WORKED ALL WEEKEND ON MOVING THE PIGS INTO THEIR WINTER HUTS BEHIND THE BARN. HATED TO DO IT AS THE PIGS GO OUT TO THE PASTURE EACH DAY STILL TO GRAZE/FORAGE WHATEVER THEY CAN GET. HOWEVER, THE GROUND IS STARTING TO FREEZE AND IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE PIGS TO NAVIGATE SOME OF THE ROUGH GROUND BETWEEN THE WOODS AND THE FIELD. THE NIGHTS ARE ALSO TOO COLD FOR THEM TO BE UP IN THE WOODS WITH NO SHELTER. THE HOSES ARE FREEZING UP NOW SO I CAN'T USE THEM TO GET WATER TO THE PIGS UP IN THE WOODS. SOOOO AS MUCH AS I HATED TO THE MOVE WAS MADE THIS WEEKEND.
WE MAKE PENS AROUND EACH HUT USING CATTLE PANELS ON THREE SIDES. THIS WAY ONLY THE FRONT NEEDS TO BE ELECTRIFIED AND THE CATTLE PANELS ARE HIGH ENOUGH THAT THE PIGS CAN'T JUMP OVER THEM ONCE THE SNOW GETS DEEP ENOUGH AS THE BIGGER ONES WERE ABLE TO JUMP THE HOG PANELS. I SIMPLY USE REBAR RODS TO POUND AS DEEP INTO THE GROUND AS I CAN AND ATTACH THE PANELS USING ZIP TIES. NOT PRETTY BUT IT WORKS REAL WELL.
FOR THE FRONT OF EACH PEN I USE ELECTRIC ROPE. I CAN MOVE THE STRANDS UP THE STEP IN ROD AS THE SNOW DEEPENS. I WILL ADD A FEW MORE OF THE STEP IN POSTS AS THEY CAN BREAK OR SNAP IN THE FRIGID TEMPERATURES IF A PIG PUSHES AGAINST THEM OR I BACK THE TRACTOR UP TOO CLOSE OR HIT IT WITH THE BUCKET ETC,. I USE A CHARGER RUN OFF OF A MARINE BATTERY FOR THE WINTER. DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT POWER OUTAGES AND THE BATTERY LASTS WEEKS/MONTHS BETWEEN CHARGES. I WILL COVER THE BATTERY AND CHARGER WITH A WOODEN BOX TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE ELEMENTS AND KEEP IT FROM GETTING BURIED IN THE SNOW.
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A FEW MORE HELPFUL HINTS ABOUT WINTERING PIGS OUTDOORS IS TO BE SURE THERE IS PLENTY OF SPACE IN FRONT OF THE HUT AND THE FENCE OR WIRE. THE SPACE WILL CLOSE IN AS THE WINTER PROGRESSES DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PIGS YOU HAVE IN EACH AREA TO KEEP IT PACKED DOWN. I ALSO SPREAD OUT THE HAY IN THE FRONT OF THE HUT SO THAT PARTS WILL REMAIN ON THE GROUND TO FORM A MAT AND KEEP THE ICE COVERED TO PROTECT THE PIGS FROM SLIPPING AND FALLING. THIS ALSO HELPS WITH KEEPING THE MUD MANAGEABLE IN THE SPRING WHEN THERE IS A BUILD-UP OF HAY.
ENOUGH TALK ABOUT WINTER! I STILL WANT TO ENJOY WHAT DAYS WE HAVE LEFT BEFORE THE REAL COLD AND THE SNOW COMES. THE ABOVE PHOTO IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES THAT I TOOK THIS FALL OF THE PIGS.
ANOTHER FAVORITE PICTURE. A MATURE SOW IS AN IMPRESSIVE ANIMAL. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BREED. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ALL BLACK PIG THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEM AND I STILL LOVE THEIR LOOKS. THEY STICK OUT IN THE PASTURE OR IN THE WOODS NO MATTER THE SEASON AND THEY ARE JUST STUNNING TO LOOK AT.
THIS YOUNG BOAR SURE IS ENJOYING HIS PUMPKIN TREAT! THE PUMPKINS WERE A HUGE HIT WITH THE PIGS. I SIMPLY SPREAD THE MANURE PILE OUT AND THREW SEEDS IN. NEXT YEAR I WILL TRIPLE THE SIZE OF THE PATCH WHICH SHOULD GIVE ME ENOUGH PUMPKINS TO STORE IN THE BARN AND RATION OUT FOR A DAILY TREAT TO EACH PIG TO LAST US THROUGH DECEMBER. I LOVE RAISING NEW THINGS FOR THEM AND GIVING THEM SOME VARIETY. THE PUMPKINS GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO FOR A GOOD LENGTH OF TIME TO GET THROUGH THE BIG ONES.
