Pigs in SIX Days!!!
Well, plans are coming together. I have only owned the house for 10 days now, and I feel like so much has been accomplished. I LOVE what a human (or two...or three!) can accomplish when you don't have the TV on.
Today I sold another three gates (Mom, actually). I was flying back from Colorado. So that means that 35 gates were sold in just over 24 hours. Amazing. I collected $2420. I'm thrilled!!!
I also parked the livestock rack in the machine shed tonight. So that was a success. I think I only got 12 miles per gallon down the Interstate, but it's now at its new home.
I BARELY made it to the farmhome before dark, but I instantly walked out to the pasture and couldn't believe my eyes!!! It's like your mind KNOWS what to expect, but when you see it, it's just way more than you could have imagined. For whatever reason, with that middle row of gates removed from the pasture, the pasture now looks GINORMOUS!!! I mean, it's huge!!! I absolutely love the new look.
The south end of the pasture is down to just T-posts, so tomorrow I hope to throw the hog panels up fairly quickly. I now have a new game plan, too, as far as the fence. With the pasture mostly cleared out, I am going to try to extend it further east than originally planned. First, I was just going to cut across the pasture where the middle gates were. Then I was going to go to the south edge of my property and extend up to the southwest corner of the barn.
Well, now, I plan to really go at the gates aggressively and take the gates up to the southeast side of my barn. That will give me roughly 1.8 acres altogether. It's less to mow, and it provides an awesome area for the pigs.
Speaking of which, I received two emails about feeder pigs today. I called a woman from the email, and she informed me that she had roughly 20 feeder pigs. More than I am looking for. She is located just 35 miles west, and if I don't buy them, they are going to the sale barn tomorrow. Well, I asked what type. "They are Duroc and Duroc cross. Some of the cross are crossed with a cross, but we also have pure-bred Duroc." I learned they have been castrated and given shots, but there might be a boar or two.
And then I asked the ultimate question, hoping she wouldn't say $80. I would probably consider $60 a pig since I am almost ready for them, but my goal has always been $40 per head. So I asked, "And what are you asking for them"?
"We are asking $15."
"15? One-FIVE"?
"Yes, FIFTEEN."
I couldn't believe my ears. I agreed to buy ALL of them!!! I was planning to spend $400-600 on 10 pigs, and now I am looking to spend $300 on 20 pigs! Oh, how fun!!!
I mean, this is FUN!!!
I now have a HUGE impetus to get the farm ready!!! Here is the list for this week...
1. Mount the hog panels to the fence on the south edge of the pasture.
2. Secure two or three fences to the west edge of the pasture.
3. Build a wall of T-posts and fence on the east edge south of the barn.
4. Build gate on north side of barn along with one row of hog panel.
5. Secure inside stalls by adding one row of fence above wooden stalls to prevent pigs from escaping.
6. Try out waterer.
7. Make another waterer.
8. Buy feed.
9. PICK UP 20 PIGS!!!
My list is full with other items, too! I have a realtor coming to take pics of my house on Wednesday, so I am trying to clean up the house for that. I am also needing to get my chickens and coop over to the new property by Wednesday.
Annnnnnnnnnd I need to catch all kinds of skunks this week!
The week is full, and I love it! It sure beats sitting around for a living.
My nieces and nephew are off this week, too, so I hope to give them some ownership in this pig endeavor. My nephew is meeting me out at the property tomorrow at 9:00 A.M. to help with the fence.
We have lots of work to do!!! Time to go to bed, so I can hit the ground running in the morning!
Today I sold another three gates (Mom, actually). I was flying back from Colorado. So that means that 35 gates were sold in just over 24 hours. Amazing. I collected $2420. I'm thrilled!!!
I also parked the livestock rack in the machine shed tonight. So that was a success. I think I only got 12 miles per gallon down the Interstate, but it's now at its new home.
I BARELY made it to the farmhome before dark, but I instantly walked out to the pasture and couldn't believe my eyes!!! It's like your mind KNOWS what to expect, but when you see it, it's just way more than you could have imagined. For whatever reason, with that middle row of gates removed from the pasture, the pasture now looks GINORMOUS!!! I mean, it's huge!!! I absolutely love the new look.
The south end of the pasture is down to just T-posts, so tomorrow I hope to throw the hog panels up fairly quickly. I now have a new game plan, too, as far as the fence. With the pasture mostly cleared out, I am going to try to extend it further east than originally planned. First, I was just going to cut across the pasture where the middle gates were. Then I was going to go to the south edge of my property and extend up to the southwest corner of the barn.
Well, now, I plan to really go at the gates aggressively and take the gates up to the southeast side of my barn. That will give me roughly 1.8 acres altogether. It's less to mow, and it provides an awesome area for the pigs.
Speaking of which, I received two emails about feeder pigs today. I called a woman from the email, and she informed me that she had roughly 20 feeder pigs. More than I am looking for. She is located just 35 miles west, and if I don't buy them, they are going to the sale barn tomorrow. Well, I asked what type. "They are Duroc and Duroc cross. Some of the cross are crossed with a cross, but we also have pure-bred Duroc." I learned they have been castrated and given shots, but there might be a boar or two.
And then I asked the ultimate question, hoping she wouldn't say $80. I would probably consider $60 a pig since I am almost ready for them, but my goal has always been $40 per head. So I asked, "And what are you asking for them"?
"We are asking $15."
"15? One-FIVE"?
"Yes, FIFTEEN."
I couldn't believe my ears. I agreed to buy ALL of them!!! I was planning to spend $400-600 on 10 pigs, and now I am looking to spend $300 on 20 pigs! Oh, how fun!!!
I mean, this is FUN!!!
I now have a HUGE impetus to get the farm ready!!! Here is the list for this week...
1. Mount the hog panels to the fence on the south edge of the pasture.
2. Secure two or three fences to the west edge of the pasture.
3. Build a wall of T-posts and fence on the east edge south of the barn.
4. Build gate on north side of barn along with one row of hog panel.
5. Secure inside stalls by adding one row of fence above wooden stalls to prevent pigs from escaping.
6. Try out waterer.
7. Make another waterer.
8. Buy feed.
9. PICK UP 20 PIGS!!!
My list is full with other items, too! I have a realtor coming to take pics of my house on Wednesday, so I am trying to clean up the house for that. I am also needing to get my chickens and coop over to the new property by Wednesday.
Annnnnnnnnnd I need to catch all kinds of skunks this week!
The week is full, and I love it! It sure beats sitting around for a living.
My nieces and nephew are off this week, too, so I hope to give them some ownership in this pig endeavor. My nephew is meeting me out at the property tomorrow at 9:00 A.M. to help with the fence.
We have lots of work to do!!! Time to go to bed, so I can hit the ground running in the morning!
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