to say the least

our bucket list included finishing our home!


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## Latestarter

just re-reading, and it got me laughing again! Thanks! It's really helped brighten my entire day.


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## heckerdy

this pig brightens our lives to be honest Latestarter my husband was commenting "wouldn't it be nice to grow bacon right next the tomatoes since they go so good together" LOLOLOL! YES but literally??? I was not expecting any of this at all …EVER! not even being an "urban farmer" at 57 years old I was going to be a "world traveler" ..whoops!


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## heckerdy

Meet Bacon




just realizing I thought the pig was 3 months old 3 weeks ago ???? and he has grown 1/3 his weight it seems in just the short time have had him …what I am REALLY IN FOR….holy s#$%!?????!!!!! 


he escaped twice yesterday and I saw the pig have a tantrum !!! he really did foot stomping and all ..is that for real? did I really see him put his head down and toss a fit like a little kid..when my husband changed things on him?

I can not imagine my husband getting out of this "intact" if you know what I mean! this little guys is kind of a brat right now!  OY!!!!


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## Ferguson K

Look at All those poor spoiled apples going to waste. 

He looks like he's about 45-50 lbs MAYBE hard to tell based on just apples. He's pretty! If fed properly he can gain as much as 2-3lbs a day depending on a few factors. Good looking little pig!


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## Latestarter

Oh WOW! He's gonna be a big boy! I would guess #300 or so easy by the time he hits 7-8 months, maybe more. He's gonna make for some really good eatin'! Grats! Thanks for sharing the pic


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## heckerdy

he is larger EVEN today and it is a fact his parts have popped out and he is a major boy
we reenforced the fence! what are we really in for I wonder? 

I am feeding really really well LOL really well


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## frustratedearthmother

He's really a nice looking fella!


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## goatgurl

bacon almost looks like a herford hog with those white feet.  is his face white too.  yes they are colored like a herford cow.  first time i saw one i fell in love.  look 'em up.  if he is he's gonna be a big boy.  you had better reinforce that fence again, lol.


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## heckerdy

Goatgirl I think you are right he is a hereford for sure I think so too
he was mostly red when he came now he is white underneath and looks just like the herefords ..and my poor husband feels defeated we are going to put up real fencing tomorrow just runs right through this and  I knew he would but you know I am not telling him that right? LOLOL I am just watching the cameras and ..well posting here


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## norseofcourse

He's tilling that ground for you really well!


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## Latestarter

Isn't it pretty amazing how much earth moving they can do in such a short time? Looks like he already has his present enclosure ready for leveling and planting! You are definitely going to need some real fencing, and I wouldn't recommend welded wire! It better be substantial, like hog panels.


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## Baymule

Set up hog panels and hot wire. We are in the process of building a hog pen out of 2"x4" horse wire. Going to run hot wire around it to keep the piggies from rooting under the fence. We are getting 3 feeder pigs. We are getting horse manure from a horse event center and dumping it in the pen area, to let the pigs root it in all winter. Come spring, pigs go to slaughter and the "pig" pen becomes the garden!


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## heckerdy

Baymule thanks …we hare fortifying and refortifying now the fence is in since that photos …I have to let my husband go though his paces ..I wanted "hog fencing from day one ..but I married an engineer who lives his life inventing things ..so he wanted to reinvent the wheel IE fence ..and now he is sorry he did not listen … last night he looked at me and said "I am defeated by a pig"  he was  defeated  and bought better fencing instead of whatever it was he was doing out there…wow this pig has completely occupied our days! we can not leave the house for more than a few hours together someone has to be here! Can I give him a valium??? I actually caught myself googling "can pigs have valium" I was ready to give him one of my coveted dental valium yesterday while we were fixing the fence ! I had NO idea what the heck I was in for when this guy walked into the yard….now I wonder what kind of karmic debt I am paying off here …if I believed such a thing I would believe this was  some kind of weird cosmic pay back !!!
d
Bacon is a *tyrant* …I am afraid he will eat my ducks next week when they are no longer his buddies and he figures out they are food…! he is so big alread… I am terrified of my neighbors pristine gardens and him getting loose and destroying decades of valuable plantings …we fortified the fence yesterday
OY!!!!!! I am saying a lot of bad words right now ..admittedly I am laughing a lot too but this "free pig" is expensive! fortunately we needed this fencing and when he is gone it will be repurposed …but I am in the midst of a kitchen remodel I wanted finished before the end to eh month and running out the door while trying to do paint and tile is just making this retirement a little challenging …I can send him to my friends but at this point you guys don't you think I should keep trying ? In the end ..we do love bacon and ..yes he is already looking more like food to me and less like a cute little smart pig ..pigs can be A$$H#L%s!!!
so now since the photo above we have fortified fencing and it is hot as hell and he has figured out how to get out of that so today we are refortifying the hot wires and putting another fence outside the fence ..we had him contained for 4 hours ..a record now since we took him off the deck.


he is just so BAD!!! but kind of hysterical at the same time! if he just stays "bad" where he is and doesnt get out of our yard ..or eat a duck ..or kill either one of us and bury us in the yard …look at that amazing soil! guess where I will be having a garden next year! I wish I could put him on a leash and plow several places ..


I have a question has anyone tried a dog pinch collar on a pig? can I put him on some kind of leash during the day? We can get him to pass out and lie down for a bit now and I picked him up yesterday (he is about 40lbs now I think he felt like a giant bag of flour_  they do not have much of a neck and all I can imagine is he is going to squeal scream and flip around? My husband is convinced he can get control of this demon with a pinch collar …smart as he is I do not think my husband thinks this thing out in a larger picture but whatever Bacon is still small enough not to do too much damage to him…. is this the terrible teens for pigs? does he need ritalin ? ..I was serious about the valium ..but not sure I could medicate a pig I was going for organic free range LOLOL! a valium is not organic free range 

Will this pig calm down or will he always be a tyrant? 
is there a pig leash thing I can put on him to contain him or walk him in our yard…

OH and yesterday we made him a kong ball out of bowling ball and put peanut butter in the finger holes it pissed him off but he did play with it for a while ..do you have any ideas for toys ..we have been putting root veg in like someone recommended for him to dig up but he really does have ADHD right now and he wants "out" bad so those two things distract him from play …so if anyone knows what keeps a pig busy besides digging up the garden and eating eggs? 

sorry for the long rant but I am pretty isolated in this adventure ..since I live in town and pigs just do not walk around here…  not something I can really talk about with the neighbors ..in fact i would rather they do not know and since all of them have hearing issues so far they don't …


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## frustratedearthmother

I hate to even suggest this - but maybe he needs a friend???   

We always raised hogs in pairs...just sayin'!


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## heckerdy

OH NOOOO no no no ..no …no no no 

(I am screaming and running down the street now LOLOLOLOL but thanks for suggesting something )


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## Bossroo

How about a nice bottle of wine with breakfast , lunch, and dinner ?   Should tenderise the Bacon as well as mellow Bacon.   If that doesn't help, then sip the wine yourself.


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## Latestarter

I've never owned a pig... having said that, no, I don't believe a pinch collar will do what you (your DH) wants/anticipates, but will indeed have exactly the opposite effect. You think you have an a-whole pig now, pinch his neck a few times and watch the sparks fly! I think you'd be much better with one of those dog harness things that strap in front of and behind the front legs and around the chest. That way your attach point will be between the (future smoked) shoulders and you'll be able to lift the front (pickled pigs) feet off the ground, essentially controlling him. To the best of my knowledge, limited though it may be, I've never heard of a pig doing a 2 step.

As for the hot wire, as you've discovered, pigs are very smart! they are the supreme escape artists! Part of the reason the country has such a feral hog problem. Perhaps you could look into some of the hot netting instead? If you placed that around the inside along with the hot wires, he'd have virtually no chance of escape without getting zapped.

Another fence possibility would be old pallets stood on end with 4x4's down through them into the ground for support. A full grown pig might be able to break through them, but I doubt your little (for now) squealer would. Don't know if you have access to free pallets in good shape.

That is gonna be one heckuva garden plot next year! That soil looks awesome! Hope you're throwing in your chicken coop materials as well, to be mixed in. Not knowing if you have chickens... though you did mention ducks... and eggs....

Edit to add: maybe you're not feeding him enough? He wants out to dig up more to eat? I was/am under the impression that a well fed pig would be more content to stay where the food is...


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## Ferguson K

If your fence is hot, it may not be hot enough. MOST pigs respect electricity. He may be the exception, not the rule. Pigs are rooters. Give him plenty to turn over and munch on. I'm sure you've mentioned it. Maybe I've already asked, but, is he free fed? At his age he's a growing machine. A free fed growing pig is a happy pig. Give him a free feeder, he will figure it out. 

If you can get your hands on some woven wire, like a roll of field fencing, I highly recommend it. As tight as you can pull it. Then electrify the crap out of it. 1 joule output if possible. Hot isn't hot enough with an in tact lonely pig.


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## Ferguson K

Also, no. A pinch collar will not work. Collars in general will not work on pigs.


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## goatgurl

I'm sort of feeling sorry for hubby but if he wants to put a pinch collar on that pig you be sure to have your camera on video mode because all heck is gonna break out and i want to see it.  i know you have decided not to castrate him but that will help him settle down some as would having a friend. and latestarter may be right about food.  how much of what are you feeding him?  and i have always used cattle panels instead of hog panels because the cattle panels are taller and they can't jump over them if the electric happens to be off like they can a hog panel.  and you do need to keep an eye on the ducks.  next to last pig i raised ate every chicken and duck he could catch but the last two didn't bother them at all.


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## Mini Horses

I am laughing so hard at this pig thing, I can hardly type.   Tears came as I laughed at the suggestion of a 2nd one....but, it MAY help.  definitely castration will.   Since he has no adults to mimic, he doesn't know to calm down.  Looks like you need another acre or two for him to till, RFLOL.   

More and constant food would probably help.  He'll stop when he's full and start up again later.   They are like bottomless garbage disposals.  Yes, he can kill a bird faster than you blink.

So, what I really wanted to mention is that they can bite you and it is extremely painful, so be careful!   You can tell that they are very smart, very!  

Do you have a farmer market or smaller, family owned store or restaurant near?   I'm thinking making a deal for old/damaged produce, breads, pastries, etc.   Dump it into a pile and watch!  They'll eat almost anything.

The pics are great & thanks for the laughs.   I'm sure the engineer is working overtime trying to "fix" this project.


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## Baymule

Your little Hereford boy is a beauty. Maybe one reason the hot wire isn't holding him is because he is not trained to it. There needs to be a strong barrier behind the hot wire, so he can "see" it. I recommend cow panels also. they are 16' long, and 50" tall. I love them, use them for all sorts of things. Do be careful around him. Pigs are strong and they can bite.


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## jhm47

Pigs are always restless and will try to get out when they are not getting adequate nutrition.  Get some commercial hog feed and let him eat as much as he wants.  You can also supplement with acorns or whatever other food you have available.  A full hog is a happy hog, and I suspect that some of his nutritional needs are not being met.  Good luck!


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## heckerdy

Thanks so much you guys I will up his feed for sure 
I have been literally toss loaves of bread out the bedroom window down to him  (I bake sourdough so I just baked up extra ones this week with some older flour for him) ..he thinks it rains bread! 

I have learned so much about pigs!  thank you so much for your help it is greatly appreciated I am exhausted and going to fall over now 

funny thing about the wine ..I found two gallons of wine I had "put away" and they are PERFECT double fermented like brandy!


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## Latestarter

Oh my! That "wine" definitely does NOT go to the hog!!!  That's a special "I'm taking care of an A-whole pig" libation!  Good for what ails ya! 

Yeah, the more I thought about it, the more I thought "not enough to eat"... they are indeed little pigs. The amount of food they can pack away is amazing, as is the amount of weight they can gain almost overnight. I feel for ya, though I'm sure you'll come to the conclusion it was all worth it when you're eating those first center cut "Bacon" chops


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## heckerdy

he needed more food! WOW I feel so guilty like I was starving him ..we built a trough this morning and he adores it! 
what crappy pig people we are! 

but who expected a pig to walk in the yard right?


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## Ferguson K

Yayyyyy!!!! I just loaded two more feeders (hogs) into the trailer to be dropped off in the morning.


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## heckerdy

Happy Bacon!
truly learn as we go here thanks to your help! wow I am so glad I found you ..I am looking forward to rain coming so I can just sit and read threads here! so much to learn about so many things 
[url=https://flic.kr/p/zNejvd]
	

Untitled by https://www.flickr.com/photos/77351416@N04/

thank you guys so much something so simple he does need lots of food ..more than I even imagined! 

I am just going to have my husband build a water slide from my kitchen to his mouth then right?

so my husband is spending more time with him  he has a glove on a stick and it is the magic wand ..he is like a lobster when you rub his belly he passes out..but now he is like my dog and asking scratch before bed…. and that is not helping us ..I am getting attached you guys… he is kind of hysterical


but still put pork belly in home made ramen for dinner 

OY!!!![/URL]


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## Latestarter

So keep us updated on the outcome now that you're finally feeding him!  <---JK!! Let us know if that settles him down some.

Thought I posted this last night, but the "post" button musta stuck... was still here all grayed out when I scanned down to the bottom of the page. Glad more food seemed to help. Seriously, I believe the attraction will lessen as he gets to be 200 then 250 then 300 pounds!

Edit to add: Maybe you should consider a large-ish dog to become attached to? that way Bacon can remain future bacon?


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## Ferguson K

He looks like a Hereford cross. He's a good looking pig. I'm glad he's settling down finally! Expect him to go through large amounts of feed in a matter of days. One 50lb hog can eat 50lbs of grain in a weeks time if free feed completely!

Keep up the good work!


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## Baymule




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## heckerdy

OMG yesterday THE FREAKING DUCKS dug him out! ???? you guys know what I am saying right??? they could be food tomorrow but today they adore Bacon and he loves them! I cannot get my husband's engineering/inventor  brain to turn off do something simple like "fortify the fence from the outside" he has it so electrified a fortress inside a spaceship that looks like something out of Dr Who….and Bacon has a lovely bedroom … but Bacon could care less about the shocky fence no matter how many volts it throws… he wants to be with the ducks and chickens period!!! Poor husband ..he is napping now LOLOL! yesterday was a run for his money..and I napped …right now he has my countertops in progress and is trying  ….arrange his work partner's schedule to  pour the concrete  ..( sub floor to ceiling DIY kitchen remodel) and he works from home and this is his busy time of year …. when I asked him to " just fortify the outside of the fence"  He  fortified spaceship inside the fence …I caught the ducks digging Bacon out! ??? I wish I could do the fencing myself but I can't intrude upon this ..it is "his" pig really… I am just doing the reporting and having hysterics behind the scenes ..making sure everything else is being taken care of while husband reinvents the wheel pig wise ..  . I insert your suggests into his brain so he does take the advice but only after he is exhausted! LOL! .thank you so much for being there ..I mean it I would have run screaming down the street!!!!  husband and Bacon are napping ..obviously in two differing places LOL …  Furgeson thanks so much for the encouragement and I can see how we are going to be feeding that much easily he hs getting a lot of rice eggs and skim milk powder as "extra" as well as loaves of bread that do not turn out right or are extra ..then the used cooking oil ….I feel reassured I felt so badly I was underfeeding him but it also goes against my nature to want something to overeat and get fat ..I do want a big FAT healthy pig ..baking with lard and duck fat are two luxuries I adore and look forward to if this kitchen is ever finished… I am sure you are correct thanks so much for the ID and Latestarter thanks to you as well I appreciate the help! I love dogs and I have a huge wussy pit bull who looks like a pig and wants nothing to do with Bacon sadly  and visa versa ..bummer huh? he was so lonely since he lost his sister a year ago and this obviously was not the solution because WOW  he is not happy about this situation at all ..Pit bulls are very vocal and he is telling us all about his displeasure with this current situation going on in his yard! …thanks again the bliss was broken Bacon is "OUT" again argh…is that drool over the ramen with pork belly I wonder? you guys are great and I am going to go chase the pig ..OYYYYYY what a mess how many more days until I am there? sorry if this is scattered I am trying to edit but my internet is "iffy" today


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## Latestarter

Sorry... I just have to say, I'm learning so much from YOU! When and if I do get pigs (I'll get a pair), I'll know everything I shouldn't do! LOL  Sorry this is turning into such an adventure for you guys. Well... not really, I'm enjoying reading it as you experience it! You really need to shoot some video and post here and youtube  

Thanks for the pic. Looks like DH used one of the interior doors inside there. Maybe that's the trick!?!?! Pull all the doors out of the house to line the "spaceship" some more!


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## sadieml

Have been sitting back loving your adventure!  I have been saying I could never raise a pig to eat, but I do love me some bacon!  Your Bacon is certain making himself look more and more like food with all of his antics.  Very funny, but by the time 6 or 8 months have passed, you and DH are going to be more than ready to chow down on him.  I'm definitely going to start with some meat chickens in the spring.  Maybe in a year or 2 I'll be able to move on to a pig.  My daughter will disown me for sure.  She wants a pet pig and has already assured me she will not eat any chicken I kill.  Go figure! 

Also, we have 2 rescue Pit Bulls(4 yr old male, 2 1/2 yr old female) and are trying to teach him to be a herd guard for our goaties.  I've had a lot of big and "bad" breeds over the years-chow mix, Rottweiler, dobie mixes, German shepherd mixes, but these are my 1st Pits.  I absolutely LOVE them and know exactly why they used to be called "nanny dogs".He loves playing chase with the boys, but is such a baby and wants his Mommy(me, obviously) at night.  I would love for him to learn to stay in the pen with them, since we do have foxes, coyotes, and even wild "Carolina dogs" around here. I'm still keeping them in a repurposed crib in my garage at night for fear they will be eaten since he won't stay out with them at night!  He's such a weenie!  (Any ideas?)


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## Baymule

Lay a strip of that fence wire on the ground all around the pen. Secure with hog rings, purchased at a feed store or Lowes. There is pliers for the hog rings, easy to use and not expensive.

http://www.harborfreight.com/straight-hog-ring-pliers-3102.html

http://www.lowes.com/pd_48131-215-16101L_0__

http://www.lowes.com/pd_47574-16418-839042_0__?productId=3160363&Ntt=


I use hog rings for everything. I put hoop coops together with hog rings and cow panels. Love hog rings!!!


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## heckerdy

Baymule I am so sending that photo to my husband right now!!!


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## heckerdy

Baymule my husband is going to do what you said ! thanks! he said he has hog rings and the tools he needs


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## Baymule

That picture was of the hoop run attached to the coop at our old house. I only have 6 pullets and 5 old hens now and built a hoop coop from scraps and scrounged materials. I built it to be moved, drag it around to wherever I want it. I need to take a picture of it and post it for you. It will become my grow out coop after I build a better coop.

The coop I built right when we moved (had some VERY unhappy hens crammed in a small carry cage overnight) was made of an old rabbit cage, 2 horse panels for sides, chicken wire on top, and a chicken wire covered 1/2 cowpanel for a gate. The girls really, really like the new hoop coop much better!


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## heckerdy

as soon as I am sure this saga has calmed down I will share the story of Bacon ..lets just say retirement in a quiet place …does not give anyone freedom from drama and stress ..oh no you can hide but it will find you LOLOL good grief my drama of late came pig shaped ..with a cute little Lithuanian farm girl by his side  I thought I would share this photo because it makes me happy unlike what has been happening this week.

I will share this saga because there has to be a lesson in it someplace …geeeez  everyone and bacon are all fine and in the yard this was yesterdays photo ..no worries on Bacon ..just worry about the world around us


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## Latestarter

?? OK, Have to admit I'm getting old and I'm lost... There's more to the story of Bacon than what you've already shared? And how does the Lithuanian farm girl fit into this? Please don't tell us that she's the owner, come to re-claim "her" pig? OK... Guess I'll wait with everyone else to hear the story.


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## heckerdy

I am so sorry about the confusion! The "Lithuanian farm girl" is my granddaughter and just a cute interlude..my husband  is Lithuanian and she got his tall genes and looks just like him but prettier obviously LOL. The server is not running very well and typing this is a chore I will cb later and see if I can type "the rest of the story" ..but little Bacon has turned into a "thing" he was almost pub food that is why he ran away


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## heckerdy

Ok so as you know, about a month ago a pig walked into our yard and this thread has helped us unsuspecting folks get through the struggle of such an unexpected visitor!

on Tuesday we were just settling in for that glass of basement wine ( all us semi-self sufficient folks should have in case the big one hits or a pig walks in the yard.) and we got a knock in the door
my husband had just finished putting the wire fencing down like you said Baymule and things seemed calm ..all the animals tucked in…BAM BAM BAM at the door .."who is it?"  (I will make up a name but wish I could post his ..am  hoping the person who did this reads this saga and learns something from it )
anyway we will call him "Mike" so "Mike I think we have something in common " my husband opened the door and lead him off the porch back out in the yard ..he was nervous made terrible eye contact and started rambling about "we have ducks you have ducks we have a pig you have a pig we lost a pig did you find a pig?" then he told us in rapid fire that he had the pig one day before it ran off…he did not even know the sex of the pig! he asked US??? He had no idea the bread or sex of the pig ….The pig "Bacon" was a money making project we have liberal but well documented ordinances about animals ..people have beautiful gardens and we have an elaborate green belt with lots of native plants and wildlife ..a pig here if it got loose would be an ecological  nightmare  also I am up against a federal land with a huge forrest and lots of hunting and wildlife projects ..restorations going on ..this guy is a real estate agent with a first time side business in town where it is illegal …to raise luau pigs for his brother in law's pub … and he lost it after a day because he admitted to us HE "had no idea how hard this would be to keep a pig" He also said that he "didn't report it or even look for it because I was not sure of the rules" he is a real Estate agent in this area for 10 years and did not know our zoning laws? please …. my husband when we were looking for the owner told the  UPS man who told this guy ..I was furious with him he had no concern or care for the animal just saw dollar signs and a pig someone else struggled with for a month! ..I am not a "poor me" I am frustrated and pissed! …...and HE  is standing in my third world bombed out back yard where there is a very fat happy pig looking for the next home cooked meal .  Telling us that
"wow he did a number on your yard I will give you $100 for the damage my brother in law has a pub and we are doing a luah"
I am a nice person you guys I can control my temper in most situations I was an ER nurse come on.. There was just something I was not happy about with this guy..
Seriously if someone showed up with a tearful kid and said "omg you have our pig ..blah blah blah" I would have been sad but turned him over ..especially if there was a kid or someone was raising food legitimately trying and had been searching ... but he even started on a shady pretense "we have something in common I have ducks you have ducks I Have a pig you have a pig I lost a pig is that my pig? "  argggghhhhhh it was disruptive but then got worse I do not even know how to explain how bad it got

so we said we would call him the next day,…..I would not lie but we were going to move the pig to my friend mini farm  I would just make him go there and get him himself …with his bare hands on muddy 40 acres …I was so upset and did not want Bacon to end up a $20 /plate in a pub! sorry and the insult of offering us $100 ..how about if you are a real suburban farmer and NEIGHBOR  ...you offer to come help us with the yard and as your looking at my granddaughter how about you not tell her the hard work we put in ...is going to make you some money on a one night meal ????" but "I will give you $100 for your trouble"

ok so we left it with this guy leaving and thinking we are going to call him the next day …our plan was to do what I said and give him $100 for his trouble and good bye.  ( I am going to post this and then come back with the rest …the internet is buggy this morning lets see how this posts first)


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## heckerdy

that  posted part two
ok so we left it with this guy leaving and thinking we are going to call him the next day …our plan was to do what I said and give him $100 for HIS  trouble and good bye.  ( I am going to post this and then come back with the rest the internet is buggy this morning lets see how this posts first)

the next day I had a picnic planned for the grandkids and was listening to Joe Biden's speech and crying Sadly …brutally …I lost my son as well and feel so much for Biden… 10 years ago my son left this world unexpectedly… it was his birthday I was planning a picnic of his favorite foods and going to talk to the little kids about their lost uncle and celebrate what he loved in life ..tears were flowing like crazy.., (everyone has pain but your home is a safe place to express it fully and I was) The food was on and I noticed the Animal Control truck outside .. So I went out and started to introduce myself to the animal control officer and like a slap in the face she yelled "SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME DO YOU EVER STOP TALKING!…do you know why I am here???" ok that was random! seriously ! I said "hi my name is ….." and she blew up! she was having some kind of issue with her self control and it just went from bad to worse with her ..I knew something was up and did not want to be alone with her I did not even have my phone in my hand ..I should have videoed the rest of this..but hindsight…..so I said "I have food on the stove this is a difficult day for my family and I am not doing very well and you are yelling at me ...so please forgive me I am going to take care of the food and my husband is coming up the hill with my grandkids now if you wait you can tell us both everything at one time"  as I walked back into my house she was making fun of me behind my back in a sing song voice..seriously I felt tearful and bullied but pulled it together because she was the crazy one at this point! not me! when my husband showed I came back out and she explained the situation what we needed to do and when she finished I said "ok then can we conclude this so I can return to the lunch and then we will make plans to do what you have asked ?"  she screamed in front of my kids and husband at me over and over "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHE NEVER STOPS TALKING SHE NEEDS HELP MAKE HER SHUT UP "she was shouting and walking in circles..why did we not video this ???????
I wasn't even in the yard with her at this point I had walked with the grandkids away and escorted them towards the house telling them not all officers behaved like this and that just made her more angry… this is when it got weird…she  put both hands over her ears equated down screaming that I would not shut up and then jumped up into the air in full SUPERSTAR position with her arms and legs  spread when she landed I thought maybe she was going to do a split! but no  she ended with a pound "I CAN NOT BELIEVE SHE WILL NOT STOP TALKING!" in super star position? ….ok it took 5 min to find out the guy wanted $50 for Bacon to be delivered to a coffee shop in town and a receipt would be there for the pig ..that is all she wanted to tell us and she went completely bat**** crazy in my yard for 30 min ..my husband had his phone ready to call 911 when she finally got in her truck but we moved our picnic inside because she was sitting in our driveway staring at us!

something about my being in tears I believe triggered her to be crazy? I told her several times " please stop yelling at us and today is a difficult day I am very sad and my kids do not need to see this please calm down , get a grip or leave my yard!" who knows I do not care what triggered her but I left a msg for her boss yesterday and am filling a report ..wow she has a gun

great PR because you know my grandson went right to school and told everyone about the crazy animal control officer who made gramma cry ..OY!!!!

Sooooooo I have a hand written receipt now stating I own a "brownish pig" ..he is a not aware we would have paid him twice that but he had to call the ACO instead…

what an irresponsible ass this man is and what a crazy officer I death with ..I have a great deal of respect for animal control as a nurse I have dealt with them a lot and feel they have a very hard job here ..we have a lot of dog fighting in this area and that is how I got into pit rescue …sadly I am on her side and she was having a breakdown but the woman has a gun and needs to check in with mental health NOW. before she hurts someone …

the guy ? who knows but I am going to the city as well to discuss the" pig issue" with them ..if he can not contain his money making projects and if pigs get loose in our community and in the woods? and he is not looking for them because and I quote "I didn't want to draw attention because I did not know the zoning laws? " he is again a REAL ESTATE AGENT???  you do not get to randomly decide in a community like ours to raise luau pigs when you have no clue about the laws? right? also if you are going to raise pigs? and not have them walk into your yard ..how about you learn to contain them FIRST in a tight community with houses and gardens all around?

so there you go ..the rest of the story…Bacon is ours now with receipt to prove it so my little LIthuanian farmer girl now has a pig for real …if anyone is going to eat this pig it will be those who have respected his life enough not to loose him then hide it because they were doing something illegal and not very responsible 

crazy huh? or am I crazier than I thought I was? sorry this is so disconnected the internet is really slow and choppy if that makes sense ?


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## heckerdy

wow that was a book ..maybe the officer was right and I talk too much and I DO need to "SHUT UP"

you know I can still see her ??? I was a nurse for a lot of years and have seen some crazy stuff I put it all in perspective…

but I am kind of worried about HER actually and unless she is just that crazy and they keep her because she can take down an  animal really well and judging her size and muscle tone I am assuming she can handle most any situation with animals… i think it is people she has trouble with and I have her " as a mentally fragile person..needing help .. having an episode "in my mind already and hope she gets help I am not mad just worried to be honest so I left another msg and if I do not hear today i am going down there for sure.

telling you and seeing it in writing makes me realize how serious her behavior was OY see drama comes? I was sitting in my house and a pig walked up


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## goatgurl

first let me say how sorry i am for your loss.  i can't think of a more ongoing pain than loosing a child.  
now on to the shifty eyed supposed pig owner and the animal control officer..  WHAT!!!!  something fishy going on here me thinks.  he's a looser and she needs serious help with her behavior.  sounds like she has some real problems. my concern is that she will be back and tell you can't keep bacon.


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## heckerdy

thanks this time of year is harsh …he whole Bacon saga?was so "him" it seemed kind of an irony that a pig came to distract us right now ..oh well..I am done Bacon can live here until he becomes bacon I guess this is all so crazy ! thanks again a decade does little but give it a place


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## Latestarter

So sorry about the loss of your son. Also sorry you had to deal with all that other stuff at that time. Wow is all I can say about the public servant, and I wouldn't trust "mike" as far as I could throw him. I wouldn't have given that guy a dime! First, how the heck did he even find out you had a "found" pig? Second, what proof did he show that it was ever his to begin with? He didn't know breed, sex, colors, or anything else and then claimed it was his? BS! Then to send animal control telling you to pay him $50 at a coffee shop and a receipt would be there waiting for you?  You have GOT to be kidding me! So you spent $50 to get a receipt for something you already owned... Hmmmmm almost like govt taxation.

I'm sure you've probably considered this, but if that whacked out ACO is all that, reporting her to superiors could cause you all kinds of issues down the road. Especially since you didn't get it on video. Those in "uniform" tend to be accepted/trusted/believed by those in authority, above those of us who are mere citizens... Specially when it's your word against theirs... justsayin'


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## Baymule

And just when you thought life was boring......


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## sadieml

I cannot begin to imagine your pain.  My deepest sympathy.

I agree with Latestarter.  This "Mike" guy is some piece of work, and the ACO needs some really strong drugs and a white jacket with 8 foot wrap-around sleeves.  It could turn into a living nightmare if her boss gives her the details of your call, so be CAREFUL, keep your cell with you 24/7, and NEVER speak to her alone.  We will be praying for you and yours.

Now, sit back and enjoy Bacon before he becomes bacon, and love on that awesome family of yours.  THEY are what gets you from point A to point B when life just seem too hard to press on.  Let them love on you, too, and help bring some calm back into your life.  You definitely deserve it after the recent insanity around you.  Wish I could give you this for real...


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## heckerdy

you guys thank you so much ..today has sucked so far but it is what it is right? and thanks ..LateStarter "how the heck did he even find out you had a "found" pig?" 
Our freakng UPS man ..he is such a terrible gossip ..but I like him really …so we actually asked him when we were in "finding the owner mode" it just took him a month to find this right person … I had HOPED it was a pig someone lost not a herd of pigs in the protected marsh behind us ..(it is where all the kids go on field trips you guys to learn about the fragile ecosystem a small marsh in the middle of town this guy "Mike" lives on one and we live on the other and there is a cute trail ..people (me) like to keep a geochache going in there ..if pigs get in there ? or get into the woods behind us? 
I am all about raising meat for your family and think the relaxed laws and zoning has been very HARD EARNED>..I can have poultry and that is HUGE we have neighbors with a donkey and ones with horses and others have ducks ..it is a lovely suburb that supports backyard adventures in self sufficiency ..in good proximity to jobs and a freeway ..this is a delicate balance ..we need to be gold stewards of our cause right you guys???? seriously! some guy just putting pigs in his yard to make a quick buck in a pub doing luaus…we have people living close by that do this culturally and it is part of their heritage …I want THEM to be able to have a luau pig to raise and not have this guy screw it up for everyone right???

so I am not done yet..I am obviously ok with expressing what I need to in writing LOL and have had three people check it to make sure it was "filtered" the grandkids and will I have videos of what the pig has done 

I can share the email and outcome later if you want I think this did evolve into quite the teaching moment…

I had told my grandkids the truth and the ACO was trying to tell them he loved his pig and was worried..she got mad I think because I called BS and cut her off taking them away, but never yelled at her I wouldn't I was crying …argh..

I know what you are saying about the law and all that but I am also really well connected in town and have built super good cred here so I have "back" if you know what I mean ..between all my work in animal rescue, fire dept and as an ER UC RN 30 years or so off "giving" …I think I can go in and be my crazy self right now be honest and stand tall and prove to my grandkids no one gets to make a good guy cry and it is ok to to stand up for yourself with good manners  

Sadieme thank you please consider yourself ..all of you hugged …big hugs … I love my kids and grands and feel so lucky to have them so close! I can walk there and may do that now ….you are so wonderful to someone hysterical woman who just pops on with panic!  yes she is totally mental and had an episode in my yard ..and she did it on a day that sure was not a good one at all ..I was making fried chicken too and we all love fried chicken were starving so the smell of the food made it worse! …my sadness at the loss of such an amazing kid has mostly  joy in his memories ..this time of year however I crumble ..mostly there is acceptance of something that makes no sense ..because life is always enough to keep your attention right??? he would have actually adored this ..he did hysterical animal based cartoons and would have made a whole series of strips about Bacon's saga …he had us all off meat for a few years until he succumbed to bacon LOL the end of many vegetarians I believe is the smell of bacon cooking 

I will share the emails and the rest of the saga if you want …I can just block out the names 

my husband sat down and read all the pages he was cracking up and tearful at the same time 

I do not think th could step back since he was doing all the work I just cook for him and Bacon 

today this morning I made up for it spending an hour play and scratching him ..when does the love of the chickens and ducks turn to him wanting them as food? If I continue to keep him full will he be less likely to turn on them because right now they are one happy family of "get a long" goodness. 

PS being nosy I walked by "Mikes" house and omg he so did not need $50…wow HUGE, lavish ..assweed  he was just continuing the douchebaggery! 

have a good weekend everyone!  it is fully fall here now …I want walk and go see the scarecrows we are having a town competition and folks really got into it this year 

I need to check my hives! one is empty still (long story ) the top bar is bursting with honey but they are doing well


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## Latestarter

Hang in there Lady! You got us for support and we'll hear you out regardless! Feel free to spew font/ramble/whatever you need to do! Enjoy those grands and family! Would really like to hear about the karma that that douche "mike" gets out of this! He'll have earned every bit of it having been the cause/creator of most of the "bad" you're now going through now.

You have to join us on the bee threads! I have Langs, but there's another guy active there that has TBHs as well as Langs. I hope to see you there! Wasn't expecting any honey this year (1st year w/pkg bees) but ended up w/13 pints - 26.5 pounds! And I'm burning through it way too fast!

Edit to add: If "mike" is as slimy as I think he is, imagine the scenario; UPS guy asks "You know anyone who lost a pig?" slimy mike's gears start spinning immediately and the chance to make some quick $$ no matter what happens pops into his slimy brain, so he says "Hell yeah! I did!, where is it? I really want to get it back! I'm all broke up about losing it." Your nice UPS guy takes it hook line & sinker, rats you out, and our slimy "mike" is now $$ richer no matter what happens from this point forward. Sometimes I find it very difficult to "like" people...


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## goatgurl

i'm thinking latestarter is probably right about the slimy mike scenario.  what a piece of work!! 
just remember you are among friends here and you are more than  welcome to rant when ever you want to.  we all do from time to time.  from one old nurse to another just never let 'em know they got to you.  grit your teeth and get on with it.  i promise you will have many more adventures with bacon before he is bacon and we want to hear them all.  just a word of warning lady bug, you'd better quit playing with your food or you'll get so attached he will never become bacon, lol


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## heckerdy

I totally backed off the whole thing they are all douche bags and I am done ..I was going to complain but why? my life was quiet and I was just pissed off and ranting I guess ..she is crazy I did send a note to her boss stating the facts . but as far as him? he is one of those people who just leaves a trail of crappy moves as he passes through the world….the more research I have done the more I will just leave it be..he has no friends has screwed a lot of people and is a lonely man …so  thanks goatgurl and late starter …Baymule the fencing idea is still holding!!! fingers crossed! I just can not believe he has dug so deep! wow! this is going to be prime growing area
I cook for him daily and am growing to love him ..this is getting hard
he is so funny when you put fresh straw he rolls like a puppy in it 
I need to find more acorns I want to make procuitto out of one leg 

it feels so strange to adore an animal and think about how you are going to prepare it 
I was a vegetarian for 19 years do not laugh! or make fun ..ok you can make fun


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## frustratedearthmother

I remember part of an old joke... and it went something like this.  A farmer had a visitor to his place who noticed a three legged pig in the farmers pen.  He asked the farmer why his pig only had three legs and the farmer said " this pig means so much to us we didn't want to eat him all at one time."  

Horrible, I know.

We butchered two pigs last year.  The first one dropped like a rock on the first shot.  The second one, not so much.  I've never cried so much in my life because that second pig took three shots to kill and I had promised them a good death.  It still brings tears to my eyes...   

I still love those pigs and I tell them so with every bite!  

A good (even if it's short) life with a farmer who cares is the best thing we can hope for while these guys fulfill their destiny.


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## heckerdy

that is hysterical! thanks! 

when my husband and I had little kids I found a lady who only liked "leg of lamb" and every year she would raise a lamb my husband butchered it and she took the legs we got the rest …I have participated only in the meat cutting of the whole thing and I like doing that actually making a pretty crown roast of lamb is one of my favorite things 

I am sure I will be fine ..back to Benson the one who my friend had walk in the yard as well? he fed a lot of people she kept him 11 months I believe I have to look back at this thread and see LOL ..he was HUGE


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## sadieml

EarthMother, love the joke.  Haven't heard that one in ages. 

I plan to start raising meat chickens in the spring, and my daughter vows she will not eat them.  I say better a short, happy life here than a longer crappy life with Perdue or Tyson or any of those.  I can't be a hypocrite and say it's horrible and not try to do my part to take the profit out of it.  I know, my few dozen chickens a year are barely a drop in their ocean of profit, but at least *I* will feel better.  I'm
sure she'll come around.  Last week I passed a freshly killed white-tailed doe in the highway 1/2 a mile from my house.  I double checked the DNR website and found that if it was a fresh kill, left behind, that I could get a report filed with the cops and then keep the deer.  Well, my elder son (19) and I brought her home and spent almost 10 hours (I know, a pro can do it in no time) cleaning and butchering her.  WOW!  That is really hard work, but sooo worth it.  We had boneless venison chops from one loin.  Even my daughter, who ate 2 bites(under duress), had to admit it was "not bad".  Then, the next day, she ate a whole(albeit small) leftover chop.  Not bad?  It was *AWESOME!!!*  I am really looking forward to the ribs.  We have a friend with a BBQ food truck.  We're giving him 1/2 the ribs in exchange for him cooking ours along with his on Saturday.  I'm drooling just thinking about it.  Anyway, I've never butchered anything before(store-bought chicken or turkey don't count).  It was a lot of work, but I am reassured that doing the chickens won't be too much for me. After I kill the first several, I'm sure it will get easier.  I just hope I can get a friend to trade a couple of birds for the use of his plucker.  My Nannie said plucking was the hard part.  I guess I'll find out in 6 months or so.  BTW, I'm really proud of John.  He gets light-headed when he sees someone(especially himself) bleeding, and he worked as hard as I did on that doe.  I may make a farmer out of him, yet!

Heckerdy, I feel sure you'll be more than ready to do the job when the time comes.  Especially if your DH does the kill and you only have to butcher.  You never know, I may work my way up to pigs.  As long as I can get someone else to process it.


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## Baymule

@sadieml butchering chickens is not so bad. My grand daughter, when she was 6, asked me to butcher a rooster for her. We said a prayer over the rooster, thanking God and thanking the rooster for giving up his life so that we could eat. I used a cone, actually rolled up cardboard held in shape by duct tape. Haha.

Pat yourself on the back for butchering that deer. It is hard work, but rewarding. I have never taken a deer to a processing plant. I have butchered feral hogs, but that was usually sausage.


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## Baymule

@heckerdy glad the fence idea is working! We are picking up 3 feeder pigs in the morning!


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## heckerdy

HI you guys long time away and I apologize I am reading your posts and so grateful for all the wonderful advice …just a quick update ..we are in a huge mess and I pretty much went on a media black out ..to easy to get distracted when trying to work from home! wow I always worked as a nurse and was under the direction of my patients schedule ect ..being home and rogue takes some getting used to for sure! ..but it is coming ..

Bacon is HUGE I will try to get a photo later but he really is a cool looking pig as far as pigs go! I never heard from anyone about him again so he is just growing and digging ..we have him contained BUT we noticed he found a weak spot yesterday so we are going to go down and "reenforce " he seems "happy" he gets a massage daily eats better than I do and I do really see why folks should not have on pig ..he really loves company 

we have decided to play this by ear and let him tell us when he is "MEAT" LOL ..have lined up a really good butcher who scalds..

you guys this was critical for me ..what is the point of raising a pig if you do not keep the skin ? wow seriously ..this became complicated as well ..terms wise we just becomes aware the person who "harvests" the pig …. I call it "killing" it is what it is …he is a living being that will be killed of the the table not a apple from a tree to be picked ..THEN they take the pig to the butcher for you ..I wanted the full meal deal and found a great guy ..pricy but good since really other than time stress and more time and stress Bacon has cost us very little we feed him the same things the ducks chickens and dog eats with minor adjustments and so very much MORE ..he is an eating machine …

so this guy will do it all including scald and scrap and that is just what I wanted ..the only bad part is he is on an Island quite aways. Still need to firm it up and find out how big we can go and still have him scalded ..I can not give the skin up both my husband and I agree there is no point for "us" to raise a pig and not keep the entire thing nose to tail and I love cracklings and skin on the roasts …why do people not have their pigs scalded as much anymore I wonder ? that is a lot of "food" to just rip off and toss? 

so much going on I want to sit and read everything on this forum and then the water in the hoses thaws and starts shooting out or I have to do actual WORK  OY being at home  is as hard as I remember it being when my kids were little and I stayed home ! never tell me this is not a job that deserves bennies and sick leave LOL 

Happy Holidays you guys all of them … they have begun! Thanksgiving is next week how did that happen???


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## heckerdy

Baymule it is still working we have to reenforce but it worked thank you so much! 

Sadiemi I love your post honey thanks so much for posting wow on that deer! great job! I was worried with my little kids about butchering animals and they will either eat it or not and really isn't that what kids do …one of mine went vegetarian and then I made fried chicken one night and he ate half a bird ! 

this is the first time I will be using a processor but he is really small and very earth fatherish ..he is cool and this is safe clean ..but as far as the breakdown i will be there bossing him around you can believe that I want my cuts like I want my cuts and I think he will let me stand with him during the breakdown even so that is good .

tell you right now I talk to Bacon every day I will not be there for the KILL …why can I not give this pig sedation before the deed is done? seriously there is no way a couple of xanax and a beer as a good by and thank you gift? seriously there is no way it could do the meat harm  and no way would it affect anyone eating it …there is no scientific reason I can think of that we can not sedate an animal before killing it? …heck my dog he gets 2mg of Zanax when it is thundering? that is far less serious than death ? 

what do you guys think? about sedation and a beer before the deed is done? 

so good to visit I love reading the posts on this board


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## Ferguson K

We always give our hogs a good send off. Give them a HUGE last meal 12 hours before we process them. Let them eat themselves stupid.

Never given them beer, though. It won't hurt them. We used to give it to our show cattle. 

Good to hear he's doing so well! Surely you'll post a new picture when you have time. Working from home is more work than having " a job " I'm afraid. I worked from home for six months... I haven't been that tired since I rejoined the work force.

Good luck with Bacon!


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## Bossroo

It wouldn't hurt to give Bacon a 6 pack to drink  before the kill , also it may make you feel better about the kill.  Feeding them till they can't fold any more just makes for a harder job of cleaning the carcass.  To remove the hair from the skin, one can always burn it off with a torch or propane burner.


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## Latestarter

Glad all is well with you. Thanks for stopping by w/an update! If you want to sedate the pig  why not?  Better YOU take the zanax and drink a beer though!  Why "waste" it on the pig? Normally a single shot to the head (bullet or needle gun) and the animal feels nothing. He will be dead before he hits the floor. Think of it the same as killing a deer (or other wild animal for the table) with a rifle. Though in those cases I aim for the center of mass (chest) rather than head, so death normally isn't instantaneous...

Sorry if I'm not as "sentimental" as some... I see it as the natural way of existence... life. Every living thing in nature has to consume something in order to exist/live. We can feed ourselves humanely... we don't have to consume another animal while it's still alive and kicking, ala African plains - think lions... Additionally, Bacon has had an exceptional, carefree, happy life! Not like the typical slaughter hog from corporate farms. 

I'd heard about scalding but have exactly zero knowledge about "harvesting" raised pork. I've shot/had wild hog, and didn't keep the skin. Don't know if it has to do with age/size or what? I do like the looks of a roasted whole piglet, skin on, on a platter  Never had, but looking forward to at some point!


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## heckerdy

thanks you guys! ok I am not going to stress over this ..but I was let me tell you he is really a cool pig this guy! …if only we could have the passing our animals get huh? you know I was so sad the day my dog died but thought "**** if my vet was my doctor this is the way I want to go " she just melted away in my arms my dear girl .. ..oy I miss her she was my first rescue pitty and was a beer thief she would tip them gently at parties if we were out by the fire and just quietly finish beers off people thought they were a lot more drunk than they were when she was around LOL thank you! I will try to post more pics of Bacon he is a big boy now and ..ahem no doubt about the fact he has a pair under his tail! LOL that was so funny I did not know where pigs kept the boy balls!


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## sadieml

Lots of people cook chickens on beer cans (steams the meat with the beer flavor).  It was a real fad for a while there.  I think giving Bacon a 6-pack send-off is a great idea.  I would go cheap on the brand, but by all means let him get a happy buzz.  I'm sure it won't affect the meat, but it'll make you feel better.  Hey, throw back a couple yourself while you're at it.  We don't drink (lots of alcoholism in DH's family), but I would do the same thing.  Let him have a snout full!  (Sorry for the lame pun, I just couldn't resist.)


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## goatgurl

when i started this self sufficient journey some 40 years ago i had a small herd of mixed breed beef cattle and i purchased an absolutely gorgeous herford bull who i promptly named bill aka bill the bull.  we had him for almost 2 years and i loved that stupid, sweet, gentle guy.  i took it hard when the x butchered him and hauled him off to be processed but i was handling it until i came in one day and opened the fridge.  there in a clear plastic bag was the heart that loved me, the tongue that licked my pants leg and the other parts.  i lost it and demanded the x take it out of my house so he took it up to the café and gave it to the cook and waitress.  they were thrilled to have it and i was equally thrilled to get rid of it.  we had over 700 pounds of prime beef to eat and i didn't enjoy one bite.     the moral of the story is , don't play with your food.  that taught me a valuable lesson.  now i try really hard to give whatever is going to feed me the best, happiest life i can as well as the least traumatic death.   i hope for your sake bacon gets big and obnoxious so it will be easier for you.  Latestarter may have a good plan, you take the valium and wash it down with the beer.  and to answer your question about size and skinning vs scalding, we butchered hogs in the 250 to 300# range and scalded and scraped them all.  I'm thinking they don't get to big for that.


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## heckerdy

thanks ! Sadiemi! you are right LOL

Goatgurl the story helps and that is why the ducks are so easy for me ..they are dumb as rocks and while I love seeing them in the yard and enjoy them they are always potental food and workers in my yard ..

I will be honest if he turns out to be a mellow beast he may not be killed ! 
I have a back up plan and a place to let him go live if we bail on killing him

but that is not very likely I am emotional but not silly my Lithuanian husband's favorite meat is pork! he has all kinds of memories of his grammas dishes from fresh pork they raised before they moved to the city so ..he will eat it if I do not my son is actually and strangely allergic to pork but the kids and DIL adore it as well 

but I think i would be like you in this if he gets too lovable I will not be able to eat him ..

and I "GET" what you felt seeing the heart and tongue but good for you just passing them on to someone who would really enjoy it 

this isn't nor should it be "easy" don't you agree? we need to "feel" for our animals that is part of doing this at home ..the mass production lost the "feeling" for animals hence we have the cruelty we see in mass production. I really believe in small farming on a grand scale instead of the other way around ..makes sense I hope


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## goatgurl

herkerdy I totally get what you are saying.  it is never easy for me to butcher anything that i raise be it rabbit, chicken, duck, goat, sheep, pig or cow.  i just try to keep my distance from the ones destined for the dinner table.  bill taught me that.  i make sure they have the best life they can have, the easiest death possible and thank them for giving their life for my gain.  it also helps that i keep the mamas and have them to love on and baby.  that way i don't have that empty nest syndrome when the time comes.  just enjoy him while he is young but keep in the back of your mind that he will be pork chops and bacon someday.  if it got to where i didn't care one way or the other about their death I'd just quit raising them.  you have to have respect for them, their lives have a purpose and i so understand that.
on a side note, has anyone but me noticed how many old nurses there on this site?  hmmm


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## frustratedearthmother

I noticed!  Even though I'm not a nurse, I'm married to an old nurse, lol!  Shhhh, don't tell anyone that I called him old!


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## goatgurl

would never tell him, lol


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## Bossroo

heckerdy said:


> thanks ! Sadiemi! you are right LOL
> 
> Goatgurl the story helps and that is why the ducks are so easy for me ..they are dumb as rocks and while I love seeing them in the yard and enjoy them they are always potental food and workers in my yard ..
> 
> I will be honest if he turns out to be a mellow beast he may not be killed !
> I have a back up plan and a place to let him go live if we bail on killing him
> 
> but that is not very likely I am emotional but not silly my Lithuanian husband's favorite meat is pork! he has all kinds of memories of his grammas dishes from fresh pork they raised before they moved to the city so ..he will eat it if I do not my son is actually and strangely allergic to pork but the kids and DIL adore it as well
> 
> but I think i would be like you in this if he gets too lovable I will not be able to eat him ..
> 
> and I "GET" what you felt seeing the heart and tongue but good for you just passing them on to someone who would really enjoy it
> 
> this isn't nor should it be "easy" don't you agree? we need to "feel" for our animals that is part of doing this at home ..the mass production lost the "feeling" for animals hence we have the cruelty we see in mass production. I really believe in small farming on a grand scale instead of the other way around ..makes sense I hope


The part where large hog farmers not "feeling" for animals is a myth perpetrated by the animal rights activists.  My wife's cousin  owns a large hog operation  ( 800 acres and leases another 640 acres)  and he takes great pride of his pigs and of his operation which is very safe and tidy ( with biosecurity in place ) not only for his pigs but for his family as well as their house is just 50 yards from the farrowing barn.  Also,  I  know several large hog operations that I visited quite often when I was working at a University Veterinary Pathology Department.  Hey, the truth is  these folks and their families livelyhoods depend on the well being of their charges so when they sell the animals, they can glean a profit if all of them are healthy and happy, the healtheir they are, the better they look and bring a higher price at auction.  Then they have to  pass a USDA veterinary inspection of their carcassses and when they are sold to the public, they are NOT sued do to someone coming down with a desease.


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## sadieml

@Bossroo   I think the idea isn't the individual farmers who (like your wife's cousin) take pride in what they do and love it.  It's just that there are so many corporate poopie-heads who only see the bottom line.  They convince people to put their discomfort aside and raise animals dispassionately.  Like they're just a row of cabbages.  When you look at it the way the corporate machine does, everything is just numbers on paper.  That's how people who have been part of the production machine suddenly "wake up" one day and find that they are part of something like the Tyson or Perdue or whatever abusive corporate farming scheme.  I don't think any farmer goes into it with his heart numb or dead.  I'm pretty sure they all feel (or have felt) the way we backyard farmers feel.  We are always conscious of the fact that these are animals we are raising, and they have feelings.  Sure, a chicken may have a brain the size of a lima bean, but when you raise it you know it's a life you're taking.  Just because they may be dumb as rocks doesn't mean they have no feelings like rocks.  If everyone could just hold on to that feeling, the importance of life, EVERY LIFE, we would live in a much different world.  Unfortunately, as a Christian from a family of faith I don't see that happening, but one can always hope and pray otherwise.


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## heckerdy

I understand what you are saying and thank you Bassroo but my buying my meat the way I do isn't because of myths
I have made my decision based on facts.

I have seen for myself, done my own research and spoken to folks …… the ridiculously over embellished stories that make it appear all hog and other farmers are mean to animals…did come from the truth and while it is not then entire reason ..it is part of it because it is true what has happened ….but that is besides the point I can not argue it and won't …Sadiemi just answered that part well enough 

my truth is found in nurturing small farmers for a larger purpose ….the future of our world ..diversity is the key to survival and there is no diversity in these larger hog farms and that matters to me

I give my money to people who work hard to diversify and promote heritage farming

so every penny I spend on food I think about before I spend it and where it so going

I never eat in chain restaurants either for the same reason …diversity


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## Mini Horses

I can relate to what you say EXCEPT....chickens are dumb as rocks.

It's amazing that they can remember how to get back to their coop sometimes.....strange house, wandering along.  Among other things.   Yep, may be smarter than ya think!   

If those non-animal raisers were to have time and opportunity to watch animals and their habits, memories, etc., they would be amazed at some aspects.   Yes, some is habit but most is memory.  They can be a learning experience.  Just my opinion.


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## heckerdy

you guys are amazing thanks so much!


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## Mini Horses




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## heckerdy

Happy Solstice you guys as the days grow longer so may your hopes and dreams for the future  wow then Christmas then NYs and then we start all over again ! One of my 93 year old patients told me one day " life is like a roll of toilet paper the closer you get to the end..the faster it spins" true as can be that is!  ..…the days are so short here they start at 830is and end at 430  Talk about needing some Vit D… i just want to eat Christmas cookies and sleep!

ok Bacon update..we found a butcher she is amazing but her baby is due when Bacon is "due" so that may be good or bad .they said they were looking for "smaller jobs" during that time so maybe we are "that" ? the price is good they are really nice folks and very much into charcuterie ..they teach butchering and curing classes ..but do not charge a fortune ..so fingers crossed Bacon will meet his destiny with these folks because they DO scald and are another pig folk that do not believe in castration ..you guys I am not joking folks here do not castrate ..at least the ones I am meeting and they have 100% told me there is no problem with taint as long as they are out in the fresh air and pasture feed that very very few intact mails get that horrid flavor.

I am as shocked as anyone that they are not doing it because of what I have read and learned about dogs even ..but I have friends with intact male dogs who are as well mannered as my neutered boy so whatever it is too late to continue the discussion since the set he has  are obviously not going anywhere …but I am in less fear of the meat begin ruined now.

ok here is a strange behavior he does ..he gathers 2-3 sticks or rocks before bed and lays them out .


Iwhat is that? 
this photo was last week he is obviously larger even now and well over 100lbs and more than 3 ft long  is UNDULATING now… I want him to be fat even though it goes against everything in my nature to make anything obese on purpose …….I am doing it …he eats what I make him and I feed him like a Sumo wrestler 

we have had so much rain we had to build him a platform to eat on his "hut" is tidy warm and dry but his "yard" is a mud pit and looks horrid he has unearthed boulders and dug to China ..I just can not look 

so there you have it more Bacon! hope all is finding you well and again Happy HOlidays ! we love them all!


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## Latestarter

Good to hear from you, it's been a while. Glad Bacon is filling out nicely for his purpose. He looks positively spoiled... a heat lamp? LOL Hope you have a merry Christmas and two free pigs for the new year!


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## Baymule

Bacon looks like a happy pig. Do you think you would do this again?


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## sadieml

@heckerdy - How are things?  For you and for Bacon.  Is he bacon, yet or still Bacon?  Can't wait to hear how this all ends.  I mean, obviously with a butcher, but how big will he be, etc.?  Lots of questions. Update us, please.


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## Latestarter

She hasn't been on since that last post. Hope all is OK with her. Hope she returns. I've been thinking about her story as well and wondering how it all turned out.


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## Big A Ranch

Baymule said:


> I enjoy reading Walter Jeffries web site. He raises pigs. There is more about pigs on his site than I ever even thought about. He doesn't castrate his pigs, but he has raised his pigs for many generations and has no taint in his stock. Here's what he has to say about the subject.
> 
> http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2009/04/08/tainted-big-pharma/
> 
> Myself, I have butchered feral hogs and the boar taste is definitely there. I have never left a feeder hog uncastrated. But since you butcher them at around 6 months, testicles or not, I don't think they develop much of a boar taste. that said, I am getting 3 castrated feeder pigs in a few weeks. The decision is really up to you. But I wouldn't keep him past 6 months.


Great website!!!!!


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## Jayzandra

Well dang, I read that whole thing and never got to find out how boar bacon tastes....


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## Latestarter

Yeah... She seems to have become a bit busy with real life and hasn't returned in a while. I hope it's nothing too serious and that her and her family are alright. Kinda the pits when a "regular" just up and stops visiting... You're left hanging and wondering what happened.


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