Spring Piglets

Farm Update 4/7/17

You know Spring has sprung when the piglets daffodils start popping up.   Here at Briar Rock Farm, the flowers have been popping up in the yard and the piglets have been popping out in the pastures.  Our most recent litter arrived on April 2nd.  Soon the piglets will be ready to move on!  Let us know if you would like to bring home pastured piglets to your farm or homestead.

Piglets in Winter

Four of our American Guinea Hogs farrowed on the farm between Dec. 23rd and 27th for a total of 24 piglets.  Fortunately we were in the middle of a warm spell which eased the transition from womb to world.  I’m not going to say that having sows farrow in the winter is ideal, but this year it could not have worked better.

Bacon in the woods

With fall around the corner it’s time to start letting the pastures rest.  This evening we finished moving the pigs back into the woods.

 

August Pigs

To start off the month, two of our American Guinea Hogs gilts had their first litters.  Both delivered their piglets outside without assistance and have been wonderful mothers.

Minutes old.jpg

Just minutes old and already looking for their first meal.

Having nine new piglets caused us to switch from electric net fencing to hog panels to try to keep the little piglets from escaping.  It is much more of a production to move than the electric netting and in turn is not as large of an area.  Of course this means moving the fencing much more often.  How is it working?  Lets just say the hog panels become more and more effective every day.  Maybe one day it will even keep the little ones in.

9 piglets

What hog panel?

 

Guinea Piglets on the Farm

Well, they picked a very wet week to have piglets but 2 of our American Guinea Hogs had litters.  “Short Nose” had 8 piglets on the 29th (6 males and 2 females) and “Long Nose” had 4 piglets on the 30th (3 males and 1 female).    It’s amazing how fast the piglets find the milk bar.  “Short Nose” decided to use a farrowing hut but her sister wandered off to the most remote region of the woods; it only took us a day to find her.  We made it just in time for the labor, but of course it started raining half way through.  Thankfully the shower was short lived.  Bramble, the Irish Terrier, took it upon herself to act as midwife.  It’s always nice when the animals look out for each other.  Granted, this is not the first litter Bramble has supervised.

on the move

The piglets have settled in nicely.  So far they have introduced themselves to the horses, followed the chickens around, tried to inspect the nest of one broody duck, played in the rain, explored the ensuing mud and camped out in the barn.  Piglets are fun.

pig chick