Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[BYC910]

Well I've raised them since they were eight weeks old so they should trust me though I think I'll stay on the cautious side the first week or so. Piggy is real gentle but Mig (the one who's due next week) can be a bit of a handful sometimes. She's never really been aggressive but she can be moody when she cycles. I didn't know you used to do pigs. She's got a hut that's 6x5 that's got a foot or so of leaves and pine straw.

any number under 14 is fine by me.

I think we will, we'll probably have my dads friend who loaned us the boar come by and show us how to castrate the boys too.

I got piglets from a commercial place last year and they cut the tails but I haven't found anyone else who does it and I really doubt we'll do it, don't really have a reason to.


That's true!

We raised hundreds Dan . Had wooden raised pens so the weaned pigs went on top. As they progressed they went to the lower level and then to the ground . Had water nipples and all . But top hogs are hard to make money at just like growing out chickens there is so much invested by kill weight your lucky if you break even or make a small profit . Pound for pound penny for penny feeder pigs make the biggest profit . That is of course depending on cost to feed the sow. Feed is and always will be the defining factor in your profit margin. Figure out how to feed cheap or free and you'll make a profit . If you can buy direct from the crop farmer in bulk at the right time . Feed cost are greatly reduced . Great thing about hogs and chickens and other poultry is they an eat things that will kill cows goats sheep and horses . We tried day old bread but found it to be as expensive as shell corn and hard to store .Range cattle if you can range feed almost exclusively will make about the most profit you'll make on farm animals . Goats are catching them fast . Seems to me at your age and the way you pay attention to the market you stand a good chance at making money farming . Like Chris said keep a log of your sales right to the day and compare it every year to the previous year . Plan for selling at or close to the best sale price dates . They may not be exactly the same but they will be close . I'm rambling again ain't I

 

[BYC910]

Last summer when Dragon Juice hatched her ducklings, 3 days before they were due, I found an egg in the pool. Almost no shell, but membrane was intact. Duckling was dead of course, but almost fully formed. I was amazed that it was in the pool (up and over rocks, 14" climb and back down the other side!) I never was positive what had happened... until this time.

Yesterday, I had the other ducks locked up and Juice is not in the same area with them now. We have a drain that goes underground about 50 feet, from a gutter/down-spout off the house. It normally just soaks into the yard. Well the ducks have started using it to drink/bathe. Anyway, yesterday I found a duck egg in it, broken open, mostly eaten or leaked out. Looked like it was just an infertile one that she had been cooking for 3 weeks. Walked over to check on her and found another one, just a few feet from her nest, it was broken, so I think she couldn't roll it any further. It was creamy yellow inside and stank! She is disposing of the bad ones.

Smart duck . Stinky eggs I hate rotten eggs them and my girlish stomach don't get along .

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Takes alot to get my stomach lurching but a rotten egg will do it every time.lol

 

[dan26552]

We raised hundreds Dan . Had wooden raised pens so the weaned pigs went on top. As they progressed they went to the lower level and then to the ground . Had water nipples and all . But top hogs are hard to make money at just like growing out chickens there is so much invested by kill weight your lucky if you break even or make a small profit . Pound for pound penny for penny feeder pigs make the biggest profit . That is of course depending on cost to feed the sow. Feed is and always will be the defining factor in your profit margin. Figure out how to feed cheap or free and you'll make a profit . If you can buy direct from the crop farmer in bulk at the right time . Feed cost are greatly reduced . Great thing about hogs and chickens and other poultry is they an eat things that will kill cows goats sheep and horses . We tried day old bread but found it to be as expensive as shell corn and hard to store .Range cattle if you can range feed almost exclusively will make about the most profit you'll make on farm animals . Goats are catching them fast . Seems to me at your age and the way you pay attention to the market you stand a good chance at making money farming . Like Chris said keep a log of your sales right to the day and compare it every year to the previous year . Plan for selling at or close to the best sale price dates . They may not be exactly the same but they will be close . I'm rambling again ain't I

Wow.

I think we're feeding fairly cheap, it's $9.00 a bag for non-gmo (it's cheaper to buy that then the stuff at tractor supply! ) and they don't eat a whole lot since they get all the scrapes and are out in about an acre of woods. They killed something this morning, don't know what it was but they all three came back with bloody snouts. Yeah they will eat just about anything. Well unless the cattle will eat what the goats eat they're out of the question for the moment Yeah, I've noticed goats are starting to cost almost as much as a calf. I do do my best to keep things in order and try and follow the market.
I like it when you ramble.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Look into highland cattle, they'll brows with the goats. And are great momma's.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

We raised hundreds Dan . Had wooden raised pens so the weaned pigs went on top. As they progressed they went to the lower level and then to the ground . Had water nipples and all . But top hogs are hard to make money at just like growing out chickens there is so much invested by kill weight your lucky if you break even or make a small profit . Pound for pound penny for penny feeder pigs make the biggest profit . That is of course depending on cost to feed the sow. Feed is and always will be the defining factor in your profit margin. Figure out how to feed cheap or free and you'll make a profit . If you can buy direct from the crop farmer in bulk at the right time . Feed cost are greatly reduced . Great thing about hogs and chickens and other poultry is they an eat things that will kill cows goats sheep and horses . We tried day old bread but found it to be as expensive as shell corn and hard to store .Range cattle if you can range feed almost exclusively will make about the most profit you'll make on farm animals . Goats are catching them fast . Seems to me at your age and the way you pay attention to the market you stand a good chance at making money farming . Like Chris said keep a log of your sales right to the day and compare it every year to the previous year . Plan for selling at or close to the best sale price dates . They may not be exactly the same but they will be close . I'm rambling again ain't I

Not rambling if your giving good sound advice from years of experience, one would be stupid not to pay attention to your ramblin

 

[dan26552]

Look into highland cattle, they'll brows with the goats. And are great momma's.

One problem it's 100+F nine months of the year here. I think the ones that would do best would be Pineywoods

 

[dan26552]

Not rambling if your giving good sound advice from years of experience, one would be stupid not to pay attention to your ramblin

X2!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Last summer when Dragon Juice hatched her ducklings, 3 days before they were due, I found an egg in the pool. Almost no shell, but membrane was intact. Duckling was dead of course, but almost fully formed. I was amazed that it was in the pool (up and over rocks, 14" climb and back down the other side!) I never was positive what had happened... until this time.

Yesterday, I had the other ducks locked up and Juice is not in the same area with them now. We have a drain that goes underground about 50 feet, from a gutter/down-spout off the house. It normally just soaks into the yard. Well the ducks have started using it to drink/bathe. Anyway, yesterday I found a duck egg in it, broken open, mostly eaten or leaked out. Looked like it was just an infertile one that she had been cooking for 3 weeks. Walked over to check on her and found another one, just a few feet from her nest, it was broken, so I think she couldn't roll it any further. It was creamy yellow inside and stank! She is disposing of the bad ones.

Good Dragon Juice!!!

Calls been doing that this year... think they're smarter than most chickens about that, lol...

 

[pertnear09]

One problem it's 100+F nine months of the year here. I think the ones that would do best would be Pineywoods

Wow, That's a long time at 100 degree plus temps. I feel for you.