Prior, proper, preparation, prevents, piss, poor, pig production.
We think our Large Black pigs are in pig. Well that’s what Rajan Singh says and he should know; Raj has grown up raising plenty of pigs. His family operate several piggeries under the name of Byron Bay Pork around the Byron shire and a big one in Tenterfield.
Now back to pig preparation. Our free range pen need a bit of infrastructure to prepare for piglets. Raj told us to get our two sows separated as soon as possible. We also need to have shelter for each pig and a protected area for the piglets when they are born. My plans require version numbers because I change my mind so often. With this being the case I have decided that whatever we build will be done in a way that it can easily be changed and modified. Another decision I have made is that we have a budget of $150 for everything. Where did the $150 come from? That’s the amount of cash in my pocket from one of the tractor jobs we did yesterday.
Here is what I am thinking while I wait for our farm hand in training Brad to arrive. Luckily Brad is a cabinet maker so there is a good chance that our outcomes will be level and square. He’s also not afraid to let me know if he doesn’t like the smell of what I am stepping in.
1) Bella wants to camp out with the pigs at night so she can help them with their birth
2) Alison loves the large fenced in pen that we built for the pigs and does not want to know about another location
3) The pigs like to hang out in the top left corner of the pen
4) Material List: used roofing tin, temporary pool fence, scaffolding, recycled timber, straw bales, metal shelving, wire mesh, cut up concrete slabs