This coming week we will send a load of pigs to our processor. Winter pigs have been a joy to have on the farm, our pastures are brown and frozen so we have to do more work to ensure they have a diverse diet. They get dried pasture in the form of hay, and they have loved getting all the organic vegetables from our friends at Juniper Hill Farm. Winter has also meant that the pigs are always close by and fun to visit. We check on them often for management reasons, to make sure their water is clean and not frozen, make sure they have enough bedding to stay warm…etc.
Pigs are also social and curious animals, and so they are fun to introduce to friends and visitors. Can you get one to lie down for a belly rub? Lewis and Lovett are particularly fond of the pigs. Chickens are fun and harmless, but when you see 3000+ birds in a season you tend to be less attached to a single bird. Cattle are stoic and inspire that quiet stillness that is a mix of fear and reverence. But pigs can be charmers if you get to know them. Perhaps it is their age (6 and 4), maybe the proximity to the barn and house, but Lewis and Lovett have a much stronger bond with this group of pigs.
We are also thrilled to have a new group of piglets on the farm from School House Farm in East Calais, Vermont. These piglets and their mamas have only been fed Organic Grain and never been treated with any hormones or antibiotics. They are not organic piglets, which we have found are very difficult to find, but they were raised under management practices that we are looking for and from farmer friends (Sam and Brooke) we know and trust. The arrival of new little piglets has, to a certain extent, distracted the young minds from the impending passage of the older generation.
Did you know we can estimate the weight of a pig using some bailing twine and a bit of math. We measure the pigs to confirm they are the size we are looking for: large enough so that the cuts are a good size, and not so large that they have excessive fat. First measure their length and make a knot in the twine, then measure the heart girth just behind the front legs and make a second knot. Multiply the length by the girth and divide by 400 to get the estimated weight in pounds. Ideal weight is about 250 lbs.
With the pigs weighed and ready for processing we will say farewell and look forward to having our full array of pork back in stock. Thank you pigs.
Reber Rock Farm Blog 