4 pigs take a road trip...................

A beautiful sunny, frosty morning here in the Northeast.....22F. We were out early for chores, as we have extra work to do this morning. Four of our 8 pigs that we raised have nearly reached the end of their journey and will make the trip to the butchers this afternoon. Each year we think we have our catch and load skills down to a science and all will go as planned. It always does when we talk it through :)

After several attempts and many hand signals I backed the trailer into position in front of our loading chute. Steve and Tom turn the feed platform around and we use it as a ramp. The trailer isn't very high but with the pigs short legs the ramp really helps them take that step up into the trailer. I put the feed trough in the front of the trailer with their breakfast in it.


We put the pigs in the holding pen and gave them a few apples while we worked on the trailer and the chute. They obviously know somethings up. They were quite agitated at me for being late with their breakfast!

Here we go - The doors open and the grain is in the feeder in the trailer. Steve is calling them and has a bucket of grain in his hand.

Two more make their way out.............they are nosy and hungry.....

So far, so good.....one pig in the trailer, 3 more to go

3 pigs in the trailer, one really needs a push!

He's in, he's in, somebody shut the door!!!

Yippee - it all went good today. Less than five minutes and all four pigs are loaded. Last year was a disaster. We had three feet of mud everywhere and pigs that absolutely refused to get on the trailer. That and the fact we were getting freezing rain, we couldn't feel our fingers it was so cold and everything on the trailer was frozen. I thought we were all going to have heart attacks before we finally got those pigs loaded!

These four will be ready to be picked up in about a week. These are reserved for my customers who by a side of pork. The other 4 pigs we raised, ours included, will go on November 2. These were sold as whole pigs. Our pig from last year is just about gone so it works out just right.

I enjoy the process of raising the pigs from the time they are 8 weeks old until butchering time. Raising them with kindness, knowing that they have had good, wholesome food to eat their entire lifetime and knowing my butcher is all very important to our customers and of course, to us. That being said, I'm always glad when it's time for them to go and I won't miss them :O)