starting out with feeder pigs

Poupoulles

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So after some delay, we are picking up our little feeders tomorrow. We built them a moveable house and they will till up the veg garden, get to root, and eat all the weeds, leftover produce etc...
I built a three sided hoop house using pallets, hog panels and a stury tarp. Its tall enough for me to stand up in!! Should I maybe set them up in a dog kennel while they are small? Their pen is the 16x16 hog panel box that will get moved as needed until they have dug up the whole garden.

The "pig palace" we built was kind of with two market sized pigs in mind. The two little guys we are getting tomorrow will be about lost in there! Do I need to confine them to their house for a few days? Should I give them extra deep bedding?
How do I transition them to their new home?
 

freemotion

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You'll be wanting to wire that palace up with some hot-hot-hot electric wire....trust me.

It is still warm enough, they'll be fine. You can put some straw in one corner and they will snuggle into it and with each other if it gets chilly at night.

Not that I am a pig expert or anything, but with pigs, you learn FAST...in self defense! :p
 

Royd Wood

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They will be fine as Freemotion says with some straw.
We put in some fenceing stakes with 2 low level electric wires to retain our large black piglets in away from other animals and it works fine after a few painful zaps. Ours were 14 weeks old when we got them and they seem to be doing well grazing with fruit and veg scraps thrown in.
Have a great day with your new pigs and let us know how it works out.
 

ohiofarmgirl

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how to transition? pick em up... drop 'em in.
;-)

re:
Should I maybe set them up in a dog kennel while they are small?

nope. more than likely they will demolish it (ours did - they never got in it they just beat the tar out of it). they really dont need much in terms of shelter especially in the summer.

we give lots of straw so they have a clean place if they want it but... *looks out at pigs *... they generally just like to hang out in the dirt and mud.

we had very small feeders last year with no problem. they will pick a stop to sleep in and a spot (probably not the one you want) where they will poop...and you just need to put their food NOT in either of those
;-)

umm... so... has anyone told you that they will scream like murder victims when you carry them over to the pen? dont flinch - just keep walking and prepared to be covered in pig mud/poo/dirt/whatever. anyway you'll have to change your shirt for sure. wear gloves.

as free said... give a good think on electric fencing.. its worth it. dont underestimate their ability to get out. while they are little its funny.. when they get bigger it isnt. ask Free. or read about my recent pig-fencing-nightmare over on SS here...starts at post 1960
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3739&p=196

post pix when you can!

great work!
 

Poupoulles

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Here they are!! Beavis and Butthead! Beavis has a nice belt but Butthead is offbelt (doesnt matter since we are taking both to the butcher)
11ui7is.jpg

2v8lv1c.jpg
 

ohiofarmgirl

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great work!

looks like you have a nice place set up for them
:)
 

freemotion

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Except it still needs that electric wire on the inside! Don't make me say "I told you so" later! :lol:
 

Royd Wood

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Super guys you got there - must put a photo of ours on here.
Look at all that lush grass you have and I'm sure they will be pigs in sh-- in no time :lol: :lol: :lol:
Enjoy them
 

Poupoulles

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They wont sleep in the magnificent pig palace I sweated and bled to build them. Will they know to go in it when it rains, or gets cold? Do I need to keep them in there for a few days? Really annoying!
 

freemotion

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Don't worry about it. Mine sleep outside when the weather is nice. Nice to them, that is! As long as they are in the shade, mine rarely go in their house in the daytime. There is a mound of dirt in their pen, a big hill of all the stumps and roots that were piled up to rot a few years ago when we had the land cleared for pasture. We are hoping they will take that mound down, and they are working on it!
 
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