Homemade Pig Shelter

I have never been much of a builder. Most of my contraptions turn into disasters. But with the cold weather that is now beginning her in the mountains of East Tennessee, my pigs needed my lack of building skills to be set aside in the name of warmth!  

So today, with scrap lumber in hand as well as a $7 piece of plywood I purchased, I built a pig house. 

I drove 4 t-posts in the ground in a slanted position then took an old piece of plywood and my new piece and used some old wire I had to tie them in position. Then with some other scrap plywood, I made a roof. Then with a pallet, I formed the back wall and put boards inside of it to give some wind break. I am going to get a piece of tin to put on the top to make all the plywood last longer but this works for now. 

I won't be constructing mansions anytime soon but I am proud of how this turned out!

Future Plans

A lot of people have been asking me what I am going to do when all of this land is cleared and to be honest, I am still more focused on the next hurdles than I am the finished product.  Before I can do much of anything, all of the burn piles will have to be burned and leveled out, and then there is going to have to be a whiole bunch of fencing done on the place too. I am planning to do a 5ft woven wire with 2 strands of barbed wire on top of it for all of me perimeter fencing. My cross fencing will be just barbed wire. Having houses all around me, I really wanted a strong perimeter.  

Once all of those things are done, I do have beef cattle in the plans to accompany my 2 dairy cows. Also egg and meat chickens will be a goal as well.  

Here are a few pictures of some of the latest clearing work   

More Clearing

The guy showed up yesterday morning at daylight to run the dozier. He was getting quite a bit done until around 11:00, he ran into a problem!

Well, ended up he calls another guy to come out and help pull him out. He brings up a smaller dozier, and know we have double the power!  The both worked until 4:00 or so and got a LOT done. 

Here are a few pictures of the work from yesterday. 

Around the Farm

Here are a few fall pictures of life around here lately.

Here is Jehu and Alex- best of friends.  

The pigs all lined up for supper. 

They love drinking straight from the hose!

Pretty soon a bulldozer will take care of all this over-growth. I can't wait!

Milk Still Available

I am still accepting buyers for milk shares on Rachel. The cost is a one time of $50 and then $40 a month for a gallon a week of some of the best milk you will ever taste!  

Jersey Cow milk is higher in butter fat and you can make everything from yougurt, butter, cottage cheese, ice cream, and more. It's the milk your grandmother use to drink and it is delicious. You won't ever want to drink the plastic-tasting, store-bought milk again!

I take sanitation very seriously and the milk is stored in sterilized glass jars to ensure the best flavor. The cow, Rachel, is giving around 2 gallons a day and she eats a combination of grass, high quality hay, and a little high protein feed with sweet feed. 

So if you haven't considere Fresh Milk, give it a try. You won't regret it!

Here is milk just minutes from the cow. The milk you get each day will be from the previous days milking or from that morning to ensure freshness. 

And here is a gallon of the white gold. Glass container storage and quick chilling are both essential to good taste. 

Let the Clearing Begin

The Bulldozer has arrived and already begun to clear out some of this farm. When I bought this 13 acres, a large part of it had not been worked for probably 15 or 20 years. So, you can imagine the growth that has occurred during this time. I have bush-hogged as much as I could, but it is time for the heavy equipment to step in. 

Here is the Catepillar that will be taking care of things. 

After speaking with all my neighbors and establishing what everyone believes is the boundary lines, I have given the operator an idea of where to clear. 

Here is some of his work so far. I am excited to see the final results!

Milking Woes and Triumphs

A little over a week ago, milk supply from Rachel had been on a steady decline.  I had been getting around 1.5 gallons per day with her calf still on her and that was pretty good I thought.  But then, Baby Calf began drinking MUCH more than she had been and for 2 days there was NO milk for me!  Well, I was concerned.  I read some on this, I had a LONG talk with Rachel about it and FINALLY I decided it was time to take the Calf off of Momma.  Well, of course, momma didnt like that so much.  I opted to put the calf in a large dog pen and move it close to her momma. They can touch noses and talk to each other, she just can't drink. Now, milk production has never been better. I am getting a little over 2 gallons a day- one gallon goes to the calf and one for me. So, crisis averted!

Here she is drinking up that good milk!

And here is the good stuff on display!  

Milk Shares Available!

The lovely Mrs. Rachel the Jersey Cow had her calf two weeks ago and the milk is coming in strong!

Being her first calf, she has had to learn how to be milked and she is doing great at understanding the whole process. We have had manly LONG talks about the need to stand still, the need to keep her right let back, and most importantly the absolute necessity to NEVER kick!  I will admit, there were times that I thought neither of us would ever see the Promised Land of organized milking but we have made some great break-throughs in the last few days. 

Here is Mrs. Rachel. 

And here is her beautiful heifer calf enjoying the shade of the trunk of a Maple Tree.

In Tennessee, the law says that you must buy a share of the cow in order to get raw milk. I will sell you a share for $50 and that buys you in. Then, you pay a monthly fee of $40 for the care, feeding, milkiing, and upkeep of the cow. That entitles you to 1 gallon of fresh milk every week. If you want more than one gallon, then you can buy more shares. 

Let me know if you are interested and I can send you the contract to let you check it out and/ or answer any other questions you may have. Thanks!

The Ladies are Here!

Early yesterday morning, I loaded up in the truck and with a rented trailer behind me, I headed for West Tennessee. On the way, I picked up my parents in Lebanon and after 5 hours of driving, we ended up in Selmer, TN. Selmer is close to Memphis and only 20 minutes from Mississippi. Quite the haul!  There I met up with a guy that I had been corresponding with for about a week. His father had passed away last month and he was helping sell a lot of the farm animals and equipment for his mother. 

Included in those animals was these 2 beauties. 

They are Jersey cows. The Jersey breed is know for some of the best milk out there.  Later this week I will start selling shares of these cows in order to supply fresh, delicious milk for the folks around here. So stay tuned!

Two Down- 4 to Go

Had a couple and their daughters come up this weekend to buy two of the pink piglets. They were very excited to get the little guys! They actually drove nearly 4 hours to get these pigs!  I hope they enjoy them. 

Here is a picture of the piglets first time in the barn. 

Eating on their own

Here are the little guys in their own feed zone. 

Growing Up!

These little guys and girls are 18 days old and are starting to be interested in the food their momma is eating!  Today I sectioned off a square of electric fence that is just high enough for the little guys to get under but to keep the big pigs out so that they can start eating their own food. Combined with an all you can eat buffet of grass, roots, vines, and insects the piglets will be receiving a high protein food that will help them to grow up quick. 

As of now, all 6 are sold. 4 are going to new homes when they are weaned and 2 are going to be fed out to 300lbs here on the farm. 

New Dog!

Here is the big guy- my newest addition to the farm. He is a Great Pyrenees and came from my parents farm in Middle Tennessee. I originally had him locked up in a big dog cage- but he didn't care for it so he broke out. After the third escape, I gave up and he has done great just hanging around the house. He has a powerful bark to him but I don't think he would hurt a fly!  Now I have to get him a few goat companions and he will be set. 

Sunday's Sermon

Sermon for today continues my series in John and it is on the woman at the well. This poor gal was a born loser.  Married 5 times and 5 times her husbands said I don't want/cannot live with you any longer. But Jesus shows up at the right time and the right place and offers her the living water- the cleansing of her soul to bring salvation.

  It is going be a great morning!

The Burn Pile

Back in January when I began renovations on the Farm House I had no idea what I was getting into. Ended up, I did a total "gutting" of the house. From drywall, doors, cabinets, plumbing, electrical-- everything was replaced.  If you don't already know, gutting a house leaves quite a bit of trashed material.  So, I began a burn like. And it grew and grew to the monster that it is today.  That is, until today. Today the burning commenced.  With shovel and hose and the local fire department all close at hand, the burn pile- the evidence of so much work, of so much change- it is ablaze.  

You know- when we come to Christ- that's what happens, isn't it. It may take a while- it may take months or years for all your junk-- all your past and the problems and pain you have brought on yourself through sinful choices- it may take a while for it all to pile up. But when you finally allow The Lord to set it ablaze- when you finally allow Him to cleanse you by fire- by destroying what is snaring you-- then- be ready to see Him to great things in your life!

Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Honey Bees

Back in June, for my birthday present, my father got me and my brother a Nuc (small bee colony) as well as a wooden hive and a bee suit (very important). This begins my first venture into honey. 

The colony has done very well. Last month, I added another level to the hive, called a super. The first two levels of a bee hive are strictly for the bees and their winter storage.  By the end of the nectar flow of 2014, I should have lots of sweet honey to harvest.  I plan to add two more hives next year as well-- as long as the first hive continues to prosper!

Sorghum Press

One the of most important aspects of farming is diversity.  You don't, as the appropriate cliche goes, want to put all your eggs in one basket.  So, in 2014, I plan on raising Sorghum Cane to make Sorghum Molasses next year.  When I bought this farm, one of my first discoveries was in the old barn, a large pole with a metal coupling on it.  Later, I discovered the old Sorghum press in one of the fields.

It is going to take some work to get this machine going but the results are certainly worth it!

The previous owner placed this old wash tub over it.  That certainly helped keep it preserved over these last several years. 

Here is the old fire pit.  I am not sure if I will relocate the press and pit or not.  If I do, I will bring it closer to the house.  I also am currently looking for a reasonably priced stainless steel cooking pan.

Pig Safety 101

If you do not already know, a Mama Pig can be one of the most dangerous animals on a farm.  You touch those babies and they let out that ear-piercing squeal, that Mama Sow is gonna come RUNNING!  And when they have jaws that can crack a walnut, you better believe she can convince you to let that baby go. 
So, in order to safely deal with the babies when it comes to tail clipping and castration, I have built a Sow Corral (patent pending).  This will keep me safe while I am working with the piglets. 

Farm Dog in Progress

Here is Jehu-- named after the most fearsome warrior of the Old Testament.  He is a Blue Heeler and he has not quite made it to the "fearsome" stage just yet.  BUT-- he does love to chew and bite EVERYTHING!

He will make a great farm dog-- someday! 

Frequently Asked Pig Questions

How big are the Pigs before you should have them processed?
As far as weight- most people will aim for around 275-300 for live weight when they are wanting cuts of meat. This would be from a younger pig- younger pigs give you tender meat. Weight is always an estimate. I don't have a scale so it won't be exact. For feeder pigs, I will give them free choice hog grower feed (as much as they want) along with grass, roots, vegetables, and pears this fall. Along with being outside and getting plenty of exercise, this makes for a very "meaty" pig. I don't feed very much corn. Corn, while high in protein, it turns into sugar and adds fat on a pig. So, it takes me a little longer to grow them, but they have a greater meat to fat ratio which most buyers prefer.  To get to 300lbs, it will take about 5 months and once again, that is an approximate number.

Where can I get the pig processed? 
There are a couple of processors near Harriman that do pigs-- the closest is over in Monroe County.  The cheapest is Morgans. (423)442-2800 if you want to talk to them. They charge a $30 kill fee plus .40 cents a pound hanging weight (to be slightly grotesque, this is blood drained and gutted). This price is for whatever cuts you want. I am not sure if they smoke bacon or sausage there or what/if there is an extra sausage charge.
Hanging weight will be about 50 pounds more than your freezer meat weight due to loss of useless bones.

How much will it cost me to have you feed out a pig for me?
For a 300lb pig, you are looking at around 160lbs of meat for your freezer. This number can vary depending on how many boneless cuts you do.
So- for a 300lb pig, processing will cost you $30 kill fee + .40 x 210lb hanging weight = $114.00
I charge $1.75/ lb live weight.  Which means a 300lb pig will cost you $525.  Add that to the processing cost and you are in at $639 for 160lbs of meat-- which comes in at $3.99 a pound.

Sounds high, right?
Well, think this way---It will take around 5 months or so to get them around 300 lbs-- and yeah, it comes to around $4.00 a pound-- but you have to think, that is different cuts.  Obviously bacon and tenderloin are going to cost more per pound than the hams-- so it's hard to just give an average cost per pound.  And yes-- it is higher than grocery store prices.  BUT-- you have to consider what you are buying.
Pork purchased in a grocery store come from stationary hog lots that are raised in a building-- the pig stays in the same place its entire life-- no exercise, no fresh air and it eats only factory hog feed.  It cost me more to raise a few pigs buying small amounts of feed than it does the factory lots to raise hundreds of pigs when they buy tons and tons of feed. 

Why is your pork different?
I also do not use Antibiotics, Hormones, and only use natural wormers (pumpkins, black walnuts) for my feeder pigs.  So they are chemical free- as compared to the factory pigs which are constantly given medication because they are raised in confinement areas that breed disease. My pigs are in fresh air-- doing what pigs do naturally-- root, eat, play in the mud, and sleep!  Also, with a varied diet, there is much more flavor in the meat.  Pork is called the "other white meat" on the TV ads but you will notice that pork that has been pastured raised has much more color to the meat-- because it has exercise and a varied diet.  And the flavor of the meat will convince you to never eat another Kroger Pork Chop again!

Piglets Available!

Had a litter of 6 born this past Thursday.  3 Pinks, 2 white with black spots, and 1 Tr-Color. 
Selling them now as bottle feeders.  $50 for the pinks and $75 for the ones with color. 

Here are the little guys and girls

The Tri Color is a female-- gonna be a pretty girl!

Reserve yours today!  You can email me at medwards22@gmail.com