We Added Pigs To Our Homestead

[@singleman1986]

I'm envious. I wish I could find AGHs near me. Don't let yer guard down Tom. Pigs of ANY breed are DARN smart. They constantly 'test' fences and are second only to goats at being 'escape artists'.

[@DeepSouthHomestead]

Cute set of pigs, Tommy. Those will make some good bacon next year.

[@johnlord8337]

Good one. Guinea pigs 100-300# (big lard growers). Time to harden up the fencing, as they will chew, bite, nose, and dig under fencing (just like rabbits). When they get bigger, they can get onery to the dog(s) and goats. Time to hand-tame them, and get them accustomed to (wanting treat of) human touch, scratch, rub, belly rubbing, and petting. Human touch (and endorphin release) for good behavior. Also domesticate them for a walking harness for foraging and exercise, shroom/truffles hunting, acorns, ... and snakes. Getting them accustomed to having a harness, then you could also harness with a larger/stronger cable (later age and big size), like goats at a perimeter location. Pigs will also chew on fence posts, gates, just like goats - so nothing is safe from them using and scraping down their growing teeth. Time to look up the local (craft) brewers for post-mash. Healthy grain food with greater Vit B complex, sugars, starches, fiber, and a little alcohol buzz. Definitely a good treat, and make sure that they behave - and get the mash as a treat for good behaviour. Same good food for the goats, dog(s), and chickens as well. www.ncbeer.org/nc_craft_brewery_map.php www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/sustainable-uses-of-spent-grain What mash might spoil and super-brew into further alcohol or spoil can be composted and also put into the garden. The best protein, fiber, and multi-vitamin and minerals for healthy loamy soil. Vit B, energy vitamin, plants go nuts about the added sugar energies added to their metabolism of photosynthesis sugar. Any sugars and starches provide super-healthy growth production for the seedlings. The fibers provide the needed water control and regulation inside the soil, for soaking up, and not allowing super-saturation (rotting roots), and provide an easy and long supply of ready water for the roots. Further fibers in the soil, also help pull up the water table to the roots. Plants also get a buzz with the low alcohol. With alcohol and the liquefaction of the different mineral salts (like alcoholism and peeing out trace minerals and sodium/potassium salts), a small % of alcohol in the soil, helps liquify and micronize trace inerals and metals in the soil for ready assimilation by the rootlets. Time to also spread mash around the fruit/nut orchard trees and vineyard vines for the same nutrition at the dripline. Even better than wood chips for starting black gold soil. The same mash used in the garden, orchard, vineyard, and composting can be put around the big trees (oak trees - acorns, sugar maples - sugar sap) for greater production. The mash provides excellent cold winter insulation (even better than wood chips) for plant roots. Even shrooms (that normally grow in meadow straw and grains) can be grown on sterilized dry mash remains with excellent production for their mycchorizae. The same shrooms that grow in meadows and forest will also (safely) colonize the mash in the orchard, vineyard, garden, and composting - for additional shroom mycchorizae symbiotically trading sugars in the soil and plant roots for trace minerals they provide (along with the low alcohols). Even growing worms in the composted mash, or elsewhere on the mashed land - will have them crawling to the homestead. Beneficial nematodes will keep down the bad worms and bacterias. The shrooms will prevent bacterial outgrowths in the soil (plant single-cell virus blight, blisters, etc). Now is an excellent opportunity for making a food forest (and permaculture) system.

[@dalehenderson3526]

That is some good info. And there are several brewery in that area.

[@gregorythomas333]

The stores probably said no because of a liability issue...you could also try restaurants & salad bar type places. My great-grand father (depression age) had a saying: I can pinch a penny so hard it turns in to a dime!

[@andrewsarles3520]

Electric fence or concrete! I've seen big hogs dig up dirt and bury the electric wire. We buried railroad ties around the perimeter at one homestead of my buddies.They never got out! Take your fencing and 30 degree slant it inward toward them so they cant climb it down and put your hot wire at snout height.Mini excavator cost 400.00 weekend around here.Liability reasons on the grocery stores whether you get hurt from the dumpster or insurance reasons in general! A bakery in Ann Arbor one time got sued from someone that got hurt in their dumpster and won due to no locks or fence being around that dumpster. You might want to try resteraunts,bakeries or diners where the bulk of their garbage is food.Where they can box it for you without putting it in a dumpster.Even used cooking oil? We get it from a diner here for black bear hunting.

[@HarshmanHills]

They have a great area. Going to be able to forage nicely

[@MrsBStacyBattleBorn]

So cute when they are that size. Place looks good.

[@lifeisgoodregardless1942]

Very nice 👍 video. Thanks 🙏 so much for sharing ❄️❄️❄️💕💕💕

[@JeffsFreedomGarage]

@Off Grid Nation - Unfortunately, the only way a grocer store or any U.S. based company will knowingly allow you to "dumpster dive", is if you bring them a signed, dated and notarized 'waiver of liability'. The waiver of liability, will also need a "clean up clause", (you promise to clean up after yourself), in it and state in certain terms that no matter what injury you sustain you will not hold them, any of their affiliates, the garbage company, the dumpster manufacture or their insurance companies liable and your family can not sue if you die on their property. Even then, it's a crap shoot if they'll verbally say go ahead and help yourself. Good luck Tommy.

[@fyrdup5283]

Glad to hear you seem okay after you accident. Hope everyone was alright. They are sooo stinkin' cute.

[@waynejones736]

Just finding your vids. Always good to see a fellow Ssndlapper involved in off grid living

[@darla3021]

I've watched several videos from Alderman Farms about American Guinea Hogs. If I could raise pigs, Guinea Hogs would be my choice. Hope they do well for you.

[@robdob5640]

Try the bakery outlet stores for bread and rolls, the ones around me sell the outdated stuff by the rack fulls to the pig farmers.

[@bubba_good]

Super cool brother

[@23Michael23]

Hello sir I would like to order two lbs of bacon.

[@moblackbird]

Cute piggies! Suggestions for piggy TV: Lonesome Dove is good, but nix on Deadwood episodes, they might get ideas.

[@OurSoVaLife]

Lookin good Tommy,, count me in if you are selling pork next season

[@dalehenderson3526]

Bacon! Try some of the local resturaunts maybe you can pick up some scraps from them. Maybe provide a good Rubbermaid container. Reminder American guinea hogs are slow grows not like the commercial meat hogs. But they are good foragers.

[@fyrdup5283]

Try some local restaurants. Take care to only use a restaurant that will serve up what you want the pigs to eat. (ie I wouldn't go to somewhere that served up mostly fried foods.) Good luck finding a supplier.

[@jas28327]

Brewery Grains?

[@sherrys1566]

are they food or pets?

[@singleman1986]

@sherry s.....No matter how 'friendly', FOOD lives outside and doesn't stink up your house. 'Pets' live INSIDE and share your living space. JMHO.

[@Maayraa111]

We need to go vegan, after you get attached to them and look in their eyes, since they are your pets. HOw can you kill them, they are like as smart as a dog.