The good health of the group of feeding pigs we put to pasture in mid April is little short of astounding. Much of pig disease is respiratory, which we knew of course since we have a history of producing pigs in pasture. Therefore, pretty generally the pigs do better if they live in the sunshine and fresh air. Any kind of confinement, even the loose hoop house production we use can have its issues. The hoop houses are better than all alternatives but pasture, and necessary when pigs need to be supplied twelve months per year.
Now there are problems of course. But they are all logistics issues. Pigs need shelter, so we put a large hut out there, to which we can add several smaller ones as the pigs grow. They need extra shade, which is provided by pulling a hay rack out there. Self feeders must have lids that can be fastened down tight, because some of our rains come complete with high winds. We installed several taps into the cattle watering system that runs through the entire pasture so that water can be automatic.
Currently we are transporting feed to the pastures using some of the four wheel drive equipment we have on hand anyway. In future we will need to provide approach roads from various angles to assure that we can usually get the feed truck out there which will simplify matters considerably.
It is a pleasure to see our system work better since we decided to take half a loaf, so to speak, and use the pastures when weather permits. There is a sense in which we have bent our operations to quit fighting nature, and doing that on the farm wherever and whenever possible always makes the operation go better. Nature can be a stern taskmaster, but also a good and dependable friend. We need to keep learning that!
