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pigs

Finally greening up!

thomas rubino

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Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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The snow may have melted sooner this year, but the grass sure wasn't growing for most of the last month. Guess staying above freezing isn't enough , you need the sun to shine as well...
The weaners got here on April 10th it's now May 7th and my rotational pens are just now greening up! I've been picking grass and feeding it to the girls by hand. They know the sound of grass being torn up and meet me at the gate. It will be at least another week before I can let them into one of the pens. A month for the others. Lots of hand feeding for the little oinkers.

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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

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Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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Getting a little greener each day. I'll let them into the first paddock later this week. In less than a week they will have it looking like multiple bombs have gone off... but they will have big smiles on their piggy faces!

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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

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Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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Let the girls into the tiny compost area. Lots of grass and worms but they will be done destroying it by tomorrow. Letting paddock 1 grow as long as possible before turning them loose in there.

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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

Posts: 6970

Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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I let them in the little pen about 2 pm yesterday... this is what it looked like this morning about 8.

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Anthony Cooley

Posts: 55

Location: Near Missoula

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posted 7 years ago

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Wow! We let our piggies in a little early, but everything is greening up nicely here. The first few paddocks are even re-greening pretty well! You can see in this photo where the porkers have been on the right vs where they’re going on the left. Also you can see where I made a significant measuring error(really bad estimation) and had to move the fence about 5 feet nearest the gate.

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Tony and Shelly
Novel Idea Homestead

thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

Posts: 6970

Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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May 27th and the paddocks are finally starting to look good.
I let them into paddock #1 a week ago... not much left in there. Another week and i'll let them in paddock 2. Then it will be time to till and replant #1.
Now that its getting hot (ha 75-80 or so) daily I flood their pen so they have a nice cool wallow to roll in.
They are really starting to pack the grain in... their growing like hogs.

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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

Posts: 6970

Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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Today was a good day in piggy land ! Finished work in paddock #1 and as a reward they have been let into paddock #2.... Happy Piggys

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Mark Brunnr

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posted 7 years ago

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That's really cool! Once they leave a paddock, what do you replant in the emptied space? I would guess anything planted gets fully eaten when they arrive, so something cheap that can grow decently in a month or less? It would be perfect if there was a plant that set seed in a month, and as the pigs come in and eat everything they leave enough seeds on the soil and it gets mixed in so the plants are already seeded for you once they move out.

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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

Posts: 6970

Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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Thanks Mark;
I replant , rye , barley , clover , vetch , buckwheat, pasture mix.. like you say anything will do . The pigs love it all. When they get to paddock #4 it has the old apple tree that rains treats from the sky when the wind blows.

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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

Posts: 6970

Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 7 years ago

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Short work on paddock #2... as usual... when chow is involved they know how to get the job done! Moving into paddock #3, with the summer palace to nap in, for when a piggy is too tired to waddle back to the main pen.
Paddock #1 is growing back with out being properly reseeded. The tiller is acting up (again) and I've been busy doing other things. So some hand tossed seed with dirt kicked on top will have to do.
I wish EGO had a cordless 56 volt rear tine tiller to go with my lawn mower and string trimmer, the ego chainsaw to come later this year. (Love my EGO products).

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Caitlin Mac Shim

Posts: 66

posted 5 years ago

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Hi Thomas!
Thank you for your excellent pictures and explanations. Your system looks great, and piggies look very happy

I was wondering how much land overall you used in this system roughly? I understand it’s 4 paddocks and a permanent housing (sleeping / wallowing) area? Do you have a central alley so the piggies can access whichever paddock they’re rotating through directly from their permanent pen independently ? Ie so they can access their sleeping quarters and given paddock as they please? I’d like to understand more about how you have it all laid out, and if you’re still using this set up or have changed /adapted it since.

Thanks again for all the info, it’s great to see your set up in action

Cheers, Caitlin.

thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

Posts: 6970

Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 4 years ago

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Hi Caitlin; Sorry I missed your post.
Yes, I still use the same arrangement for the piggys .
Without going down with a tape I can't give you true sizes.
Yes the water and main sleeping area are always accessible. Paddack #1 & #2 both enter directly into the main area.
Paddock #3 & 4 have an alleyway that allows free travel back to the water hole and their "bedroom" with the grain feeder inside.

When I am within one month of piggys going to meet the butcher. I shut the door to their bedroom and grain feeder.
I have a second grain feeder I install in the back of the pickup truck.
The pickup is parked at the load ramp and to get grain they must get in the truck.
When the day comes to travel , loading is no trouble at all !

For all your Montana Masonry Heater parts (also known as) Rocket Mass heater parts.
Visit me at
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Douglas Alpenstock

pollinator

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Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

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posted 4 years ago

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Ahhh! It's delightful to see photos of green growing things.

Oustide my window it's snowing and -20C (-29C with the windchill). And the January picture on the calendar I got for Christmas has a picture of - wait for it - snow and ice. That borders on sadistic.

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