Moving forward...

[Beer can]

What kind of pigs are you thinking of getting? Just a suggestion, smaller ones might go better in that set up. See what's available in your area. I've been looking here, not for smaller ones myself but saw some Pot Belly, Iberian black cross piglets for sale at a organic farm. They liked them cause they were easier to handle, and still got to a decent weight.
A outside lean-to shelter and some electric fence is all they need, would work great in your weather. Big pigs will scratch themselves on everything and blow holes threw about anything that isn't heavy duty, fence or building. If you keep them in your garage, with a outside run, you might get lucky, friend of mine raised a pair every yr for a few years in a small wood floor shed with hay and a large run just with a single strand string type electric fence and they never 'relieved' themselves 'crap or urine' in their 'house'. Stayed clean until he got some early during the cold winter here, then every pair after that did also.
Don't like the thought of a mountain lion....WOW! not cool...
Good luck!

 

[Mini Meat]

I hope everything works out for you. Just a thought, before you rip all those shelves out, is there a way to re purpose them as chicken breeding pens? You might have to tweak your design a little, but they look solid and might be an option.

Yes, the shelves are being removed as intact as possible and I will be looking for ways to re use them. I may be able to use them as broody pens. At the very least the will be broken down for part.
Thanks for the good thoughts.

 

[Mini Meat]

are you living on this property? Because hogs have a very powerful odor. From my experience with large animals and the hog is close, I don't think the set is going to work. I don't think it is enough space, unless you only have one. Pigs do a lot of damage to fencing, and buildings. Really unbelievable damage, their rooting is much more powerful than one might think. My in-laws had them and while most animal smells don't bother me, that one did. And they cause a lot of damage to the building they were using for shelter.

Perhaps you have a great deal more experience with hogs than I do, but if not, I think I would hold off on the hogs, and get the rest of this up and going. Do the hog thing last. just my two cents.

mrs K

I don't disagree with anything you said. I do live on the property but this facility is aways from my house. There is a nice buffer of trees as well. Hogs are last on the list. More below...

What kind of pigs are you thinking of getting? Just a suggestion, smaller ones might go better in that set up. See what's available in your area. I've been looking here, not for smaller ones myself but saw some Pot Belly, Iberian black cross piglets for sale at a organic farm. They liked them cause they were easier to handle, and still got to a decent weight.
A outside lean-to shelter and some electric fence is all they need, would work great in your weather. Big pigs will scratch themselves on everything and blow holes threw about anything that isn't heavy duty, fence or building. If you keep them in your garage, with a outside run, you might get lucky, friend of mine raised a pair every yr for a few years in a small wood floor shed with hay and a large run just with a single strand string type electric fence and they never 'relieved' themselves 'crap or urine' in their 'house'. Stayed clean until he got some early during the cold winter here, then every pair after that did also.
Don't like the thought of a mountain lion....WOW! not cool...
Good luck!

I am looking at Guinea hogs. They go about 100-300 lbs. So 2 pigs for the freezer will be about = to 1 average size hog. I will definitely have to fortify their house both to protect the building and to protect them from the mountain lion. If the first 2 make it into the freezer with out causing too much damage or nuisance, I will consider a sow in the years to come.

I never wanted pigs until I read a story by a meat inspector about commercial hogs trying to swim in the scalder after not being properly dispatched.

I like my pork... I don't like that.

 

[cpchicks]

Mini Meat
I'm from Sonoma County, sometimes considered "Bay Area". You are very lucky to have that great shelter to work from. I am a believer in good ventilation, but you can always add more ventilation as needed. Keep in mind that the rain may blow in the openings. Where I am located that would be from the south so I would be cautious about making large openings until you see if you have that problem. Also, where are you planning to keep your extra feed and supplies? Will the 4' walkway work for that?
As far as pigs go, I have no experience but I do have experience with chicken math! You may need that space for more chickens! ;D
Good luck with your project; I'll enjoy following your thread.

 

[Dave C]

Interesting project, looking forward to hearing how you get on

 

[Mini Meat]

Mini Meat
I'm from Sonoma County, sometimes considered "Bay Area". You are very lucky to have that great shelter to work from. I am a believer in good ventilation, but you can always add more ventilation as needed. Keep in mind that the rain may blow in the openings. Where I am located that would be from the south so I would be cautious about making large openings until you see if you have that problem. Also, where are you planning to keep your extra feed and supplies? Will the 4' walkway work for that?
As far as pigs go, I have no experience but I do have experience with chicken math! You may need that space for more chickens! ;D
Good luck with your project; I'll enjoy following your thread.

Yes, the weather comes out of the south for me too. That would be the back or window side. It is fairly sheltered because the hill goes up behind it, but I may have to block those openings for the winter. I don't want wind driven rain and I don't want it too drafty in the winter. The open ended front is on the north side I may have to include an over hang. With a 2' over hang and a 4' set back I hope that will keep the rain out of the pens.

I won't have storage in the Isle, that would crowd things too much. I have a near by truck box that is fully weather proof. That will be my storage.

I hope I have accounted for chicken math in this plan. It should be able to house up to 100 birds. Plus I have an old horse trailer and electro net that will hold the cockerels for fattening. I only plan to over winter the breeders I pick for the following year. If I go over capacity... Please drive down and slap me.

Interesting project, looking forward to hearing how you get on

I look forward to sharing.

 

[cpchicks]

Ha ha. You shouldnt outgrow that big building for awhile.
I've been happy with 1 inch welded wire on the entire eastern exposure for good ventilation. It lets morning sun in, keeps baby chick's in and predators out. If the north wind is blocked by a solid wall and the rain is kept out from the south the chickens should be comfortable. I had to plant some trees to get some relief from the heat in the summer on the west side.
I love planning and building. Im always adding on to my coops and changing things. My husband (he grew up in San Martin) calls me Mrs. Winchester! I'll enjoy your project from afar.

 

[Mini Meat]

I was on my own today so I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped. I got the last of the selves moved and tin siding unscrewed where the pop doors are going to go. I tried to pull the tin out myself but the installers used copious amounts of glue along the bottom so It's going to take two people to finesse the tin out with out bending it up and ruining it.

Tomorrow I am hoping to go pick up a load of materials so I can start the build out in the next day or so. I want to get the frames for the pop doors in and the 8' walls for the breeder pens up. My poor turkeys are ready to move out of their temporary quarantine home in a horse trailer. I need this to move along quickly.


Please excuse the hacked up wing clipping. I was on my own so I just snipped away... they'll molt... eventually.

 

[aart]

So turkey pen will be first build out?

Hard to wait for help, but that's the way it goes sometimes.......change tasks.

 

[Mini Meat]

So turkey pen will be first build out?

Hard to wait for help, but that's the way it goes sometimes.......change tasks.

I really would like to build the turkey pen and get them moved, then finish the rest, but I am concerned that the on going construction may be stressful for them. It will require driving bolts in to metal and literally shooting nails in to concrete. Turkeys seem to handle loud noises worse than chickens. I could lock them in the run while we work.
Two choices, neither ideal. Depressing home with less disruption or comfy home with more disruption?

What do you think?