Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[vehve]

Nice pics, Oz, and congrats on the piggies.

Any chance of adding an area where the pigs could dig around a bit?

 

[ozexpat]

Nice pics, Oz, and congrats on the piggies.

Any chance of adding an area where the pigs could dig around a bit?

nope

our pigs are clean and cared for

i dont have a problem with our animal husbandry practices

interestingly, i bought up raising pigs in rice husk litter as some organic minded people do in the phils. Ompoy said i would lose out because of the neighbors and the stench. we clean up after our pigs 3 times a day. having pig poop out and around would not be attractive.

 

[vehve]

I'm a bleeding heart... but that's completely understandable. And in your heat, I can imagine the olfactory stimuli might render proximal inhabitants into a state of slight displeasure. (I remember how you like simple sentences). I just like to look at a pig dig, is all.

 

[ozexpat]

I'm a bleeding heart... but that's completely understandable. And in your heat, I can imagine the olfactory stimuli might render proximal inhabitants into a state of slight displeasure. (I remember how you like simple sentences). I just like to look at a pig dig, is all.

One of our sows turned left instead of right last week and ended up having a frollick on the farm

At 185kg, she went where she wanted to.

After 5 minutes of exploration she returned to the concrete, took a step up into the farrowing pen and settled down to a feed.

We had pigs on dirt back in Oz. I still have a lucid memory of my brother falling face first in the mud that the pig pen had become in the wet.

Our farm is small. We have neighbors very close to the piggery. If they were to complain, we would be shut down.

We have to renew our permits every year and the health inspector could place the check mark in the NO box as easily as the YES

 

[vehve]

Pork on the loose, always a fun situation. Yup, it's not an easy equation. And the annual renewal process sounds like a pain.

That escape artist reminds me of a story Karin told of a place she did a two week internship at while conducting her studies, they had one sow with a mind of it's own. She kept opening her pen, and taking walks all around the place, but she always returned home at the end of the day. She kept leaving gates open though, that was a bit annoying.

 

[ozexpat]

Pork on the loose, always a fun situation. Yup, it's not an easy equation. And the annual renewal process sounds like a pain.

That escape artist reminds me of a story Karin told of a place she did a two week internship at while conducting her studies, they had one sow with a mind of it's own. She kept opening her pen, and taking walks all around the place, but she always returned home at the end of the day. She kept leaving gates open though, that was a bit annoying.

pig can open anything with their mouth. Our gates are built so they cant reach the lever but they still manage to turn the bolt.

i had carabiners on the gates but they ate them lol

 

[vehve]

Haha, they sound determined.

 

[ozexpat]

Haha, they sound determined.

You have no idea. It's not to escape. Its just something to do. I try and amuse them. A basketball will keep them happy for hours and is too round to mouth

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: We MUST have a picture of the basketball playing pig! Please

 

[perchie.girl]

I give my Draft horse one of these for entertainment



They are designed to roll in an arc... yOu can put chunks of carrot in the body and every time it rolls aroun the hole something drops out.

My horse learned the easy way to dispense them though... she rolls it up her leg.... Ahhh no more walking....

Its very hard blow molded plastic Like a kyak.... she can put her number five foot on it and stand... if it didnt squirt out.

deb