I bet she just wasn't feeding them a lot. I have a GOS and she will be moving to pasture as soon as the fence is complete. She is alot bigger than when I got her. When I got her she was weaned at 8 weeks and had been eating pasture and a bit of corn. I doubt she was even 30 lbs. Well I get free dump milk and between her and the chickens I started feeding 1 gallon a day and the other day I did a gallon of buttermilk and a 5lb tub of cottage cheese. And they ate it all. I also give her pig food and she helps the chickens with their food. Plus she has been eating the eggs that the chickens are laying on the ground. That is the only thing that has bothered me. But really it is the chickens fault. They need to lay in the nest box.
Don't worry you will be fine. Get some good food into those piggies and watch them grow!! If you have a dairy that packages milk nearby see if they will give you any dump.
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BC.......it's just a wood floor. I thought while they were still little it would work. When they get too big I have tarp over the run and I can add tarp and bedding to keep them warm and out of the elements. I can just close the door when they get too big.....I think!
I raise meat pigs. My pigs that I have now are 4 months. The pigs in this pic are from the same litter. One is just runty. The gilt, (female pig that hasn't been bred), is going to be bred in the spring. The little runty male, will be dinner soon. Remember, everything grows slower in the winter. Also, what the pigs have been fed will affect the size of the pig. My sister bought 4 pigs from the same litter and her pigs are twice the size of mine. She feeds her pigs Little Ceasars pizzas and i feed mine grain and hog grower. She has always finished her pigs 2 months before mine. That's ok with me. I know I'm raising mine right and I don't mind having pigs on my little farm a little longer than if I slopped them. Also, I had an intact boar last year that was the friendliest pig I'd ever owned. He was 300+lbs when he was slaughtered. He did get out sometimes and I'd call his name and the big boy would just follow me back into his pen. In fact, the day he was being loaded to take to slaughter, we could only get the trailer about 100 ft from his pen. My hubby asked what we were going to do. I said, "watch this". I opened the pig pen gate and called the boar, he walked behind me the entire way to the trailer and stepped right in. My hubby's jaw hit the ground. LOL He was amazed! Take the time to become friendly with your young pigs and it will pay off in the end. Like Redhen said, teach them respect and be firm but not mean to them. I love raising pigs. I reach into my pig pen daily and give my gilt a nice back scratch. Above all, enjoy these great animals and have fun with it. Don't let it become a giant source of stress. If you'd like to call me, just give me a PM and I'll give you my number so we can talk pigs. Here's a pic from a couple weeks ago of my pigs.
They might like being on the ground better than being in the raised up shed. A simple lean-to might be a better option for them & easier for you. (just a sheet of ply or osb leaned against your existing shed with a nice straw bed inside it should suffice)
Give them a week or two and they will not be so afraid of you. If they were recently castrated, no wonder they are wary of people.
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Yes and right after that they were moved here in the back of a pick up truck. They delivered and the woman's father tied their legs and held them in feed bags........gol.....he only had a cotton shirt on himself. It was Cold here.
Castrated........juggled in a pick up ......and moved to a new place. Probably still in shock.
Thanks to all you......I'm feeling better today.
This morning I forced myself to go out alone in the pen and feed them. I was scared but they were more scared.
