rachels.haven's Journal

[Bruce]

Pigs usually will pee and poo in one place in the pen so picking up the poop and adding kitty litter, sand, or shavings might help.

Given the boys pee about 5 gallons for every quart they drink, I'm wondering about putting a shower pan in the dirt floor with a drain out under the sill where the prefer to do inside toilet activity. Seems I am constantly adding "material" after I dig out a few pounds of very wet "material" including the dirt floor. It isn't like they can't get out ANY FREAKING TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT! Nope, sometimes they decide they have to go inside even when the big door 8' away is open. ETA Like this afternoon. ****heads.

 

[farmerjan]

Given the boys pee about 5 gallons for every quart they drink, I'm wondering about putting a shower pan in the dirt floor with a drain out under the sill where the prefer to do inside toilet activity. Seems I am constantly adding "material" after I dig out a few pounds of very wet "material" including the dirt floor. It isn't like they can't get out ANY FREAKING TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT! Nope, sometimes they decide they have to go inside even when the big door 8' away is open.

 

[SageHill]

Ah yeah - definitely not going to try pigs

 

[farmerjan]

Ah yeah - definitely not going to try pigs

@Bruce 's boys are llamas..... and I had a horse that swore she could only pee in the box stall that was open to the pasture so she could go in and out at will.... I get that aggravation... and the other one I had would not do anything in the stall unless locked in for HOURS....leave it open and a week later there was still nothing in there...

 

[rachels.haven]

The registered hogs (this litter) should have not been culls, but I bet they were very premie. Mom was hopefully just too young and not defective. Maybe. She was back in heat today.

My cull girl and her daughter I definitely am not optimistic about. I guess if things go as I'm expecting I can send them to butcher and get something.

Two only keeping the two registered guys will smell less if I choose to keep going.

I'm pig luke-warm right now.

Mine pee in the wallow I make for them and only the barrow has a potty spot. The rest go where they eat or wherever they are standing. I could have SWORN they were supposed to make a potty spot. I think big mom hog had one when she was alone, but that's it. Pooping contest.

 

[Baymule]

Maybe you could try raising feeder pigs. I raised 2-3 of them every year in Lindale. They had a 3 sided 12’x12’ shelter with a “window” in the side so I could feed them without going in the pen carrying feed. We used a 200’ roll of horse non climb wire plus a 12’ gate to make their pen, so they had a lot of room. Water was in a blue plastic barrel, set OUTSIDE of the pen, with a pipe nipple sticking through the wire and a hog nipple on the end for them to bite down on and get a drink. Their pen had trees in it and was shady. Their pen was big, roomy and every pig I put in there used the far corner to poop in. In summer heat, poop dried out quickly and there was very little to no smell.

I chose heritage hogs but sometimes had to buy more modern breeds. They were in, fed and cared for, usually about 8 months, then gone to slaughter. I raised feeders a couple of times before I perfected the process. Hogs are a great way to raise some very good meat for your family. I sold enough to pay for our meat, usually a whole hog or by the half. I charged $4 per pound, hanging weight. I finished them on corn, soured for 2-3 days in buttermilk and water. I won’t buy industrial pork, it has no taste.

 

[canesisters]

The registered hogs (this litter) should have not been culls, but I bet they were very premie. Mom was hopefully just too young and not defective. Maybe. She was back in heat today.

My cull girl and her daughter I definitely am not optimistic about. I guess if things go as I'm expecting I can send them to butcher and get something.

Two only keeping the two registered guys will smell less if I choose to keep going.

I'm pig luke-warm right now.

Mine pee in the wallow I make for them and only the barrow has a potty spot. The rest go where they eat or wherever they are standing. I could have SWORN they were supposed to make a potty spot. I think big mom hog had one when she was alone, but that's it. Pooping contest.

A few years ago two different people were trying to GIVE me breeding pairs of Guinea Hogs. I tried REAL hard to figure out how I could keep them - where I could locate pens & still have water access, how I could construct shelters, How in the WORLD I could get them home...
The only two places that made sense were either VERY close to the house or right next to the barn. Everyone warned me about the smell so I passed on it.
Now that I know what I know about my fences at that time.. it's probably a VERY good thing I did or I would've likely been the one that started the wild pigs in Dinwiddie county!

 

[Baymule]

My husband wanted to use the parameter fence in building the pig pen, but I adamantly refused. He also wanted to use the garden fence, again I refused. My reason? If they get out, they are out and gone. If they get out onto the garden, it will be gone. Only one time did pigs get out, the gate hadn’t been securely closed, they went to visit the horses. LOL It was easy to shake a can of feed, call pig! Pig! Pig! And lure them back to their pen.

 

[Bruce]

@Bruce 's boys are llamas

alpacas, half the size of llamas!

Now that I know what I know about my fences at that time.. it's probably a VERY good thing I did or I would've likely been the one that started the wild pigs in Dinwiddie county!

Pigs can be contained in a couple of strands of hot wire. Unlike sheep and alpacas, they have no "fur" protection from the shock.

 

[farmerjan]

OOPS, sorry @Bruce ... Honestly I did think they were llamas.