The four tiny American Guinea Hogs are here. And they are good!
They are robust, chubby and very busy. American Guinea Hogs are an old American breed that was even on the endangered list for a while, they were very common in the South in the old days being a small friendly easy to raise hog. Fattening on kitchen scraps. So I am excited to have them.
They really do love vegetables. Even cabbage so far!
I have called the group The Pops. They already come to the call Pop Pop.
At just over seven weeks old and newly weaned (the day we collected them) I am feeding them tiny amounts multiple times a day. Mostly fruit and vegetables. Plus free for all hay, weeds and mulberry. When I say mulberry I mean a branch of mulberry tree. I am pruning frequently so yesterday I threw in a whole branch and they proceeded to strip it of the leaves, so I will do that once a day too.
They are very like kunekune (Tima) in that they can turn proteins into fat at an alarming rate, so they won’t be fed much grain at all. And none of the bread and eggs the Charlottes are eating.
Once they have finished their quarantine period they will go out foraging in the fields starting with their own little pig yard. I intend to train them to follow me so they can be taken into fields to graze then brought back to the barn at night.
They will be on the farm for fifteen – eighteen months so we can create long-running systems.
The latest hay was cut and dried without the intervention of rain so the bales were pronounced ‘good’ and came to my home barn. I had help with the stacking so it all went fast and stacked exactly as I directed.
The TKG Sustainable Sunday newsletter went out yesterday. It contains a video walkabout down the back, a round up of all the farm animals, some sad news (a duck drowned in the pond which was miserable), views of the Fellowship Forest and other interesting things.
There are only four ducks now after this accidental drowning. He got his head stuck under a rock. Too sad. I have explained it in the newsletter.
Go HERE to read the newsletter.
Good morning all!
Have a great day.
Celi
PS If you loved this please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE. Many people need the peacefulness and realness of the farm – I am horrified by the number of people I see struggling with mental health issues nowadays and they all love it when they can visit the farm virtually or properly – so spread the word as best you can.
We all do our little bit to help.
The Kitchen's Garden 
17 responses to “YES! They are HERE!”
How exciting to have the little black pigs and I’m very sorry to hear about the poor duck!
Pigs are very trainable, as you know, so I’m sure the little black pigs will soon be following you like Mary and her lamb. They are stinking cute.
”Stinking cute” exactly! Delightful little beings, going to look forward to their progress as related by you! More work for you, more pleasure for us🙏🏻
Yes! Andy! They are doing well so far! And very sweet
I hope they do alright!
Interesting that the little hogs like mulberry leaves. Did you know that ground hogs, or woodchucks, also love mulberry leaves. I’ve seen them climb high in the trees behind our house to feast on them.
Huh. That is interesting. Mulberry leaves are quite high in protein – very nutritious:.
The new pigs are very reminiscent of Tane in looks. Miss that sweet boy.
He was a sweet boy. Died way too young that pig.
Those pigs are adorable. I love it when they run around on those short little legs. Poor duck! I didn’t imagine that ducks ever drowned. It was probably trying to get food when it got stuck. 😦
I think it was going after a fish or pond weed under the rock. I don’t know. Such a shame.
So sad about the duck. The Guineas sure ate cute, the Charlottes are as well. It’s nice to see Boo with the newest arrivals, like he’s telling them that they are in a good place to live. I see the groundhog about once a week over in the grass of the autistic school yard, usually late in the afternoon. It’s amazing how fast it can run.
Guinea Hogs make a very good meat, very marbled and dark, almost like beef. But meanwhile, they’re great foragers, very calm pigs and economical to keep. They’re a real homestead pig. I’ll be following their progress with interest! Wish I’d been able to keep a pig when I had a bit of land, but it wasn’t rural and the neighbours objected. My sheep, rabbits and chickens were bad enough!
Have you eaten Guinea Hog? Their mother was incredibly calm.
Not personally, but I know someone who has. They are definitely rooters rather than grazers like the kunekunes, but because they’re smaller they’re not so destructive as the feeder pigs.
The new piglets are adorable and so lucky to have ended up with you on your farm and with Boo Boo to keep an eye on them.
Nanny Boo loves his babies!