Out on the grass
You can’t grow pasture raised pork unless the Plonkers actually get out onto the pasture. Many people have trouble with the pigs rutting up the fields (which generally happens in the autumn when the fields lose the protein in the leaf) so I have devised a system for this.
It is all about responding to the call. First I train the pigs to come when I call them.
Then once we are clear on this (and the pigs are bigger than the holes in the fence) I let them out for a tiny visit to the field before I call them back in and feed them their milk and eggs -this visit to the field will get longer every day.
I never let them out long enough to get bored and start digging in the pasture. Their field visits are all about eating CLOVER and ALFALFA and having a good run around then straight back into their garden!
The moment these piggies hit the field they started chomping on the pasture. Fast. I love seeing animals out on the grass. It makes me happy.
This week sometime, Hugo and I will put Molly and Tahiti in a crate and take them over to the West Barn. I don’t want them to be on the Get Fat diet that the plonkers are on. There is plenty of field for them over there and a beautiful pig apartment in the barn.
I hope you have a lovely day. I really do. As lovely as me I hope.
Love,
celi
27 Comments on “Out on the grass”
Leave a Reply
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER:
DO A LITTLE SHOPPING:
Thank You So Much For Your Kind Help with Maintaining This Blog
thekitchensgarden 
I was told by an old neighbour of ours when I was a child that pigs only caused damage when they were bored. They are clever animals, he said, and the same view and the same food every day is as boring for them as it would be for us. I think you have that problem taken care of, Miss C!
They are big, strong, happy pigs, and that will be reflected in the meat quality of your Plonkers and the breeding health of your gilts. Seeing your pigs makes me happy too!
and as lovely as all those pigs are having! Today’s storm has not yet arrived, but the breeze is getting up now – the tps of the maize are waving about like waves in the sea.
love,
ViV xox
Lucky pigs. A bit of fresh air is good for all of us and it shows.
loved, loved this litter, they have been so happy and so much fun to watch growing up 🙂 Laura
Will they be alone over at the big bar?
big barn…. oops…. 😉
Or perhaps the ‘pig bar’?
🙂 Belly up to the bar piggies…. I think that is the plan for the Plonkers.
Jake rents the house over at the West Barn and of course the calves are still there. For the winter the big cows will spend quite a bit of time there too – it is a warmer barn and bigger barn..and when i get my sheep (Murphys only) I will put them over there too.. c
We are going to get a couple of pigs to do some damage. We need to clear a forest. I dream job for a plonker.
It will be – I look forward to your pigs (and their nice low electric fence!) c
We had an old pear tree in the back yard in Germany and the pigs just loved those pears. I love the way you raise your animals and come up with all these ideas to keep them healthy and happy, I wish all farmers were like you.
I have a neighbour with an old pear tree too he brings me buckets of pears right about now! c
Pear PIE is delightful. As is pear cake and pear relish! Love pear relish in a bowl of pinto, kidney or navy beans!
Ooh, I have a recipe for Rosemary Pear jelly that’s so good, have to go find some pears!
I wish I could find a farmer like you to buy my meat from but not enough people in the world farm like you do. With the love for the animal and how it lives. We all know it makes a difference in our food. I’m with Gerlinde on this one. Those piggies are just too cute.
So true about the pigs rooting and digging up the pasture! We have our pasture in a rotation of sorts, so we can reseed and grow the areas the pigs gobble and root up. It works well! 🙂
Yes, and if you reseed into alfalfa which I am sure you do you will get lovely fat pasture raised piggies.. even sheila and poppy do not root anything up until the autumn -which is approaching! unless the ground is wet, if it is wet then I lock them in for a bit.. c
Positive reinforcement goes a long way with a food-motivated crowd!
Ah, lovely photos of the pigs happily eating in the sunshine… does it really get better than that? 🙂
The human mind, in this case, yours, is infinitely superior to those of the animal, motivated as they are by their appetites alone. I just love that you have bested the pigs. (Not that I ever doubted you would.) Yeeee Haaawww! Love, Gayle
Pingback: A Chorus Line | Vivinfrance's Blog
you are such a smarty savvy farmer! You have a lot figured out that benefits the land and the animals!
Those do look like happy Plonkers! Yay for a lovely day.
No need to worry about possible damage: notice both Boo and Ton on ‘point duty’! Clover, alfalfa, milk and eggs: now tell me how many pigs in the world enjoy this kind of tucker whilst growing for the pot . . .
I love the header shot. And must smile about the one with the piggy and Boo, enjoying in a similar way the grass. Or does he just pose for the foto? The pig and the dog. Great.
Like your planning concerning the pasturing of the piggies.
I think, Molly and Tahiti being at the West Barn would miss their fellows though.
For the pears:
You have to tell Hugo just that: “Tarte amandine aux poires”. – He should make one for you. Or maybe he did already? It’s so great!
I can just see you taking all the pigs out on a dog walk 😉