Post by robynsa on May 19, 2015 14:06:43 GMT -5
Erwin, our bull, was scheduled to go in, but got a reprieve.
The wayward sire-bonking gilts, however, did not.
Took them in yesterday and collected the heads and offal today for the staff. Had a look at the carcasses and they look absolutely super. I'm totally a fermented corn convert. Hanging weights 23.8 and 25.2kgs at 5 months old on a diet of fermented corn (6 cups between them per day) and milk (a litre or two a day between them) with sporadic kitchen and veggie garden scraps. And waste hay. A little over an inch fat layer and glorious dark pink meat. Heads and offal probably another 12kgs added. I've spent the evening chopping up sage, thyme, coriander and pimentos, and I've bought 10l of apple juice. Tomorrow it's sausage time! We're doing two gammons and the rest sausage. I fried up some liver with onions for lunch and we all scoffed it down (Rets' parents included). Buttery soft and delicious.
The guys have started building a new weaner piglet pen far away from Kevin's pen, so I'm looking forward to growing out the next two picks of the litter for 10-12 months. I honestly don't know if there is boar taint in the line, hence keeping gilts. Munsie's next due around 11 June. I considered sending Kevin in but he and Munsie have produced super piglets twice over, and he's got a nice temperament at 2yo (being as dumb as a whole shipping container of rocks), so he gets to stay. We are lucky to have Munsie and Kevin, both auction buys and producing exactly what we want - pigs that produce a great carcass on minimal feed mostly free from meat and are hardy and parasite-resistant. I didn't want to take these gilts in until they were much older but both broke into Kevin's pen 3 weeks ago and were covered. Teenage pregnancies are not my thing!
Stew'it, our latest Dexter calf (now a week old), will be banded on Thursday and then it's off to the freezer for him in a couple of years.
I LOVE SAUSAGE DAY!!
The wayward sire-bonking gilts, however, did not.
Took them in yesterday and collected the heads and offal today for the staff. Had a look at the carcasses and they look absolutely super. I'm totally a fermented corn convert. Hanging weights 23.8 and 25.2kgs at 5 months old on a diet of fermented corn (6 cups between them per day) and milk (a litre or two a day between them) with sporadic kitchen and veggie garden scraps. And waste hay. A little over an inch fat layer and glorious dark pink meat. Heads and offal probably another 12kgs added. I've spent the evening chopping up sage, thyme, coriander and pimentos, and I've bought 10l of apple juice. Tomorrow it's sausage time! We're doing two gammons and the rest sausage. I fried up some liver with onions for lunch and we all scoffed it down (Rets' parents included). Buttery soft and delicious.
The guys have started building a new weaner piglet pen far away from Kevin's pen, so I'm looking forward to growing out the next two picks of the litter for 10-12 months. I honestly don't know if there is boar taint in the line, hence keeping gilts. Munsie's next due around 11 June. I considered sending Kevin in but he and Munsie have produced super piglets twice over, and he's got a nice temperament at 2yo (being as dumb as a whole shipping container of rocks), so he gets to stay. We are lucky to have Munsie and Kevin, both auction buys and producing exactly what we want - pigs that produce a great carcass on minimal feed mostly free from meat and are hardy and parasite-resistant. I didn't want to take these gilts in until they were much older but both broke into Kevin's pen 3 weeks ago and were covered. Teenage pregnancies are not my thing!
Stew'it, our latest Dexter calf (now a week old), will be banded on Thursday and then it's off to the freezer for him in a couple of years.
I LOVE SAUSAGE DAY!!