Well, let the games begin...

[Baymule]

I’m glad you are enjoying your pigs. It is gratifying to watch them eat and grow. The best will come with that first pork chop.

 

[rbruno]

Well, Today is the day. I take these two off to the processor today. It has been an interesting and entertaining first run at raising two feeders. A few mistakes/accidents here and there and definitely some improvements will be made based on the first set. But, overall it went well, and I will do it again. I realize I am jinxing myself because I don't yet have them on the trailer yet to take them. Hoping for the best there and have some hard boiled eggs reading to entice them on.

 

[Baymule]

Good luck on loading the pigs, most will do anything for hard boiled eggs. Squish them so the pigs can smell them.

They look good enough to eat!

 

[rbruno]

Well, I did jinx myself, and I won't have any issues eating one of these two pigs. We fought these guys for 3 hours trying to get them on the trailer. Tried eggs (which they love) smashed pumpkins, (which they love) and every form of dairy we had in the fridge (which they love) to entice them on to the trailer. They would not go. After many tries at different ways, we finally figured out a way to get them on, but it was a real struggle. Again, I learned a lot and have a better idea of things to do next time, but this was a huge problem. They are at the processor now and I pick up mine tomorrow afternoon. Then the cutting and sausage making starts. And, I will have no problem eating mine.

 

[Baymule]

What kind of trailer do you have? Maybe it was scary to them? My first batch of pigs, we backed the trailer in their pen, shut the gate and used cow panels to section off the trailer so they wouldn't chew the wiring. I put their feed in it. If they wanted to eat, it was in the trailer. Fed them in it for 2 weeks. Fed one evening, shut gate and hitched trailer to the truck. Next morning, we took them to slaughter. After that I used the boiled eggs. It always worked, wonder what was up with your two?

For next time you might build a loading chute with small holding pen that you can close a gate on. Back trailer up to loading chute, put feed in the trailer. If they want to eat, it's in the trailer. Then just shut trailer gate, hitch up and go.

You learned a lot, you will have better ideas for next time.

 

[rbruno]

I have a goose neck stock trailer that I use for my horses. When I built my pen, I mounded up dirt at the gate opening as a ramp that is the same height as the floor of my trailer. I was able to back the trailer right up to the mound of dirt so they could walk in without a step up. To get them in, we basically made a chute of a 12 ft gate I took off my horse pasture fence and a human wall. I have a divided pen and once we got them on the one side we sort of let them walk to the 12 ft gate and then closed it against one side of the fence to pen them in that area. The only way for them to go was into the trailer. For one, it worked with out any issue. He walked right on to the food in the trailer. The other wanted no parts of it. We fought the second one for a long time pushing/pulling and pinning him into smaller and smaller areas, but he would not walk on the trailer where the other pig was just sitting there eating the food we had put in there. It was really strange. The way he was squealing, I think my neighbors probably thought I was slaughtering him right there. I am surprise they didn't come see what was going on. If he had walked on like the other, it would have taken us a third of the time. I didn't like how agitated he was getting. It was not the best. But, at that point, we didn't have a choice. Hopefully all that adrenaline processed through his system overnight and the slaughter would be better. I have read that a lot of adrenaline in their system at slaughter can toughen the meat a bit.

The big mistake I made was not doing a practice run. I should have done what you did which is back that trailer up a week ahead of time and just leave it open with food it in and let them go at their own pace. I was just over confident in getting them loaded. They were very well mannered and friendly and followed me all around the pen the times I had to go in there and would come to the fence for treats every day. I just figured they would follow me into the trailer or at least realize I was giving them treats and they would go in.

I did learn a lot though, and I think it will be better next time. Although, during that three hour ordeal, I am sure I utter the words "never again" with a few other words mixed in that I won't repeat here.
Rob

 

[Mini Horses]

Good job! We all learn and every animal has its own quirks. Mine always loaded for me and I'm thankful. But I have dairy goats, so the milk was always a fav. They LOVE it day old!! My frig was full, so they got way more than most. Jug a jugga. hey, chickens love it, too.....

 

[rbruno]

Got my pig back last evening and start the cutting. Have a lot more to do over the next day or say as far as butchering and making sausage. Hanging weight for one was 237 and the other was 251 so they were in about 13/14 pounds of each other. Live weight would have been just over 300 pounds. They were 7 months old. I think that is about right. I had Berks and have read that the heritage breads grow a little slower then the more commercial hogs which I think go to slaughter right around 6 months. I was happy with their growth and think the extra month is just fine.
Rob

 

[Baymule]

Now you know what you are doing and it will get easier. That's good hanging weights. Now enjoy that home grown pork!

 

[farmerjan]

That is very respectable hanging weights. And yes, we have always gotten most any animal we are going to try to load, accustomed to things for a few days or week ahead of time... I used to feed my feeder pigs on the back of the truck... they would run up the ramp into the old 2 ton GMC truck every time I would come out the back door.... thinking FEED ME.... when the time came to load for the feeder pig sale... they were eating good and I could get 15-25 loaded in about 5 minutes.... with not a single speck of pig manure on my clothes.... always had a couple that were a little spooky for a day or 2 but when the big bad person didn't do anything terrible to them, and they could come right off the first few times, they decided it wasn't any big deal. Besides, getting to eat what they wanted without momma pushing them out, was a real treat....Berks marble better than just about any other breed of hog so you ought to be pretty happy with the meat.