Andrew decided this year to try again to use the pastures in the hog production, even though we need production all year around and it is too cold for pigs in pasture in winter this far north. The thinking is that several of the six groups of piglets farrowed each year could be fed in pasture, thus freeing up the usual feeding areas for a significant period to allow the level of disease microbes to decrease and thus making health easier to maintain year around.
We moved them to pasture in the paddock where the cattle had been fed in winter about mid April. In the three weeks since moving out, the pigs have dug into the feed supplied and really begun to shine with health. As of now, they are confined to their shelter plus a generous area of the grass with electrified poultry wire. This is more to keep predators out which we fear might be a problem when the pigs are small. In a few more weeks, we will construct a single wire giving them several acres to run in. Pigs grow fast. We hope for the coyotes to stay away from somewhat larger pigs. They always did with the sows.
We do our pig feeding in shelters with a large quantity of straw for them to play in. It is a good system, the best we can devise for year around use. But nothing beats pasture when it can be available. I get a lift every day from watching them play. We hope this summertime practice works out.
