Keeping Berkshire Pigs

[George Collins]

That August 29th farrowing date for Linda's first litter is looming large.

And speaking of large, poor ol Linda is just miserably large. She seems barely able to get up for anything other than a meal (for which she jumps up, runs around the pen and whines for just like she has always done.)

One thing she is doing different is she has taken to laying down very slowly and carefully. Before, when we'd scratch her tummy, she would just flop down on the side opposite the one receiving the scratching. Now, she kneels down slowly and then eases over onto the side opposite the scratching. Presumably such behavior is to avoid crushing her pigs.

I feel like Marlin's wife in Finding Nemo: "Just think! In a few days we're going to be parents!"

[pa_friendly_guy]

I am so excited George. I have been watching with Great Interest as you have gone from research, to acquisition, to getting the Boar, to breeding , to parent hood. It has been a process that I have enjoyed a lot. You description of the process is always enjoyable. Keep us all posted on how things go. I am so excited, I'm going to be an Uncle,

[George Collins]

A couple weeks ago a friend was in town for a visit and he helped me build a farrowing house. Because if our warm weather, I thought a roof would be all she would need. Towards that end, I affixed a 4' x 8' roof into some very stout uprights and thought is would suffice. However, we got an inch of rain last night and when I went to check on her this morning, the bottom of her little house was an absolute mud puddle.

Then the vision of lifeless little Berky Bodies floating in water hit me and I've been a nervous wreck ever since. I couldn't stand it so like that proverbial long tailed cat in a room full of Dobermans, I have gone back to the drawing board and called up a friend and pleaded, "What should I do? I just know I'm about to kill ever pig in this litter!"

He slapped me out of my hysteria and told me to build a tarp covered hoop house out of cattle panels. What's more, because I'm injured at the moment, he has offered to come help me this Saturday. Here is the basic plan:



Which I found here:

I think we may frame it up a bit differently to make it portable but this is the general idea of what we will be doing.

Additionally, my wife wants to be able to look out the window and see the wee little cuties, so she suggested we out them right outside our kitchen window for a few weeks. It was like, "I don't like the idea of her having them pigs where we can't keep an eye on them. Why don't you move her over here and put her right outside the kitchen window?"

"OK! You talked me in to it!"

Guy, it really has been a lot of fun. I'm thankful there is a forum that has a membership large enough to provide conversation yet small enough that we can basically blog about our farms. This forum helps me hold myself accountable. Once I say that I'm goin to do something here, I feel more compelled to follow through. So thank you for the encouragement. I often forget to acknowledge the encouragement of others in my excitement to put a new post up. Please forgive that oversight.

[George Collins]

A very pregnant Linda:



Checking out the maternity ward:



The calendar says she is five days out.

[pa_friendly_guy]

Nice shelter, she seems to like it OK. Keep us all posted, we are waiting on pins and needles.

[mannytheseacow]

She's looking fat and sassy, George. That's a nice looking momma you got there. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I have to admit, I'm somewhat envious. When I bought my girls this spring I had the intention of breeding them. I don't think I want to deal with feeding them all through the winter now, though, so I'm going to butcher them next month, or maybe early October. I think they're too nice 'a hogs to not be mommas, but in the freezer they're gonna go. With you in spirit, though, and wish you good luck!

[pa_friendly_guy]

Manny I understand your feelings. Having said that I think that Georgas's plan is Far superior. Taking both of your Girls to the slather house seems a bit extreme. If you must OK , but having some breading stock seems right to me. Why not take one to the slighter house and keep one for breading stock? It won't be THAT hard to feed her this winter. Next year you will be ready to go, As an out sider with no Dog in the Fight its just my opinion.

[mannytheseacow]

I agree, Guy. George's plan is super! I've thought about your idea of offing one and keeping the other, but pigs are social critters and I wouldn't feel right about having just one all alone through the lonely Illinois' winters.

Tell you the truth, I'm not much of one for keeping animals at all. I've mostly hunted my food most of my life. I like the idea that they run free and feed off the land and it's only through my luck and skill that I harvest one. Having said that, I love pork. It's the best meat, in my opinion. Until we get feral hogs up here I'm gonna feed a couple out every year. As for rabbits, I love rabbit, too, but there just aren't many around here lately. The population of wild rabbits goes up and down (tends to parallel the coyote and bobcat) and right now we're down so I'm raising rabbits, too. And chickens... and fish.... (more on that tomorrow)....

What a tangled web we weave!

[George Collins]

Today I was out visiting with Linda who is still wallowing in pregnant-in-August misery, when I noticed something new: baby piggies moving around in her tummy.

As yet though, I have not yet been able to express milk from her. According to "the book" this means she is still a couple days out at a minimum. I've also read recently that Berkshires tend to go longer than the average 114-day gestation period. That's supposedly a good thing for the vigor of the pigs but it's a bad thing if one is anxiously awaiting the birth of their first litter of pigs.

If she could talk, I'm sure she would agree with me that it's time to have a "pig out!"

[George Collins]

Today, Linda had what we believe to be her first full-on contraction at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Piglets due shortly!(?)