Our American Guinea Hog, Sweetie, finally produced her piggies. And they are so cute. Have a look…
and here’s another look at the piggies a week old.
Remember that our last hog, Cheerio, was not a good Mom. Well, it may have been the fact that we left Alex, the male, in the pen. Sweetie is making up for it. The runt piggy got out through the hog fence, and Seth picked her up to replace her and Sweetie got very upset. Grunt, grunt. Now, that’s a good Mom. Do you grunt when someone commandeers your child?
Well, that’s rhetorical…you live and learn. The piglets will be weaned and available for sale around mid September. American Guinea Hogs are perfect for small homesteads because they don’t get as big and heavy as regular pigs. Sweetie probably tops out at 125 lbs. when she is not “with pig”. Alex, the Dad, weighs about 150 lbs.
Alex, short for Alexander Behemoth, is an American Guinea Hog. He loves to root around in the dirt and dig holes. His pig pen looks like a mine field! When you add water to turn his holes into MUD holes, he’s just as happy as a pig in …well, you know…mud.
Alex weighs about 150 lbs, just the right size for a small homestead. He shares the pig pen with Sweetie and Rachel. Sweetie is currently “with pig”, and should give birth to at least six piglets in early August. The gestation period for pigs is 3-3-3, short for 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days.
Alex, Sweetie, and Rachel eat primarily food scraps…well, not actually scraps, we cook up a big pan of rice each night and add potatoes, banana skins from the morning’s smoothie, raw duck eggs, and any veggies or leftovers that we have in the fridge. We add a cup or two of Hog Food pellets to supplement and provide extra minerals. The three little pigs eat well!
The meat from American Guinea Hogs that are raised organically is very tender and sweet, and has a lot less fat than hogs that are raised on commercial feed alone.
We should have piggies to sell in August…check it out!
High today was 90 degrees. Low overnight will be 62. Seems too hot to move a pig, but for what it’s worth…
For a pig to travel safely, he or she should be inside a customized crate. The crate should have a wooden floor and two doors, one at each end. That way, it will not be necessary for the pig to back out of the crate, once he or she gets to the destination. Both doors should be equipped with a sliding bolt latch, as this is difficult for the pig to open by pushing.
The crate should also have four handles, extending out from each end and on both sides. This will make it possible for four people to lift the pig crate and carry it in a manner like the Ark of the Covenant.
Your pig crate should look something like this:
Starting Out
Heavy Duty Hinges
Sliding Bolt Latch
Sides with Air Ventilation
Handles
The Hog Crate
First, place hay inside the crate before the pig gets in. Next, make sure that the front door is latched. Position the crate near the pig pen and just behind the wagon that will hold the crate and pig for transporting to the vehicle. Stand at a bit of a distance and hold out the pig’s food dish. Then, placing it inside the crate from the far end, encourage the pig by having him or her watch you putting food in his or her dish. This should entice the pig to enter the crate, to reach the food. Once the pig is in the crate, secure the rear door.
Of course, your pig crate will be uniquely you. You may decorate it any way you see fit. Be sure that there are no loose pieces or decorations that the pig can eat. Also, do not paint your crate, with the possible exception of the outside rear door, which he or she cannot reach, as the pig may also chew on the paint.
That’s one way to move a pig. Do you have another way?
Happy Homesteading,
T.
P.S. Please note that we move American Guinea Hogs. They are much smaller than regular pigs, like say, “Babe”. I’m sure it would be difficult to lift a regular pig in our pig crate…even for four people. How much did the Ark of the Covenant weigh…?
