I didn’t want to start raising pigs on our homestead.
I read over and over that pigs were super smart. Jokingly I stated that I was worried I might become attached and end up with a 500 pound pet pig in the pasture.
Have you met Loudy Pants?
Yep. I have a 500 pound pet pig in my pasture, but I also have a secret.
Are you ready for the shocking truth about raising pigs?
I love them.
While I do find them quite intimidating at times, and yes, Loudy Pants did trap me in the barn stall for awhile a few nights ago, I really, really enjoy having pigs on our little farm.
I enjoy watching them play and dig in the pasture (although I DON’T enjoy falling in their holes!) I love that no food gets wasted at our house anymore with a pig or three around. Finally, I love that my pet pig gets offended if I don’t properly greet her when I go outside!
You know what else I love?
Bacon.
I would be lying if I told you that homegrown, pasture raised pork is not the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Nothing in the world, or at least the supermarket can compare to it! I can hardly wait to get our next batch of pigs started!
Anyway, I’m so glad Eric talked me into getting pigs last January, but I will openly admit that they aren’t for everyone. In fact, I recently wrote an article for The Prairie Homestead about the Pros and Cons of raising pigs on the homestead. I hope you will click over and enjoy it!
Click here to read my Pig Pros and Cons post at The Prairie Homestead!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my “Raising Livestock” Pinterest Board!
Don’t miss a minute of the fun! Of course, Beulah would like to remind you that if you sign up for her mooooooooosletter, she’ll deliver all the farm news from the cow’s point of view.
LOL….I am a city girl and never thought that I would ever fall in love with a pig! But I started dating a guy that has not one, not two but five pot bellies, and NO they do not live in the house and they are not closed up in a pen, they wander the whole 13 acres of land! When I first went over to his house I was blown away by this BIG pig, Arnold must be around 325, yep, big for pot belly. They are very smart and fun to watch and mess with. Each one of his has his own personality but my fav is Lenoard, who comes a running when he hears my voice. He will walk out to my car when he sees me coming. Course these are not eatable pigs …lol….but I find it hard to except when they eat pork, but yes, nothing there at the house goes to waste. Thanks for sharing….
Ha! City girl meets pig lover! I love it! Thanks for sharing your pig love story! They sound like very happy pigs indeed! 🙂
I have been homesteading for some time and finally got the courage to add pigs this year. I’m one month in with only
1 escape on record. I am experimenting on my feed practices and mixes. I am constructing a gravity fed free feeder this week
to try and expedite weight gain on my 2 pigs. I am installing a timed sprayer to give them a small amount of water for them to
create a wallow. I plan to add 4 pigs next year and sell shares in 2 to cover my feed costs. I do enjoy the pigs antics.
How do you not fall in love with all of them. Ours are almost freezer ready and I am struggling!
My kids had pigs for 4H one summer + I really enjoyed them! I figured out how to keep them penned as they grew. I also trained them not to run me down at feeding time! They were very intelligent + easy to train. They loved playing with my old bowling ball in a sort-of pig pen soccer game! Unfortunately, I haven’t had a place to put them since, or I would keep some every summer.
Read your piggy post and it was ADORABLE! Thank you for taking the time to compose it. After reading it, I am completely ASSURED that I DO want to go down the ‘swine’ path! 😉