Tag: Pigs

Turning Old Burnt Out Hay Fields to Grazing Pastures and Gardens

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It’s been just a couple weeks short of two years since we moved our animals on to this property. 

The Barn Property Sept 2022

When we were asked to come there and use the land and barn, the fields were mostly old and burnt out, full of invasive and toxic weeds. Two years later through the use of rotational pasturing, and regenerative farming techniques these are those fields today… 

While the original goals of the Property Owners, of “Just keep the trees from growing in, and the fields from getting over taken” with hopes of getting rid of the toxic and invasive plants. Although we wanted to help showcase the work, and help make this place even more beautiful. We’ve used Goats, Pigs, Chickens, Rabbits, and now Sheep to help improve this wonderful old property. Just look at those hay fields now! A true testament to the capabilities of these wonderful birds and animals! 

Not only have we helped keep the fields from growing in, we’ve helped to eliminate many of the weeds, both toxic and invasive. Although it’s still a work in progress! Sheep need adequate pasture grasses and forage to thrive and our shearer and others, and even the wool quality of the sheep have all testified to this being the case! It’s incredible to see the transformation that’s taken place! 

We’ve even managed to turn some of this ground into gardens!

2024 Garden at The Barn Property

Using deep bedding for our animals through the winter helps provide well composted hay and manure to help naturally grow the gardens. The whole thing is laborious and yet rewarding. We work mostly by hand, employing time honoured methods and let our animals do most of the heavy lifting! It’s a labour of love, one where we always strive to be good Stewards.

Moving Daisy, Duke, and Family of Swallow Belly Pigs

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Daisy and Duke

So Moving Pigs is Difficult! Right? Discover why I’m a little ashamed!

While I do some things well, other things seem to get by me! Even when it is sort of embarrassing, and I wonder if I should keep it quiet or share it with you to maybe help you avoid my mistakes and embarrassment! 

See, I pretty much name all our animals and birds, and treat them all the best I can. Treating them all like pets, except for that one bad moment that some meet with at their end. That makes it harder on me, as 

I prefer to be the one that brings about that one bad moment. I want to insure nothing suffers any longer than necessary and so I like to honour that being by being the one to do the “Deed” so to speak! 

Because I treat them all well, make pets out of them, and name them, it makes the end harder on me on their last day! However, it helps working with them much easier every other day! 

While many people find moving pigs a most difficult task, have a look at this video, then read on to see why I’m actually a little embarrassed …

So, .you see that was pretty easy! Right?

The real reason we moved them is, about three days ago I got a Surprse!

It’s also the reason I’m embarrassed! 

Daisy and Duke, our Swallow Belly Mangalitsa Pigs, had piglets! On the ground, in their muddy pasture! Where they’ve been for the Winter. I was told they’re purebred Mangalitsa and I believe them to be so, and I was also told that Swallow Belly’s don’t have their first litters till they’re a year and a half old. These two are just under a Year, so I wasn’t expecting them to be breeding for another month or so! It takes pigs 3 Months, 3 Weeks, and 3 Days to farrow and have their piglets. Which means Daisy got bred when she was seven months. Seven months is about right for other breeds, but the Mangalitsa are slower maturing. So, I kind of felt a little ashamed of not knowing she was pregnant! I had no reason to check, believing, based on the information I had, that she couldn’t get pregnant till she was a year old. So! Surprise! 

I really debated posting about this, as it makes me look rather stupid, but I’m still learning and did the best I could with information given. So, I write about this, hoping my doing so may help others avoid my mistakes. Even if I’m embarrassed!

 

Animals Enjoying Their First Spring Pastures

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Animals on Spring Pastures

After too long a time in the Barn, due to cold rainy and winter weather, the animals we’re having a grand time out on their first Spring Pastures today. 

Here at Briden Farm we use Rotational Pastures, where all our animals get moved in a regular basis. Except for parts of the Winter when it’s to wet, or cold, for them to get outside. 

Lara, and her two daughters, Mosley and Ginger, our Heritage Pigs, were funny, wish I had that on video. The daughters are about 250 lbs each and Lara is well over double that! Yes, probably between 500-600 lbs! So, when they are running, dancing and snorting and barking (yes pigs bark too), it is quite the sight to see! 

Of course, when the Sheep heard the Pigs, the were bleating and blatting to get out too! So, it was funny to watch them also! 

The Goats were last to come out and they too were pretty happy to feel the warmth of the sun, and be able to much on the littlest areas of green grass! 

All were quite pleased! I too was quite pleased because I love seeing our animals happy! Just have a look…

Would You like to spend time with our animals and enjoy a farm tour? 
If so, please call Brian at 902-907-0770