Pig Snuffles

What are pig snuffles you say? Why, they are the wonderful mud circles you get on the backs of your legs when the pigs are encouraging you to fill that food dish, or scratch their backs, or just walking with you as you complete your morning chores. 

The pigs have become another source of enjoyment for me over the last 2 months, and although they are being raised strictly for food and not pets, their lives could not be any richer. Here are a couple of short videos to enjoy of pigs doing what pigs do best... Getting dirty!

Warning, they are sideways. No one ever said I was a master videographer.

Forgive the goofy commentary.

I knew when I purchased these pigs that a typical pig pen with dirt and mud would not suffice. The smell that emanates from these pens after the pigs have been housed an extended amount of time is indescribable. So I had to come up with a different solution for housing that benefited both us and the pigs. Voila! The movable pig pen.

 Over half of the undergrowth in the forest has now been successfully cleaned out down to bare dirt thanks to these lovely creatures, and by keeping their bathroom area spread out, the chickens handle any poop issues we may have. Sounds gross I know, and while they are NOT eating the poop, they are pecking the grain that doesn't digest and scratching like chickens naturally do, so the piles are spread out and the smell is minimal. Isn't nature wonderful?! 

By keeping the pig pen in the forest, the need for shelter is eliminated. The pigs also stay cool in the shade of the trees, and have an abundance of new undergrowth to root through every few days. The down side is the actual moving of the panels through brambles and thorns, ticks and chiggers, poison ivy and any number of vines and green stuff that can cause rashes. Long sleeves, long pants, tall boots and gloves are mandatory for each move. Is it worth it? You bet! The pigs are happy and healthy, the forest is getting cleared naturally, and I keep collecting things long ago buried in the soil that my pig friends discover for me daily. Thank you Ham and Bacon excavation team!

Until next time,
Happy farming.