Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wahoo! FENCING the pig pasture is FINALLY done!
Our fenced in pasture for the pigs is complete! You can already see what they've cleared on the right side of the fence. It used to look like the left side, all brush and brambles. Not bad for only 2 weeks of rooting - gotta love piggies!
TA DA...FENCING FINISHED...
SO here's the FORMULA:
ROOTING PIGS
+
BRUSH and BRAMBLES
=
BEAUTIFUL CRUMBLY SOIL, READY TO PLANT!
My Grandpa always said "Who needs a tractor when you've got pigs?" and he was right! Why spend time and gas money tilling the soil when a pig will do it for you with no effort on your part and no chemical weed killers? They eat all the roots, so nothing regrows. We plan on fencing in more areas for them to clear, and we'll seed the areas when they've finished. An unmanageable patch of land will be pasture in no time - the pigs love it, and so do we. The space they're in now is an old apple orchard that was neglected and grew over with berry bushes, shrubs, grapevines and weeds. There are nuts from black walnut trees (squirrel-planted), apple drops, some plums, and more. Our pigs think it's a buffet, and are happier than in mud!
Next on the farm project list is winterizing the coops. I'll let you know how that goes too!
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Wow, can't believe how much they cleared in only two weeks. Sounds like the best way to do it - no chemicals or manual labor involved!
ReplyDeleteCongrat's on the fencing and the pigs look like they are finding their job of benefit to all - I love seeing others who use their animals to do the work of what other's use machines for - it warms my heart. Good luck on winterizing - they chickens will thank you for it...
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed how quickly they learn to avoid the fence...it only takes a shock or two, pigs are SMART animals! They are so happy, rooting around - makes me feel sorry for pigs on concrete!
ReplyDeleteDid you feed them any food in addition to the clearing? I was tlaking about this same idea with my husband but the amount of food/slop/scraps you give them is a big question mark.
ReplyDeleteSo cool! Would love to have you share this on Wildcrafting Wednesdays!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2012/12/wildcrafting-wednesday.html