Pig Update

When I was a small child I asked my father one day, "Dad, can I have a pig?"  

He questioned, "Son, you can barely wake up in time to get ready for school, how would you ever be able to wake up early enough to take care of the pig before school?"

To which I retorted, "I don't wake up early because I don't have a pig."

The logic was simple enough for me, but needless to say, I never got my pig.  Well Dad, I've got more pigs than I ever dreamed and I am able to wake up early to care for them.  If you haven't ever experienced caring for a pig, I highly recommend getting one (or 10) and find the joy I have in them.  Here on Polyface I have become the "Pigboy" (much like a cowboy... no horse).

Anyway, here is a little update on the pigs and Lunch Box, the lead pig.

Currently on the farm we have ~155 pigs.  They range in size from 30 lbs to 300 lbs and are mostly out on pasture or in the woods (save for the little new pigs and the "about-to-be-butchered" pigs).  We run males and females together (males are castrated) and keep them in bunches of 15-50.  

Pigs in the Beaver Pond Pasture.  Notice the grazing?

Polyface is doing something this year that is Brand new with the pig enterprise.  We have put 100 pigs on actual pasture.  I say "actual pasture" because it isn't grass in the woods like the beaver pond pigs above, but rather grass in an open field that, until this summer, was grazed by the cattle.  We have two herds of 50 on 1/2 acre paddocks and we move them about once every 5-10 days.  Movement depends on the age of the pig and amount of feed consumption.  They have all-you-can-eat access to the normal Polyface pig ration (Corn, Soy beans, Oats, Diatomaceous Earth, and Fertril Nutri-Balancers swine mix) and large quantities of lush, tall, jungle-like pasture.  The clover is thick the fescue is tall and the alfalfa is blooming.  When we move them they don't head to the newly filled feeder.  Instead the put their heads to the ground like cattle and graze their way to the feeder.  It's UNREAL and BREATHTAKING.  Probably should be on the 1000 things to see before you die... maybe.

Pasture difference on day of move.  WOW.  Fencing is only a single strand of 12 1/2 gauge  Aluminum electric fence.

Same pasture after a few days.

Lunch Box is part of one of these 2 herds on pasture.  We put her with the newest/smallest pigs to act as a mother with good habits.  When I enter their pasture I usually began calling for her.  In no time she finds me for a good rub down and scratch.  Then something unbelievable happens.  Once I start scratching her, all the other little pigs lose their fear for me and allow me to pet them.  Its unreal.  The day I turned them in with her they had a huge flight zone, but now they aren't afraid and usually like to nibble on my feet.  Displacement in pigs has risen to the top on my list of desired qualities.

By the way...

Pork is the most consumed meat in the world.  Believe it or not.

Here is a link to a video Nightline did with Joel and Steve Ellis (founder of Chipotle).

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7857921

Enjoy!!

New Photos From David Schafer

So I finally have a little breathing time to get some photos up on the Blog.  I hope you enjoy!!

Andrew and I going to look at the pigs.

Andrew also doubles as a dumbbell.

He was holding onto a stick... the stick broke.

Here is a shot of the electric fence in the pig pasture.  We actually have pigs on pasture (not just woods).

Here is the shade-mobile we use with the pigs on pasture.

More pigs on pasture... you can see in the background the wooden gates we use between paddocks.  We tried electric gates but the pigs didn't want to cross the ground where the gates were after we had opened it.

BUSY TIME

Sorry I haven't been keeping you all up to date on Polyface.  I have several photos in my camera... where ever it has been lain down... and when I find it I will post them.

Here are a few updates:

We are butchering birds!!!  Today we butchered 700 broilers.  I usually gut birds but not today.  Today I did the killing.  I never thought I could say that I killed 700 animals in one day, but now I can.  Emotionally it doesn't bother me.  Maybe if I get some time I'll write an essay about why it doesn't.

Lunch Box is making a great lead pig and has endeared herself the the farm.

We have lots of pig on pasture... so actually on grass at a rental farm.  They love it and graze like you wouldn't believe.

My parents are coming to see me this weekend for my birthday on Sunday!!!

I'll try and update soon...

USA Today Article

An article on Polyface ran yesterday in USA Today for Earth Day and I wanted to share it with everyone.  Great article about us and I even got a quote in.  There is a Video on the same page that is pretty rockin' (I'm in it briefly watering the field shelters, but no talking... I'll leave that to the pros.)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-04-21-polyface-farms_N.htm

Enjoy!!

Broilers are IN THE FIELD!!!

Hello chicky...

Three weeks ago we received our first set of broiler chicks (cornish cross).  On Wednesday of this week they all went to the field.  The season is here and there is no turning back!!

All-in-all we put 2,945 broilers in field shelters.  I was very surprised how big they were at 3 weeks old.  The difference between cornish cross and Rhode Island Red chicks is incredible.  At 3 weeks of age the Reds were half the size of the cornish cross.  I guess that is why we eat cornish crosses and not Reds.  Joel calls them "High Octane race car birds," thats why we feed them "High Octane Fuel."

Here are some pics of the first batch of broilers in our brooder.  I'll try and get out to the field and get some pics of them in the field shelters.

Here I am... chick in hand... goofy smile on face...

Daniel on Left... Matt on right...  They were dunking the beaks of the new chicks.  Sometimes when they come in they are a little groggy and dipping their beaks helps bring them out of it.

 

This is one of 6 propane hovers that warm the chicks.

Here is one of the 1 gallon waters we use for the first few days.  I forgot to photograph the main watering system which is a tube with water nipples.  They use the nipple most of the time.

We feed 2 ways for the first week.  One way is in this tray that they climb into.

The other way is via trough.  As you can see they prefer the tray for now.  Soon they will be bellied up to the troughs filling their crops.

Five weeks from Wednesday we will be butchering.  If you are interested in ordering fresh chickens for pick-up on farm, check out the website and give us a call.  

Pasturing Pigs

Yorkshire on the move.

Now that spring is here and summer short to follow, my mind buzzes about pigs on pasture.  One of my newer duties here on the farm is to look after all the pigs... all 191 of them (this number is of course always changing).  For the most part we are currently on hold for turning pigs out on pasture.  Many of the hogs are currently pig-aerating and many of the young pigs are living in the barn and hoop-houses.  These groups are on deck and warming up, waiting for the the grass to get a head of steam before they're put to the plate and allowed to swing for the fence.  All the groups are waiting... all but one.

The Pine Glen Group

February 20th we took a group of 38 pigs out to a brand new pine glen.  I call it a pine glen instead of Joel's term "acorn glen" because this particular glen has very few oaks and lots of pines, so by overwhelming majority it becomes a pine glen.  Anyway... I have been keeping track of feed consumption since the 20th and I want to share with you what I have found.  Get excited... I know I am.

I want to compare with you two groups of pigs.  One group, which we shall call the "West" group is composed of 20 pigs and has been keep in the barn all winter.  They arrived in the fall and we're too small to go to pasture, then winter came and we brought all the pigs down, so...  The other group, which we shall call the "Pine Glen" group, is 38 strong, arrived in the fall also, were to small to put out to pasture, winter came, same story... until February 20th when they went to the new pine glen.

Except for the differences in living space, the groups have been treated almost the same.  Both have a waterer that allows free access to as much water as each pig wants, 24/7.  Both have a self-feeder that allows free access to as much of the pig feed ration as each pig wants, 24/7.  I give the West group about a bale of hay (small square) a day for eating and bedding, but I give no such amenity to the Pine Glen group.   

I went back to my data of feed and began counting how many days it took each group to empty a one ton pig feeder.  It took BOTH groups the SAME amount of time to finish the SAME amount of feed even though the Pine Glen group has TWICE as many pigs as the West Group!!!

Moral of the story...

Pigs are able to find at least half of their food when they are allowed to forage.  Even though the Pine Glen group had free access to the feeder, just like the West group, they chose to root up food, graze, scavenge, and forage for at least half their diet!!  This isn't really scientific data, but it is definitely eye opening data to say the least. 

When we let livestock express themselves fully, they thrive.  Pigs have a God given talent (or naturally selected variation for those evolutionists out there) for foraging and the moment we allow them to express it, they impress us.  

 

Doesn't look like there is much to eat... but then again I'm not a pig.

Another Good Question...

Sorry its been so long... the farm is getting busier by the day and we have started working a little after supper, so my time at the computer is getting more and more limited.  Here is the blog I promised Kim.

The other day Kim commented on my post about raw milk.  In that comment she asked what seems to be a common question among visitors here at the farm.  Here is her comment:

I have been looking for a source of raw milk to make butter, cheese etc. Many of the farmers around here do not sell it. At polyface to they grain anything? Are the chickens, pigs, cows exclusively on pasture?  -Kim

MILK

As for not finding and source of raw milk thats too bad.  I would wager a bet that the reason why many of the farmers around you do not sell it is because it is highly illegal in most states.  Kim may already know this but the government has decided to protect you from the life giving, nutrient rich, immune boosting, great tasting, super safe, local, unpasteurized, unhomogenized, drink of God, RAW MILK.  Thats right, you can go to jail, they can seize your product and equipment, and they can shut you down from making food for your wonderful and knowledgeable customers.  In some states its actually illegal to press a glass of raw milk to your lips and drink it, let alone sell it. 

Anyway...

To address the grain question...

Here on Polyface, the philosophy is to allow animals to express themselves to the fullest.  We look at what an animal is designed to do and go from there.  Here is a breakdown of that thought process for cattle, pigs, and chickens.

Cattle

Cattle are herbivores and ruminants.  They are designed to eat plant material (mostly grasses) and with the help of millions of microorganisms break it down into digestible materials.  They are not designed to eat massive quantities of corn (or any grain for that matter) or meat products or chicken manure (yes that's what I said and some people feed it to cattle).  They may get the occasional mouthful of a seed head, but not lbs and lbs of grain.  (If you are interested in why its bad for cattle to eat grain, ask and I'll blog and link about it.)  So here on Polyface, our cattle are grazed exclusively on pasture.  

Pigs and Chickens

Pigs and Chickens are omnivores just like you and I.  They were designed to eat all types of food: plant and animal.  Most people think of grain when the question "What do pigs and chickens eat?" pops into their head.  Unfortunately this is not the right train of thought.  They eat so much more than just grains.  If you are one of these people, next time you should think "They eat: grain, grass (and other plants), roots, bugs, flesh (scavenged or killed), nuts, and anything else you may eat.  So here on Polyface we allow these animals to collects what they need from the pasture and then supplement them with a grain based ration.