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Feeding alfalfa pellets to pigs

04.23.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 15 Comments

In modern agriculture, pigs are fed a diet of mainly grains, but heritage pigs love grass, and our American Guinea Hogs are no exception. In winter, we used to feed them hay, but they wasted it terribly! If you think goats are wasteful, try pigs! You can't use a hay feeder with pigs. You have to put it on the ground because their mouths are below their snouts, and they leave … [Read more...]

Categories // pigs

Hog Fencing

03.15.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 3 Comments

hog fencing

Although many people say that goats are the most challenging animals to keep fenced in, I find pigs much more challenging. It only took us a couple of years to figure out how to keep goats in their pastures. However, we’ve had pigs now for thirteen years, and we still have problems with them escaping. They are ridiculously smart and seem to continuously come up with new ways to … [Read more...]

Categories // Homegrown and Handmade excerpt, pigs Tags // fence, hogs

Heat Lamps, Safety, and Livestock

01.15.2018 by thriftyhomesteader // 152 Comments

heat lamp safety

Every winter I see articles like this about a barn fire or other structure that burns down because of a heat lamp. In fact, we almost had two fires here because of heat lamps. Yeah, not just one, but two! Many years ago we had a heat lamp hanging on a nail, and the goats knocked it down. That was definitely a rookie mistake made by someone who had no clue how curious goats … [Read more...]

Categories // chickens, goats, pigs, sheep

Tips for Protecting Your Livestock from Predators

12.18.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 6 Comments

protecting livestock

One of the biggest challenges for anyone raising livestock is preventing predator attacks. This is true whether you have 300 head of sheep in Wyoming or 3 hens in Chicago. Predators are not simply big scary animals like lions and tigers and bears. They can also be your neighbor's dog or cat. All carnivores have an instinct to kill animals. I'll never forget how surprised I … [Read more...]

Categories // alpacas, camelids, chickens, dogs, donkeys, ducks, goats, llamas, peafowl, pigs, poultry, sheep

Livestock Handling to Reduce Stress and Keep You Safe

11.16.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 12 Comments

If you've ever wished you could read your animal's minds, then Temple Grandin is the person who can get you closer to that goal. Before reading her books, I never thought about how being a prey animal affects the personality of livestock. Imagine how nervous you would be if you knew intuitively that you could literally be someone's lunch. Understanding that one fact has helped … [Read more...]

Categories // cows, goats, I wish I'd known, pigs, sheep

Want to go pro as a sustainable farmer? Meet Joel Salatin

09.28.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // Leave a Comment

Joel Salatin

When people think about sustainable or organic agriculture, many simply think that we are trying to replicate what our grandparents or great grandparents did. In fact, I remember visiting an organic farm years ago whose motto was "Grandpa knew best," and at the time I heartily agreed. I also hear conventional farmers say things like, "Why would we want to go backwards when we … [Read more...]

Categories // books, cattle, chickens, pigs

Feeding alfalfa pellets to goats

09.11.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 149 Comments

alfalfa pellets

We started using alfalfa pellets years ago when we had goats that could finish all their grain faster than we could milk them. If goats get too much grain, they'll get diarrhea and a host of other health problems. And some goats are grain hogs. They don't chew. Not kidding here. They just slurp up the grain like a five-year-old eating ice cream. Of course, goats are going to … [Read more...]

Categories // goats, pigs

Poisonous plants and livestock

07.13.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 14 Comments

poisonous plants livestock

A couple of weeks ago I visited a poisonous plant garden. No, it wasn't at Hogwarts. It was at the University of Illinois. Don't go looking for it. You won't find it. It is hidden away behind the school of veterinary medicine. Since the plants are poisonous, they don't want people taking self-guided tours and potentially poisoning themselves. Our tour was coordinated by The … [Read more...]

Categories // cattle, cows, ducks, livestock health, pigs, sheep

What’s so bad about lard?

07.06.2017 by thriftyhomesteader // 12 Comments

lard

For most of the twentieth century, people believed that lard was indigestible and unhealthy. They mistakenly believed that eating foods that contained cholesterol would raise your cholesterol, which would lead to heart disease. We now know that all the above is incorrect. Lard is actually good for you because it is a monounsaturated fat like olive oil. It contains about 50 … [Read more...]

Categories // Homegrown and Handmade excerpt, pigs

Homegrown Pork: Learn to raise ‘the Einsteins of the farm animal world’

06.26.2017 by Janie Hynson // 14 Comments

As I'm getting started with pigs, I was happy to discover Homegrown Pork: Humane, Healthful Techniques for Raising a Pig for Food by Sue Weaver, and I can't imagine a more comprehensive guide to raising pigs. Not only is the book very well-organized and thorough, but it will certainly endear you to these intelligent and entertaining animals if you're not already. In fact, … [Read more...]

Categories // books, pigs, recipes

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