I'm up early on Saturday again, so I reckon I can make a quick post about my Friday. They called off work Thursday night because we're out of something, so after I woke up for work Thursday I was able to be home with the fam for a bit and go back to bed. It was awesome.
Friday morning, the kiddos got up to play and I reminded farmer Sam to feed the rabbits and chickens. He came in hollering that a pig had gotten out... Oh boy.
That is a pig, and that is not a pig pen...
Sorry for the blurry pic, I was in a hurry and he was in the apartment lol
I'd seen them hop on the fence before when I was bringing food or something, I guess this one figured out that he could just push himself over the rest of the way. I ran out in pajama pants and mud boots and got him back in pretty easily by feeding his brother. He wasn't out long. Glad they're highly motivated by food...
As they ate, I unloaded pallets from the truck. I'd picked them up the last time I came home from work, whenever that was. I leaned pallets against the pig fence and went to get dressed for the day.
First order of business was the pig fence. A recent addition to the list. I used baling wire to hold it up by the poles on the outside of the fence. Good pallets, with no protruding nails as @goldenoakfarm warned of. That'll hold for a minute, until it doesn't anymore. I did leave one pallet insecure on one side so I can swing it open a bit to hop over the chain link. It's secured to the neighboring pallet outside.
Two pigs in a pen with a new sturdy fence
After the fence was built and the animals were fed, it was pig patting time. I listened to a podcast episode about the killing of pigs for harvest, and was choked up by the depth of emotion in the process. The caring and raising of animals that will one day be on the plate after you've given them a good life and hopefully a good death is an emotional topic for me I guess. I'm a big softie inside lol
Buddy likes belly pats
"Oink! Why'd you stop the belly pats?"
I love sitting with the pigs. Just like I love sitting with the chickens. Just like I love sitting with the peach trees. Except, for some reason, chickens and peach trees don't seem as sentient as hogs do. The pigs have a language and intelligence that's easier to understand than chickenspeak or Entish. They've earned their names by way of personality, as every critter here does except the billions of rabbits. Buddy and Scooter, on account of one being friendly and one being timid and scooting away when I try to pay him. That's the only way I can tell them apart really, by their personalities.
Corn seeds
After some bonding time, it was planting time. There's enough time now between our corn varieties that I felt good planting painted mountain in the back yard. I dug rows in the corn patches and planted seeds. I became a tractor, straddling one two, planting three rows at a pass. Three to five seeds, a couple holes per foot, in rows no more than a foot apart. A nice dense planting into warm soil, sure to be friendly to corn seeds that have been stored in the fridge since last Summer's harvest. That's were nearly a half pound of the biggest seeds from the biggest cobs, selecting for the biggest, most successful plants with genetics best suited to our place. And back to that place they returned.
Square patch
Last year, I made two plantings in the smaller square patch. Being late summer, the second patch didn't really grow and yielded nothing. It was learning time, and I suppose it still is learning time. This patch was heavily fed with a lot of comfrey and compost, and the soil shows it.
Crooked patch
The other spot we planted is probably the sandiest part of our yard. It's in the Southeast corner of the food forest, where there's plenty of sun, and where corn did well last year. I don't think I completed anything here except any weeds I've pulled from the area, but there was a couple giant compost piles here before. Where they were is easy to tell when you dig a row.
I'll be collecting rabbit poop to put in all these rows. I'm sure the plants will love it.
The high was 84°F yesterday, and for some reason it sapped everything out of me. Besides the pigs and corn, I didn't do a whole lot. I watered the seedlings, but didn't plant any. There's a lot of roots in the ashwagandha pods, but only one sprout yet. I tinkered with the rabbit waterer and got it running better. I moved the freezer and got it turned on, and then moved Melissa's pottery wheel. I got more pig patting time of course.
Maybe today I'll get the rest of the list taken care of. I should go get on that before it heats up again...
Toodles!
Love from Texas
Nate 💚
I was warning of the pigs trashing the pallets, as they aren't sturdy enough for pigs, and getting hurt by the resulting nails...or splinters of wood.... or by getting stuck in a half destroyed pallet (seen this).... etc.
Think it'll be safe with them on the opposite side of the fence, or am I gonna want a different option, maybe just plain old ply wood?
Actually, if you can borrow an electric fence charger and some wire and a ground post, I'd set that up inside the wooden barrier/wire fence. Just make sure the fence is COMPLETELY enclosed in a solid very visible physical fence. When they hit the electric the first time, they will charge through as opposed to back off. You want something that will stop them before they are out.
If they get out, it will be very hard to get them in, because they've been shocked. Leave the fence on for 2 weeks, and after that they will never go near it again, if you are lucky. But you MUST make sure it is NEVER grounded out during the 2 weeks.
I've got one of the smaller chargers that may work once it dries out. Plenty of polywire and ground rods too. I'll set that up asap, because the pigs have taken to jumping now. They're too smart for my own good lol
They can't jump really high, but the weight often carries them through. I'd make sure the charger is HOT.