One thing you forgot is a pig is great for building new pasture. We recently got 2 heirloom breed sows that were using to till the soil. We ran our goats through 2 years in a row and are now running the pigs through to get all the briers, wisteria, and smaller samplings turned out. We should have better pasture by the end of next year where we can rotational graze our goats!
Another good one! We learned a lot of this over the last couple years…the overwhelming parts, and so when we get back into it next spring, we will be using your method of rotation and timing of harvest.
Brilliant, PaMac! I'm so glad you figured out how to free roam your pigs so your feed bill is pretty small. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms uses his pigs and other livestock to fertilize his many acres before planting. His are free roaming in designated areas. Don't know if he uses electric wire, but I've heard pretty sad stories of how difficult it is to keep in pigs. Yours is the full-proof solution.
Good morning Pa Mac, This was a great lesson about Hog Raising and Butchering as needed. Really enjoyed this one and will be returning to watch it more times. Stay safe and keep up the great works and videos. Fred.
Looking at the feeder in the background at one point in this video makes me want to ask you about old styles of feeders and waterers. I'd love to see an overview video of different types of old-fashioned and other DIY feeders and waterers for different livestock.
So happy to see you made one of the "older style" videos! Not that I don't love you telling us about your tools and all. I know there's probably not enough time, but what do you think about making a "Pa Mac Christmas Special?"
Hey Trainshedhobbies! An FHC Christmas special has been in the works for about 3 years now. Won't be ready by this Christmas, but I'm hopin' to wrap it up by next year. Thanks so much for askin'!
Great video as always! I've loved your channel for a while and really enjoy the way you tell a story. Imagine my surprise when I saw your diagram of my pig set-up ... complete with what looks like American Guinea Hogs!
This video is going to really help me. We have AGH and I made the mistake of buying 2 sows and one boar and assumed I wouldn't have too much trouble selling off the majority of the piglets. Well, here we are with one batch of piglets 9 weeks old and another one 7 weeks old and no piglets are sold or spoken for. That leaves us with 12 piglets to figure out what to do with. My plan was all along to process one of the sows in the fall but I wasn't planning on processing this many pigs throughout the summer. Any particular way you process the younger ones?
You've just described the problem perfectly. The general "pig buying" public around here didn't seem to want to have anything to do with American guinea hogs either (either because they thought they were potbellied pigs or knew they grew slower; not sure). Email me through my website and I can give you more details on processing the pigs as they grow.
I thoroughly enjoy raising pigs.. They do a great job disturbing my forested areas. Pigs are extremely intelligent and if given unlimited feed, they will not do much grazing on the ground and will stay close to their feed supply. If you let them acquire hunger and not overfeed, they will do a much better job eating off the land.
I enjoy the simple approach to your video and the blue grass music accompaniment. They are pleasant to watch and listen to. However, I am a multi-tasker and do a lot of hand work while learning what creative people are doing out there. Could you please add a narrator so that I can look down once in a while and not miss any of the riveting text? Please? I'll subscribe if you do. 😃
Hey Deborah! I have, from time to time, hauled large ones off to the slaughterhouse down the road during the middle of summer, but we do 'em all at home now. I butcher the little ones usually by myself (unless a son in law is around), but the big ones are a family affair that lasts about 3 days.
@@farmhandscompanion We usually sent them away to be slaughtered, but sometimes we packaged them at home when I was young. Mostly, we had the slaughter house do it all. We did smoke the hams ourselves most of the time. Grandmother liked to package the sausage herself because she had her own recipe for what went in it. We would taste test it for her as she made a batch…. Mmmmm good times!❤️🐝🤗
Thank you the reply! I am looking forward to it. Watching the hog video with Christmas around the corner just made me hungry😅 Thanks for all of the great videos! Very helpful for those of us trying to figure out how our grandparents or great-grandparents did things.
For the homesteader who's in it for the long haul they can plant fruit and nut trees, and if you have wetlands cat- tails make a good seasonal treat. Is there a tradition in the South of raising free range doves? Build a dove cote and plant some sunflowers and other seed crops then you would have a continual supply of squab (young doves before a flight with tender red meat). I love the idea of animals who feed themselves, once you've created a productive fodder forest and related infrastructure.
Sir: you have a nice channel, but why-oh!--why you didn't voice over narrate, but chose to put captions in makes me wonder why this is so. Thank you very much for your efforts otherwise.
I'd've loved to, but it would've made a 14 minute video 2 HOURS and 14 minutes. Only me and you probably would've kept watchin'...and maybe just you. Maybe.
One thing you forgot is a pig is great for building new pasture. We recently got 2 heirloom breed sows that were using to till the soil. We ran our goats through 2 years in a row and are now running the pigs through to get all the briers, wisteria, and smaller samplings turned out. We should have better pasture by the end of next year where we can rotational graze our goats!
Necessity is the mother of invention!
Great teacher just keeps putting great content out there. Best channel on RUclips! Still the man!
I appreciate you, Mark. I hope yall have a wonderful Christmas.
Another good one! We learned a lot of this over the last couple years…the overwhelming parts, and so when we get back into it next spring, we will be using your method of rotation and timing of harvest.
Really appreciate the time and skill that go into these videos. They are very helpful.
I hope Pete from Just A Few Acres Farm RUclips channel sees this. I think he would enjoy watching as much as I did. Thanks
What a great video. Thanks for doing something you love and presenting it so well.
You are a count of knowledge! Wise stuff right there.
im draggin my feet on getting hogs and this is helpin nudge me in the right direction! Thanks!!
Brilliant, PaMac! I'm so glad you figured out how to free roam your pigs so your feed bill is pretty small. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms uses his pigs and other livestock to fertilize his many acres before planting. His are free roaming in designated areas. Don't know if he uses electric wire, but I've heard pretty sad stories of how difficult it is to keep in pigs. Yours is the full-proof solution.
Pa Mac provides the most valuable information out there.
Thank you.
I see a good supply of oak tree's where the pigs are being kept they must love those acorns .
Good morning Pa Mac, This was a great lesson about Hog Raising and Butchering as needed. Really enjoyed this one and will be returning to watch it more times. Stay safe and keep up the great works and videos. Fred.
Brilliant plan and entertaining as always. Haven't raised hogs in a few years but I have always enjoyed having some on the farm
This is brilliant. Some numbers would be nice. Fantastic channel. Keep doing this.
I do look forward to your videos
Love all your content. So very interesting.
Looking at the feeder in the background at one point in this video makes me want to ask you about old styles of feeders and waterers. I'd love to see an overview video of different types of old-fashioned and other DIY feeders and waterers for different livestock.
Hey Patrick, sounds like a good question for a future Q & A show. I'm on it!
So happy to see you made one of the "older style" videos! Not that I don't love you telling us about your tools and all. I know there's probably not enough time, but what do you think about making a "Pa Mac Christmas Special?"
Hey Trainshedhobbies!
An FHC Christmas special has been in the works for about 3 years now. Won't be ready by this Christmas, but I'm hopin' to wrap it up by next year. Thanks so much for askin'!
Love the art
Another great one, thank you for making these!
Love your videos! I’ve been rethinking how to do pigs and I ll look into this
TY
Great video as always! I've loved your channel for a while and really enjoy the way you tell a story. Imagine my surprise when I saw your diagram of my pig set-up ... complete with what looks like American Guinea Hogs!
This video is going to really help me. We have AGH and I made the mistake of buying 2 sows and one boar and assumed I wouldn't have too much trouble selling off the majority of the piglets. Well, here we are with one batch of piglets 9 weeks old and another one 7 weeks old and no piglets are sold or spoken for. That leaves us with 12 piglets to figure out what to do with. My plan was all along to process one of the sows in the fall but I wasn't planning on processing this many pigs throughout the summer. Any particular way you process the younger ones?
You've just described the problem perfectly. The general "pig buying" public around here didn't seem to want to have anything to do with American guinea hogs either (either because they thought they were potbellied pigs or knew they grew slower; not sure). Email me through my website and I can give you more details on processing the pigs as they grow.
I thoroughly enjoy raising pigs.. They do a great job disturbing my forested areas. Pigs are extremely intelligent and if given unlimited feed, they will not do much grazing on the ground and will stay close to their feed supply. If you let them acquire hunger and not overfeed, they will do a much better job eating off the land.
Now I know what to do with the old CPVC lying arounf😃😃😃
Awesome video! When moving hogs to a new section, what structure do they stay in protected at night (coyotes, black bears, etc)?
Up till now, I haven't had problems with coyotes or black bears.
I enjoy the simple approach to your video and the blue grass music accompaniment. They are pleasant to watch and listen to. However, I am a multi-tasker and do a lot of hand work while learning what creative people are doing out there. Could you please add a narrator so that I can look down once in a while and not miss any of the riveting text? Please? I'll subscribe if you do. 😃
Ive heard of ppl feeding the unwanted pigs to the pigs they want to keep.
That looks like a solid plan Pa Mac. You have meat year around that way. Do you butcher and package it yourself or send it off?❤️🐝🤗
Hey Deborah!
I have, from time to time, hauled large ones off to the slaughterhouse down the road during the middle of summer, but we do 'em all at home now. I butcher the little ones usually by myself (unless a son in law is around), but the big ones are a family affair that lasts about 3 days.
@@farmhandscompanion We usually sent them away to be slaughtered, but sometimes we packaged them at home when I was young. Mostly, we had the slaughter house do it all. We did smoke the hams ourselves most of the time. Grandmother liked to package the sausage herself because she had her own recipe for what went in it. We would taste test it for her as she made a batch…. Mmmmm good times!❤️🐝🤗
@farmhandscompanion Is there any chance you could do a video on smokehouses/how to use them?
You bet, Jay. It's an involved topic, though and will be a while in the makin'.
Thank you the reply! I am looking forward to it. Watching the hog video with Christmas around the corner just made me hungry😅
Thanks for all of the great videos! Very helpful for those of us trying to figure out how our grandparents or great-grandparents did things.
For the homesteader who's in it for the long haul they can plant fruit and nut trees, and if you have wetlands cat- tails make a good seasonal treat.
Is there a tradition in the South of raising free range doves? Build a dove cote and plant some sunflowers and other seed crops then you would have a continual supply of squab (young doves before a flight with tender red meat).
I love the idea of animals who feed themselves, once you've created a productive fodder forest and related infrastructure.
How many acres are you on?
Do you keep a boar for breeding?
yes, George. Thanks for watchin'
Bacon
Sir: you have a nice channel, but why-oh!--why you didn't voice over narrate, but chose to put captions in makes me wonder why this is so. Thank you very much for your efforts otherwise.
Pa Mac, I thought you were gonna show us a processing of a hawg. 🐖🫘🌽🍞🤤😋
I'd've loved to, but it would've made a 14 minute video 2 HOURS and 14 minutes. Only me and you probably would've kept watchin'...and maybe just you. Maybe.
@@farmhandscompanion 😂😂😂