Tag Archives: pig pen

building the pig pen

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A week and a half ago, we built a pig pen and fencing with the help of some of the local 4H crew in preparation for the pigs they’ll be boarding here. In exchange for giving them space (and helping them care) for their pigs, they’re gifting us a pig and, as you’ll see in the photos, helped supply us with the materials and labour to build a pig pen living space on our land. In addition to building the actually pig house, the crew pulled our old trailers out of the way (see video below – kudos to our pregnant helper!) and started putting up fencing (whic
h was completed today). We’ve since painted the pig house and set up the food and water system. More photos coming in our ‘work party’ blog post.

Sidenote: as I’m writing this, I’m realizing that I don’t actually know the proper(?) language for pig living spaces. What’s the difference between a pig pen and a pig sty? Does ‘pig pen’ include the ‘house’ or only the fenced-in graze and play area? Hmmm… sounds like we may need a name for our pig abode (kinda like our rabitat for the rabbits). Any suggestions?

PS – the piglets arrive tomorrow!!! We’re VERY excited. Stay tuned for photos and video footage.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYXHNQPn-w?wmode=transparent]

unstuck (but not without leaving marks)

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In follow-up to this morning’s blog post…

When I got home from work, the cement truck was nowhere to be seen. He got out! He left behind really big tire marks in our field, but that’s okay – at least he was able to free his truck. And by the looks of things, they were able to pour the cement into the framed area for the pig pen platform too. As I walked towards it to check it out, my cat Lola came bounding across the field to say hi to me – right across the cement pad. Oops.

Those tire marks will get filled in and disappear. Lola’s paw prints, on the other hand, are here to stay. Personally I think it adds a major ‘cute’ factor to the still-uncompleted pig pen. Hopefully the rest of the farm family will feel the same way ;)

 

stuck

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“Oh, the land… It just keeps fighting us.”

So, I’m working from Starbucks today (having a ‘work from home’ job results in some very comfortable working spaces ;), but before I left the farm, there was A LOT of activity going on. Or maybe I should say inactivity…

Yesterday, Matt prepped an area in our pig-pen-to-be for a concrete slab (you know, so our pigs don’t have to walk around in soggy grass and mud all the time) and today the delivery guy arrived to pour the concrete. Despite the heavy frost this morning and the drier-ish weather conditions we’ve been having, our land just wasn’t ready to cooperate and that poor guy’s massive, heavy concrete truck got totally stuck. Yep, stuck.  And that’s not an easy thing to just tie the tractor to and pull out.

Before I left, 4 or 5 guys had been shovelling around the sunken back tires for about 45 minutes, adding gravel and wood, trying to give the truck tires something to grab on to. The driver had managed to move it a bit, but was still stuck. Very stuck. When I did finally leave, they were pouring concrete into a wheelbarrow and wheeling it over to the pig pen slab area to start filling it. I’m not sure if doing that will lighten the truck load enough to help move it, but you never know. Regardless, it was the only way the concrete was going to get to where it needed to be.

While Chantalle, Canaan and I were standing there watching the guys trying to remedy the situation, Chantalle said what I’ve quoted above. It’s true – our farm is on very soggy, clay-ish land and it makes for a lot of challenges when it comes to moving vehicles around and planting/ growing things. Sometimes it feels like a fight, but we’re working on making it a cooperative partnership instead. It will happen!

I’ll blog an update when I return to the farm later. Hopefully (for that concrete truck driver), the truck will have freed itself and fled.

PS – I feel like I need to apologize to our committed blog readers. I have fallen way behind and have a lot to update you on. I promise it’s just because life is busy right now and not because I’m becoming a lazy blogger. Outdated updates coming and a more regular life schedule (ie: blogging schedule) is on its way! Thanks for still reading :)