I just arrived home after work to the eerie sound of silence. The pigs are gone. Which means in about two weeks we will have fresh pork in the freezer and on the dinner table. In the 4 1/2 months that we had them on our farm, the 6 animals ate through 2300 pounds of grain and an untold amount of scrap, and rooted their way through an entire pasture turning it into a moonscape. We seeded some of that area with winter rye just this past weekend so that when we move the ewes back down to the barn, they'll have something to munch on in the early spring when they are very pregnant and need the nutrients.
Speaking of sheep, a new record was set on the farm. My darling husband and I moved the sheep fence (and the sheep) in under 40 minutes yesterday. We use electric netting from Premier Fencing which is fabulous (I really like Premier for its customer service--if you ever have a livestock- or garden-fencing question, give this company a call), but a bit tedious to move every couple of weeks. On average, it takes us about 1 1/2 hours to move the 800 feet of fence, set up the new pasture, and move the sheep (and their shed) into said new pasture. Perhaps we've finally perfected the skill, or it was simply a combination of dumb luck and good fortune (I tend to think it was the latter). Initially, this spring, it took us over 2 hours to move the darn thing (but of course, the sheep got loose then too!). Yes, we are farming neophytes!
Have a great week. If you live in the Northeast, enjoy the rain; we certainly need it!
Remember, Farm Aid concert this Saturday at our place if you're in the area!
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