Going Hog Wild On The Homestead

[@OldesouthFarm]

I just had two pigs processed that I raised on our Pecan Orchard in Alabama. They were Duroc/Berkshire and Hampshire cross. They did great and at 8 months were 314 and 299 when processed. The Orchard is really old, 4 or so acres and the pigs eat pecans, snakes, and do what they like. I let them have a mud area and then they leave the drinking water alone. We had a renter raise water melons in the back field and they got the not perfect melons and totally loved them. Nothing is better then home grown pork!

[@ShoutItFromTheHousetops]

LOVE how curious your chickens are with everything you do around them. I chuckle every time I see them run up to your feet looking and pecking. They’re so cute and funny! 🤣👉🏼🐓

[@christopherfitch7705]

Sim.you must know the other way to do electric wire fencing...You install a ground rod several feet into the soil Run a bare wire to the ground on your energizer. Then you can install as many wires as you want spaced however you like they will all be hot. So the animal gets a shock anytime he touches any one hot wire.

[@caninedrill_instructor5861]

Simeon, My Dad used to say "It doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to work." He was a farmer his entire adult life.

[@daviddean4618]

"Right away they have started to dig" - The bigness of the big coming through.

[@craigmooring2091]

Wow! Instantaneous demonstration of the difference pgs can make for you in that deep bedding.

[@nigelmchugh5541]

In Ireland, the three breeds traditionally used in agriculture are Landrace (ears hang down over eyes) Large White (ears up like yours) and Duroc. For backyard pigs, many heritage breeds like Tamworth, Saddleback and Old Spot etc are used for their slower growth and better flavour.

[@simeonandalex]

I think it is pretty much the same way here. Similar / same breeds.

[@ronaldstout1390]

I would recommend a longer copper rod for grounding, depending upon how moist your soil is. Where I live, deep ground rods, usually 6 feet long are needed and as I'm sure you know, the better the ground, the hotter the shock, up to it's maximum.

[@debbiegallett1125]

I raised 2 piglets in the dead of winter in South Dakota. They were outside with shelter. I would give them huge piles of hay that they would burrow into at night. They stayed nice and warm. Every morning I would go out to feed and dump the ice out of the water and they would explode out of their hay pile. Very entertaining. I enjoyed the pigs except for the smell factor. They got along fine with my chickens.

[@simeonandalex]

Haha. Sounds great.

[@shaneo7016]

insulator not isolator

[@SansaStarkofWinterfell]

Greetings from SW South Dakota. (Black Hawk area.) =) 🌾Be Blessed ღ 🌿

[@lindamarquis6117]

I am impressed with all you are getting done by yourself! You are a real self starter. Great video.

[@rebeccasuzannerustigian1257]

I love that you are so inventive in your problem solving. You know, I am sure, that chickens only need nests from sun up until noon at the latest in order to lay their eggs. After that time of day they need a roost. (a 2 inch x 2 inch board running lengthwise or from side to side in your enclosure, allowing 12 to 15 inches per bird on which they will sleep during the night. To keep them off the top of your nests attach the nesting boxes to the wall with hinges, at the top of the back of the nest, leaving the back bottom of the nest free to be folded up. You can secure them in this position with latch hooks and eyes, thereby keeping the nests clean. Amazon sells a system like this called Best Nest if you would like a visual of the product. Their product also allows the eggs to roll to the front making short work of egg gathering. Should reduce nest cleaning by half also.

[@raymondhodge3979]

They look like they will be great diggers, they are really enjoying themselves. Looking forward to more pig videos, I love pigs.

[@gateway8833]

If add rock salt to your grounding rod it will help with the ground potential.

[@simeonandalex]

I was actually able to remove the ground wire. The bedding is moist enough now to work without it.

[@arlingtonguy54]

this should be good. Many videos worth of fun entertainment! I am a homesteader also and am always coming up with great ideas that must be tinkered with and adjusted to work. Many of my ideas end up not working but a few do but that's the fun of being a homesteader. Don't forget that pigs root with their snouts so will lift up the panels and get out unless the posts are set really securely. Also don't forget that you have to train pigs to the electric wire. Pigs if threatened by the shock will charge forward knocking the whole system down and doing who knows what damage. Good Luck!!!

[@LifeGoesNorth]

It's cool you're able to use the greenhouse to house animals in the winter. Wish I could do the same but our greenhouse is the entrance to our home and I think that would be odd. Getting ready to raise some chicks this spring and I'll be going for cold hardy first and foremost. Your hens are cracking me up. Climbing up there as you hang the nest boxes. Thanks for sharing your methods with us!

[@davidschwartz2398]

I raised pigs for food & chickens too. One day I saw a chicken run into the pig pen but never got the chance to run out.

[@gordonreed248]

I had forgotten how piglets are handled. I watched my grandfather do it many times when I was a child and he always picked them up exactly as you did. He would remove them from the sow when they were maybe 5 to 7 kilos then again at around 10 to 15 kilos and he would sell them to people who raised them for meat at about the size that you just bought. He always kept his pigs in a barn area until he sold them and really only let the adult pigs outside in summer. Over winter he would have 20 or more young pigs growing out to become large enough for him to sell.

[@holisticadvocate7882]

According to another channel, your wires are too high for the size of your pigs. You need to either lower the wires or put in another pair lower down. It seems pigs see the wire either straight ahead or below their line of level sight. That is how they recognize the wires creating the boundry.

[@simeonandalex]

It has worked very well with this height for the past 2 days. They have been out in the fenced in area since Sunday. I put it on this height because they will very quickly dig up dirt over it if it is much lower.

[@ciaobella8963]

That's a lot of preparation work Simeon! But you got the piglets in your pen. Well done! Hope you are having a restful Sunday with your family.

[@vmcougarintn5035]

Oh Wow! This brings back memories of my youth! I raised a boar one year. Steve was so ugly, one ear got messed up before he was born, but it did straighten out later. He was a massive fellow, but he loved to root around in the area where we put the debris from the chicken coop. I hope your children learn to love pigs, they are very smart and very comical as well as fun. Thanks for sharing.

[@KILLKING110]

I'm sure the chickens are like jeez how many eggs does this guy need

[@joycejudd5109]

oh Simeon how fun! (and a ton of work too). I love the look of the duroc...and am thankful you were able to give these pigs a good place to do their job. But your greenhouse is taking on the attitude of an animal kindergarten! Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@trip3980]

FYI if you build a pen fill it with 2-3 feet of wood logs and put wood chips on top of it creates fertilizer and no smell and reduces the amount of damage the pigs do in their cycle. 'Much easier to rase pigs this way PS duck weed is the way to go when it comes to feeding live stock :) also large compost piles can be used as a way to free range chickens keeps them warm and they can live out side if the piles are big enough.

[@heyerstandards]

Your comment on teat-count reminded me that Walter Jeffries in Vermont (USA) uses teat-count as one of the criteria for selecting breeding boars. He has been able to increase the teat count through the generations, thereby increasing successful weaning litter sizes.

[@dawsie]

😹😹😹😹I just noticed the hen box’s only been there a short while and there is already an egg in one of the boxes to his right``😹😹😹😹😹

[@elenauchtman8830]

If you wanted straighter roosting boxes just install a backboard behind the bottom.

[@dansbrown1313]

I raised Landrace pigs and think they are awesome. When grown they can very effectively remove stumps.:)

[@johndantice2577]

I like the idea of splitting the green house into a front and back half. The pigs would be restricted to half at a time and the chickens could roam in both halves. You may need to free choice the pigs some blood meal so they don't eat the chickens. Have fun.

[@happyenzyme]

Looking forward to watching the pigs work!

[@zebby264]

Have you thought about roll away nest boxes? They make for clean eggs, which is really such a time saver, particularly if you are selling eggs. They also mean less pecked eggs

[@dorascott8286]

Great clip, can't wait to see more....

[@MetaView7]

Love the ground level close up shots

[@geoffmckinlay2816]

Great video. The piglets sure dig deep right away, I hope that doesn't become a problem for the greenhouse! But I also see delicious bacon and ham grunting away in a new happy home. Good work!

[@jmstrings]

Man, they really are going to do a fantastic job turning that deep bedding.

[@AppalachianFarmstead]

Great video, we raise Large Black hogs. I'm sure you know that pigs are omnivores, so if you start missing chickens you'll know where they went LOL. Pigs are usually easy to train on electric, but we had a boar we brought home an he was never around electric so when he hit the wire he just exploded straight thru the fence. I hope that doesn't happen in your green house they would destroy the plastic in a heart beat. We were laughing watching you carry the pig, if you haven't done it before you can't appreciate how strong and solid a pig is. Good luck

[@chrisduggins3071]

Once the pigs or hogs get the taste of chicken blood, the chickens will disappear I have seen this before. If you can get them to coexist good for you.

[@bovellois]

Yes, they will feel the sting of the fence but won't necessarily know where it came from so they'll bolt ahead. The other problem is once out, they will chew on the plastic, swallow pieces and get a fatal occlusion.

[@fredthorne9692]

I think it will work out fine. It's a little tough at first, but it's just until the bigger plan takes effect. The hogs will have a much better life now than what they've had. With prayer, all will be fine. By the way, you're absolutely correct in how to transport them. It's safest for both you and them. Wait till they get to 250 kg.

[@karenhorn6685]

Good job with your piggies! Karen from Indiana

[@StoicaEmilian]

Pigs can go on their own feet, you don't need to carry them. just tie a small rope to one of their back legs and with a light stick you guide them where to go, one pig at a time

[@elenauchtman8830]

They are so happy.

[@murchlk]

Appears too be a good solution, as you said you will work out the kinks. 👍

[@MrVailtown]

Going to set camera up n do a time lapse of their compost "dig" ? Think that be cool to see.

[@Godshole]

I was thinking live stream hd camera lol

[@mytube0969]

I was just thinking this as well...live video feed! hahaha. I would have loved to see the transition & the dynamics between the piggies & chickens as they get used to being together.

[@diyfferent]

How did you get the wood to curve for your greenhouse?

[@julier1080]

Not sure what they did, but it looks like the wood is actually 2 pieces of 1" attached together. Much easier to bend 1". If you have fresh sawn lumber as they do, it's very easy to bend green wood. You can build a simple jig with pins to get the curve you want, or even put it over a low roof or pile of logs with the ends weighted or strapped down, and then dry the wood bent for a few days. With dried lumber, just soak it well and then it will bend.

[@354133]

I think if it were me, I would split the house in half, keep the chickens on one side and the pigs on the other, then rotate them back and forth.

[@simeonandalex]

Makes it complicated with feeders and especially waterers and the heating system for the waterers, to move that back and forth.

[@Flexaret]

Watching the video it's immediately obvious the advantage of using the pigs to work over the woodchip, hope it works out and the pigs and chickens can co-exist long enough to get the job done. Worst case scenario is keep them separated and just move the pig pen around, it's more work certainly but still less work than working over the woodchip yourself.

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

Fun on the Farm!

[@PowermanGustav]

They dig like crazy :)

[@fergusb2440]

Good videos but have you considered giving each video a number in a specific sequence? Maybe such as season# and episode# or pigs, episode 1 or greenhouse, episode 6 etc

[@pei-eitan9590]

This is interesting I would love to see how long the piglet can stay with the chicken, before they become a problem for the laying hen. Edit: if you have Poultry netting why don't you use the netting and section part of the green house off. Move it later on when you have to. The wire doesn't seem to keep the chicken away from the pigs from the video.

[@simeonandalex]

The wire keeps the pig away from the chicken though. The chickens are supposed to go everywhere.

[@jonasivarson1708]

It is not allowed to have electric fencing inside buildings/stables/greenhouses were you keep animals.

[@jonasivarson1708]

In Sweden...

[@MetaView7]

Can't wait to see more pig videos

[@mimisfavorites5269]

Won't the chickens get shocked too?

[@dariksonnonameson9487]

Niezłe świnki. Pozdrowienia z Polski.

[@gingercox6468]

I would split up the middle in the tallest area of the greenhouse

[@kevinparker7953]

That was fun.

[@gingercox6468]

I guess the critters are objecting to your idea...lol they were drowning u out!

[@RZShizzle]

I had a few chicken get into my pig pen and the pigs killed and ate them. Just a heads up.

[@Lejamejais]

for how much do you sell one egg?. Just curious.

[@simeonandalex]

+Lejamejais 3 SEK

[@frc293]

Which Camera did you use to shoot this video?

[@emptypocketsfarmwbj3832]

They will respect that electric

[@martijnheeroma6169]

Electric fence will work, the pigs dig, really love this.

[@donaldmiller2423]

Martijn Heeroma Simeon, if I can make a suggestion about your electric fence. This helped a lot with my dog ! Every three or four feet along the hot wire, you attach strips of white cloth ! This makes the wire more visual to the animal . Once the animal touches the hot wire , the strips of cloth tell it that the wire is there ! Normally an animal will avoid coming too close to an identified wire even if the wire is not hot !

[@davidj.mackinney6568]

Do you sell eggs?

[@emptypocketsfarmwbj3832]

Anchor that feeder they will flip it

[@simeonandalex]

That was just for the beginning now. I built a feeder the other day.

[@bobputman5947]

will the chickens get hurt from the wires, good way to start the week, remember when you go to dinner you don't Pig out..make sure you use your pork, i mean fork and not your ham, i mean hands, i better go before i mess up anymore....LOL...if you like my corny jokes, i can fly in and do a stand-up routine at your home, im not expensive, i work for food.

[@killerhz]

I would think it's a risk that the chickens could fly over the wire and get trapped between the fence and poly wall.

[@verteup]

if the pigs dig and dont find any goodies (old cucumbers and vegetables) then they'll stop digging.

[@falfas55bgas]

Could the pigs kill chickens?

[@grante.6940]

falfas55bgas absolutely.

[@julier1080]

Pigs will kill/eat anything, including a human. You need to be cautious and know the temperament of your hogs. Kids need to be watched around them, because it can happen that they knock down a child (or even an adult) and then get quickly aggressive about the situation. The smell of blood will set them off, so women during their period need to be careful around them. Happy pigs are far less likely to be aggressive. But they are pack animals by nature, and can be very protective of their young.

[@johnmarquardt1991]

This will be interesting. I helped an uncle vaccinate pigs when I was younger -- hated it. Pig poop is the worst! Amazing how an animal that makes that stink can taste so good. :)

[@simeonandalex]

Haha.

[@richardleonido]

the stress the chickens are experiencing having the pigs in the same space, may cause them to lay less eggs.

[@simeonandalex]

+none zero Yes. I am monitoring that and will take the pigs out if that is the case.

[@lydiahanke]

Gärna fler grisvideos. Det är nagot speciellt med glada grisar, sa skall dom bo!

[@altijdvrolijk397]

Some video,s before you told about the roasters. that they fight. if you wanted to solve this then put one goose by your chicken and roasters. They will not fight anymore. The goase will act as a police and the roasters will respect him.

[@simeonandalex]

They don't fight much anymore.

[@cdmcl3]

yeah, seems contrived and complicated, not aesthetically simple. dunno if it will prove durable and effective, or that it actually can replace building another tunnel, etc. but maybe it will be good for long enough to be justified, etc.

[@ShoutItFromTheHousetops]

You guys have got yourselves a Swedish Noah’s ark with all of your geese, ducks, chickens and now pigs in the mix! I love that you see the benefits to allowing these pigs to be free to be pigs. Even if its for a limited time. It’s sad how the meat and poultry industry have stripped these creatures from the way God created them to be and to help mankind.

[@glendaruff125]

Sorry I don't think it is going to work. Curious to see.

[@simeonandalex]

What part don't you think is going to work?

[@glendaruff125]

the way you put the hen bins in the side of the wall- but keep us informed- I learn a lot from you-

[@AmazingGrace945]

I don't think that's a good idea