Starting the Build of Guinea Hog Pastures.

Discussion in 'Breeding, Raising, Feeding and Caring for Animals' started by Bryant RedHawk, Aug 17, 2015.

  1. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    We've enticed quail to move into some brush piles strategically located in zone 5. Wish there were turkeys around here.
     
  2. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    Well, the sows are due the end of May, I had to stop work yet again on the new pastures but it is looking like I will get to work on them some more in the next few weeks. We found out last week that Wolf has cancer so have been traveling back and forth to hospital this last week, chemo and radiation will go on for 6 weeks then they will operate to remove the tumor. I have managed to keep the farm going by myself and even got some of the garden growing. I have to build 6 new raised beds and get them filled with soil so I can get the seeds in before the end of April.

    Some days I think creator has a weird sense of humor and others I think he is testing just how determined we are to complete this adventurous journey. All things come to those who keep plugging and we fully intend on completing Buzzard's Roost in the next two years. House may be on hold yet again but I'll get to it as I can.

    We bought some cattle panels to use for temporary fencing, the hogs kind of plowed through the electric tape, probably didn't have a big enough charger. I'll give it another go when I can. At least with these panels I'll be able to move the hogs around without having to put in huge amounts of permanent fence. Some where in there I need to get the south slope terraces completed so I can get the grape vines going. Wolf wants a second orchard and has selected a good area for that. Just means more trees going down for firewood, but these are trees that would have been removed anyway. My brother had a stroke and will be in assisted care housing now so that means I get to move my trailer I was letting him live in up to Buzzard's Roost. I've just about got the space for that cleared up and after looking at it, I'll be gutting it for use as storage. Good thing I like adventures, since I seem to be gathering a lot of them all of a sudden.
     
  3. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Terribly sorry to hear of Wolf's cancer Bryant. Keep plugging away, as you say.
    My ex went through the chemo/radiation barrage and all came out well in the end. She looked into many alternative/supplemental treatments and followed through with a cleansing diet of key vegetables plus high-grade miso to help offset the effects of the treatments and purge the poisons. She got the miso from https://www.southrivermiso.com/ (I have no relationship with this company, but I really enjoy their miso).
    Also sorry to hear about your brother ... you are facing multiple challenges. Please know that we are behind you and ready to offer support in any way we can. You are a key contributor to these forums and we really appreciate your posting.
     
  4. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    Bryant, i'm assuming Wolf is your partner and i'm very sorry to hear about the cancer
    diagnosis and your brother's stroke. i will keep you all in my thoughts for wisdom and
    healing.

    none of us really knows how long we'll be here. to me permaculture is important
    because it can help an area even after we've moved on. hopefully others will be able to
    carry forwards, but in the meantime there is room for nature too and nature will do what
    it can when it can and be appreciative.
     
  5. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    Thanks Bill and Songbird. The prognosis is very good actually, they say that Wolf will be well in the end, they are shrinking the tumor so the operation to eradicate it will be easier on her. The surgeon is confident he will get all of the tumor and the oncologist backs up that assessment, so we are fortunate indeed.

    Thanks Bill for that link, we will look into that next week (we like miso too), we use herbal remedies all the time and only turn to "western medicine" when necessary.
    I'm really happy that everything worked out for your ex. too. Everything happens as it is supposed to, usually we just have to look close to find the intent of Wakan Tanka, not always easy to see, but we can find it if we allow ourselves to see. I am happy to be of service to all here on the forums, it allows me to share what things I have learned with others who are on the journey.

    That is very true Songbird, we know that when our time is up, there is nothing to be done about it. The earth mother has always helped us and we know she will still. Our land is very healing and blessed by earth mother with many, many great healing items which she placed there for us long before we got the land. All we do is fix the errors of the previous humans. It is amazing to see all the creatures that live with us, the way the plants are again thriving and providing for us. Our orchard is one year old and produces far more than we expected for such a young orchard. It is very humbling to know that we were shown this land so we could become its caretakers.

    I have to get set up to perform a thanks ritual, will be offering up cedar and sage smoke and burying corn and tobacco for the earth mother. Then I have to offer some milk and honey to Wakan Tanka. Since I am a spirit walker, I must show my regards to the spirits for the help they have given. Pilamayaye (thanks) kola (my friends) all here are oyisin (family)

    Lutaceta (Redhawk)
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2016
  6. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    Finally the weather has turned to what we in the South like to call "normal summer weather" which means day temps are in the 90's and the humidity hovers around 80%.
    The broccoli is finished, smitten by the heat, the late planted beets are not faring very well either now but the beans and squash are blazing right along and we are still getting strawberries. Our fruit trees were hit with a slam dunk in the spring, the temps were up enough for them to bloom but it was still cold enough we had no pollinators present, so we have one apple per tree and no pears at all. Fortunately we have fig trees that have a bumper crop ripening along. Our sow is dragging belly and has been for two weeks, it seems we were off on her due date. The other sow didn't get pregnant first time around like I thought and has come into heat again which the boar took care of straight away, so with luck we will have an early fall litter from her. So many things have been going wrong lately I feel like I'm stuck on a merry-go-round and can't get off, no matter how hard I try. We now have three houses for the hogs, and I am almost finished with clearing another acre for pastures. I am keeping enough trees that this one will have dappled shade most everywhere. In the process I have lots of fire wood that still needs cutting and stacking. Wolf has come to the realization that she isn't as bad off as she had come to think. I thank everyone for all the prayers and good thoughts, they have worked wonders.

    We are still very blessed, no matter what happens. We have good friends here on PRI, we own our land, have a roof overhead that doesn't leak, jobs that pay the bills and I found out I can retire a year earlier than I thought. Life is good, you just have to look at it from the right angle. Still have lots to do but then I like it that way, no time to be bored.

    Happy summer (or winter if you dwell in the southern hemisphere) to all.
     
  7. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Very happy to hear that Wolf is feeling a bit better. Rest assured that our thoughts, prayers, and energy flowing in her direction will continue!

    Happy summer to you!
     
  8. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    Well, it turned out that only one sow was due and she had seven babies, 4 died because of the 100+ heat wave that hit the same day she gave birth. I checked to find out if it is normal for a first time mother to not have enough milk for all the litter, it is, so maybe her next litter will fare better. I will not breed her to have a litter at the beginning of June next time, perhaps the early fall or earlier in spring will work to our advantage. Of course the survivors are all males, but that too isn't a problem for us right now. We may be able to trade with another breeder we know and has expressed interest in making a deal. One of them will be traded for some grass fed beef to put in the freezer. I love the barter system, it works nicely for us where we live.

    Wolf is wanting me to set up a garden plot for Loofa vines for next year so I will be building another arbor, might as well make sure those vines are doing shade duty as well as providing loofa sponges. We found a chicken breeder that raises the breeds Wolf wants, so now we don't have to worry about raising chicks. He will sell us fully feathered pullets, a good thing for us right now.
     
  9. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    We've got some of your heatwave way up here.
    A few weeks ago we purchased some fertilized eggs for a broody hen and after 21 days we now have some new blood in the flock with two chicks (out of ten eggs and one chick death). Not a good success rate but we're not really sure of the true status of the original fertilized eggs so I'm happy with even two newcomers.
    Has anyone else done this (purchased fertilized eggs for a broody hen)?
     
  10. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    HI Bill, so sorry you are getting some of our heatwave, hope you aren't getting the humidity as well, that is the part that makes it really hard on our animals as well as we two legs. Wolf used to raise chicks from bought eggs, she says it isn't really hard but the longer they have been fertilized without being in an incubator, the fewer that will hatch. We have found a chicken breeder that can provide us with; fertilized eggs, chicks, pullets or grown chickens. Since we are both working we weren't sure we could go the egg or chick route until next year when I retire, but the breeder told us we don't have to be around to have success with either eggs or chicks. That was good to know since all my previous experiences were with chicks hatched by the broody mom. Now we are discussing getting an incubator so we can have a widely varied flock from hatching eggs. From what I have gathered by talking with a lot of the local chicken people, getting hatching eggs is a bit like the roulette wheel, or crap table, luck of the draw sort of thing.
     
  11. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    glad to read about Wolf doing ok and good prognosis. :) sorry about it
    being too busy, but i am similar, there is always something on the list
    around here to do.

    if you need fast growing trees for a hedge apple seeds planted in the fall
    will grow to 8ft by the third or fourth year (depending upon light, etc.). i
    just cut mine down as they were not where i really wanted them long
    term, but just to find out how fast they grew. i was hoping to move them
    this fall or last fall, but that is not happening... i did not know that apple
    trees are somewhat thorny.

    apple tree fruits would make good pig fodder in the fall, even if they are
    the sour kind (from seed many will not be edible, but usuable for cider
    making and animal fodder).
     
  12. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    We continue to add fruit trees as money is available, mostly apple right now.
    Planning to get two Elberta peach trees and two more Arkansas black apples this fall.
    Wolf is amazed at how fast the mulberry trees have grown and now wants more of them for jam and wine making.
    She is back on chemo for a while just to make sure she is completely cancer free, so we will continue herbal help for her strength.
    She has decided that I should look into following the "family tradition" (wine cask making and mashing) so I will be building some equipment for that.
    It's something I can do during winter and use some of our white oak trees that I have to remove for the sake of others.

    We are slowly getting to the stage of being able to feed the hogs with out much bought feed stuffs. (Grocery store toss outs help a lot)
     
  13. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    I am so glad that 2016 is behind us, it was a terrible year for many of my friends too, Lost 5 friends last year, 1 to auto accident (after his wife succumbed to cancer), two more to brain tumors, One just went to sleep and passed to the spirit world. Very weird year that was. The bright side is we have apparently had all the winter weather we might get, today temps are going to be around 70 f, moisture is lacking so far, another symptom of the heating earth. So far I have been recording the weather here for three full years and it continues to be warmer, longer with less rain fall overall, storms that come are more powerful and longer than the previous fifteen years here. The data is becoming rather troubling and I am going to start gathering gulf stream data for the last 20 years, since that will give additional data to show the heating effects.

    We have been adopted by a donkey (owner starved one to death and just turned this one loose to fend for itself, we feed it and I am trying to get it to trust us. It seems to want to be with us as I can rub it some now, have to get a proper brush though. We have three little hogs that need to go, but no one wants to buy hogs right now. I keep getting ready to put them in the freezer but the weather has decided to be to warm for me to do that. I am getting the old house footing ready to start our house build, Wolf has come around that it is time to get on that before I get to old to complete it on my own. Hope everyone here is doing well.
     
  14. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    i'm so sorry for the losses. it is so tough when friends leave...

    good luck on building. it can be fun and rewarding to see something
    you've imagined arrive.

    and, well, wow! a donkey! that is so unique to have one just show
    up like that. i wouldn't know what to do at all other than point it to
    the green stuff in the yard it could eat and give it some water.
     
  15. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    I know Songbird, just weird but "donkey-donk" fits right into our extremely weird life. This is our normal, how wild is that?
    I've been working on some new pastures as I can but everything seems to be taking extra months to get done these days.
    No matter, creator set us on this path and we will walk it one day at a time. I'm sure that we will find it amusing later on.
    One thing for certain, we have, as all people do, been and continue to build memories. I have friends that can't believe all the crud we have been experiencing, but I think we are just being tested to see how strong our resolve is.

    Every day I am told I should write a book about all this. Who knows? perhaps I will find time to actually do that one day.
     
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  16. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    perhaps asking the guy the donkey's name would help?
    or it will be happy with a new name for a new home. :)

    i'm glad you have pastures for it.
     
  17. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    I recently obtained a copy of "The Egg and I" for my partner in Pc here ... partially as it is a funny and enlightening chronicle of a woman and her husband's chicken/egg farming operation on the Washington State peninsula from 1927 - 1931, and partially as some inspiration for her to write down some of our follies as a prelude to a book (she writes a lot).
    I would love to read a book about your exploits/approach to life/goals and aspirations Bryant ... count me in for a copy!
     
  18. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    Well, donkey donk seems to not be leaving at all now so it is time to build her a dry place to call home. Thanks Songbird, she seems to like the name and just this sunday she let me give her a good brush down, seemed to like it a lot too. She also knows that when we call the dogs, she should come galloping to get her own treat (carrot and a bit of corn chop).

    Bill, Thanks and I will definitely send you a copy when finished, be warned though I might send you some rushes for opinion as well. I think it will be a fun write, I'd have to list it under humor for sure.
     
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  19. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    Wow, we got new computers here at work and I lost this site, thank you songbird for the email!

    This past Saturday we received 7 inches of rain along with lots of creators light show. We have a new home, 840 sq. ft. of single wide manufactured home. I get plenty of walking exercise now when compared to the 4 steps end to end of our travel trailer we lived in the last three years. In the process of getting the new home up the mountain, we got a new, wider road and then had to gravel it fast so it wouldn't wash away. We have a new set of baby hogs but this will be the last litter for this sow, I'm either selling her or putting her in the freezer, she isn't registerable and we have decided against raising hogs for sale as meat. So Lilbit has a limited time on Buzzard's Roost now. We traded one male for two turkens and an amarucana hen. That caused a building remake on the double. The whole month of March and April consisted of wet weekends, meaning not much got done. The one dry weekend we had I laid down a terrace berm so the freshly disturbed soil wouldn't wash away, finished it two hours ahead of a storm that handed us 2.5 inches, the 7 inch rain last weekend showed me how well I put in that berm, it held, woot!. Will be back here soon. Redhawk
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
  20. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    y.w. Bryant :)

    yes, it has been a fairly wet spring here too, but not as wet
    here as you all in the south have been getting (except Florida).

    what made you decide to stop raising pigs for meat? too hard to
    control? parasites? etc?

    nice to have more space, congrats on the new home and for a
    well designed berm. 7 inches of rain here all at once would be
    a challenge.
     

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