I know the obvious...put them in the freezer. But, in this instance, that isn't the best answer, although I am seriously pondering learning the butchering trade right now! UGH!
Our new pigs, those pregnant sows we picked Saturday, they ate 2 of my laying hens. Didn't have a chance-- just attacked them and then proceeded to pull them apart like some warped game of tug-o-war or something.
Our chickens have their home in the barn, and a nice, fenced yard. I have 3, however, who are definitely roamers. If we clip their wings any further, they won't have but a bare bone frame over on that side, yet they still manage to climb that fence and roam the yard. They have a route...they ceck out the goats and puppies for a day or so, even roost in the puppy pen with them. No one has ever cared (athough those blasted puppies have enjoyed playing with the younger pullets....and have killed a handful of them as well).
But, the pigs...they are in the other side of the barn, along the outside pens. The chickens go through the horse lot there into the timber to wander. A couple ended up in the pigs confinement and well....tug-o-war time.
I can break those puppies of playing tag with my chickens, but what do you do with a pig who has a taste for chicken now? It rather worries me that the children don't typically think much of getting into the barn, and they help with the feeding and such. As far as I'm concerned, these are dangerous pigs. You know, around here, the standard was that when the Revenue men cam poking around and causing trouble, you just tossed them into the pig pen and let the hogs have them. Nothing left to dispose of.
Now I have pigs that have shown a very dangerous side to themselves. I'm not really interested in the additions to the freezer menu anymore, no matter how wonderful the other tastes.
Yep, pigs/hogs scare me for that exact reason. : Our neighbor always used to say if we couldn't find him, if must have meant he fell into the hog pen. :( He raised them, and some of his adults were huge and frightful. He would feed them racoons he trapped out of his barns and other carrion and I never doubted him.
That said, we've raised pigs for butchering. We just never let them get old enough to become large and tried to never let them come in contact with meat.
I'd butcher them, or if that's not possible (doesn't sound like it), just be very, very careful from here on out until you sell them or can process them.
I hope you come up with something!
~hugs~
Ashley
~~Exactly...I know that hogs will eat virtually anything and everything, bones and all. And now that they have done this to the chickens...I worry about what else they might take a shine to :o(
We bought them with the plan that we would be able to raise their offspring and butcher them. Homegrown Homestead production, kwim?
Right now I'm just thinking this is why they are on the unclean list of animals and I should have listened to what The Lord wrote in those first books.....
Deanna
Edited by HandsNHearts on Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 11:15
OHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYY
Deanna I'm lost for words.. Do be careful while you and the children are feeding or around those pigs..
That's one oink I wouldn't want to be around..
Sister Brenda
I have never heard of such a thing?! That is kinda crazy? Did you maybe call the vet and ask if he had heard of it and what to do? I would love to hear the answer! Mrs. Joseph Wood
We have a friend that remembers her Dad showing her how serious he was about not going near the pig pen... He took a dog... a live dog, I believe it was... it was a fairly large animal and dropped it into the pen and the pigs devoured it... killed it in front of the kids. The gal says she remembers that day like none other and her and her sister steered clear of the pigs from then on. Dad had made that decision based on seeing the girls climbing the fence and looking over... he knew the pigs would hurt the girls and made a point to teach them how dangerous they were. They needed them for income, so getting rid of them wasn't an option for them. It sounds just horrid, but it's a true story.
~Always Planning for Whatever May Come... Mrs Survival site
~Sewing and baking, of course
~write letters
~Pasta made, dried and stored away
~barn repairs, on-going
~bush hogging & timber clean-up, on-going
~List books at BookMooch.com
~build a new mailbox post
~monthly quilt blocks
No indulgences of self will can be trivial, no denial unprofitable; Heaven or Hell depends on this alone. A parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving of their soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil's work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body, forever.
Susanna Wesley
At The School Desks
We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of Training their Hearts!
I have no greater joy, than to hear my children walk in truth... III John 1:4
Train up the child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it... Proverbs 22:6
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!... Deuteronomy 5:29
Our mission in life is not to go to some far-off foreign land, but to work at home and in our churches and home communities. Our goal should not be to leave behind riches and possessions, farms and homes for our children, but a priceless heritage they will cherish enough to work fervently to pass along to their children. It has been done for generations and with God's help it can still be done. In teaching our children, we are striving toward a deep understanding of who they are In Christ. I am . . . a child of God, a gift to my parents and my country. I'm a person of great value because God made me. I can . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God has made me able to do everything required of me. I ought . . . to do my duty to obey God, to submit to my parents and everyone in authority over me, to be of service to others, and to keep myself healthy with proper food and rest so my body is ready to serve. I will . . . resolve to keep a watch over my thoughts and choose what's right even if it's not what I want.
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