Deb, It would be nice if I could tell which birds are yours when I go to the fair. I don't know when I'm going, yet.
Amy, AGH piglets range in cost from $100-350. They are adaptable, so people feed them all different ways. Some live on pasture or in woods & orchards and do all their own foraging. Some get fed pig feed. You have to be careful with these easy keepers not to feed too much or feed them empty carbs like bread, or they get too much lard. I move mine around, letting them eat the old garden plants & turn the soil, or remove weeds. I feed them alfalfa/corn/oat cubes with a small supplement of Calf Manna, plus any left over veggies. I'm the only breeder who feeds that diet. I do not like the ingredients in pig feed and don't have enough forage for them to graze. I also feed them any chickens that die from the heat, which they love.
Since these pigs are so small, people do their own butchering. We haven't done it, yet. The meat yield is about 50% of the live weight. You can butcher these at any age and the meat is still great. The do mature slowly, can take a year to get to 100 or more pounds.
We eat and offer breeding stock from our Dexter cattle, St. Croix Hair Sheep, and AGH. They all have exceptional meat quality. I hope to offer the same with my chickens but they need more work to bring them up to good enough quality.
I'm trying to raise Delawares. I was surprised that they do not do very well in the heat. Ron posted a quote about it, a while back somewhere. I've lost 3 this year. The eggs from the Sand Hill strain are large. My Braden birds are working their way up from pullet sized eggs. They seem to lay an egg a day the first year. My 2 year old SH girls have slowed down to every other day. I like their meat, prefer them butchered at 5 months since the legs on the 7 mth old were a bit chewy. I just posted a pic of that one on the Homesteading Heritage Poultry thread. Dispositions range from friendly to shy. The roos can be nasty, but can be taught to behave.
Jules, nice looking duck!
Ron, there is no doubt that your hobby has turned into a way of life!
I'm getting a whole bunch of pullet eggs too. My Spring Dorks must be laying.
Enjoy your day!
Kim
So excited!
