David Mcgowan Hicks

I have a few questions which I am sure y'all can help me with. I currently work on a tiny farm, just got the job. I am taking over for someone who did not give two turds about animals or farming. We are about to send 6 pigs off to processing, which combined with currently vacant pens will give me 5 pens ranging in size from 1/8 to 1/2 acre. 3 of those pens are currently MOONSCAPE because my predecessor did not move the pigs at all last season. I am concerned that there is way too much manure in those pens (I'm gonna be adding bunch of carbon soon unless y'all advise me otherwise). I want to try to reduce feed cost drastically next spring, because my boss, the owner of the farm, has basically said that if we get pigs next year they will be my pigs, purchased and fed with my money, and any profits going into my pockets. Anyway, I was hoping to have about 6 pigs again next year and I want to start doing what I can to get those pens rehabbed so that there is actual forage for my little piggies.

My questions:

- should I add a bunch of carbon to the 3 moonscaped lots that are probably a third pig shit?
- are there any seed mixes that are suitable as pig pasture? ( I was looking at some whitetail food plot seed mixes and didn't know if they would be suitable with a few amendments or what?)
- if the deer seeds won't do, whats the short list of best pig forage? If I have to buy the types of seed individually I would rather it be less than ten species.

Thanks for your attention, I am excited about raising some pigs next year! If it matters at all I am in upstate SC, near Greenville.

Sounds incredibly dangerous. Cave in?

How much of the home do you really need? Seal off part of it and live in a smaller home, concentrate on insulating windows and doors in that area, and seal off all heat and air vents in the other part.

My estwing is about 28 inches long I think...

Im not a very strong man and I can wield it one handed to great effect, but its still big enough to fell 6-10 inch hardwoods handily. Lovely tool.

(not my video)

Hi, I'm interested in this opportunity.I can give you references RE:Childcare, but have little experience with the farming part. I'm not afraid of hard work and I'm definitely not afraid of rural living. I could get out there by May 10th, and need to be back home on the 22nd of August to resume school. I have pretty good woodworking skills, so if you decided to build a coop for chickens, or anything like that, I love work like that. Please let me know if you have any questions about my skills or would like aforementioned references.

Hi, Im a student at the University of South Carolina right now, so there is no way I could make it up before mid may, but I would love to spend a summer helping y'all out. Im highly interesting in your weaving, its something I've wanted to try for several months. However, Ill have to come back to SC in mid August to finish my schooling. If having help for just the summer interests you, please PM me on here.

Does anyone have any experience with building earthbag domes in big holes and then burying them? Looking to construct a cellar for wine and for curing prosciutto.

I have an estwing brand camp axe that I love. Its small enough to not wear me out, not too unwieldy to choke up on for splitting kindling, but big enough to fell any tree I wouldn't get the chainsaw out for. Haven't used it for serious splitting, but that's not what I bought it for.

If your daughter is fond of skirts and dresses, sewing her clothes should be very simple. I am not much of a sewer, but I can bang out a pleated wrap dress in a couple of hours from scratch. Sadly, I dont really wear dresses. Trousers are terra incognita for me.

I moved my soap dish from hanging from the shower head to the far end of the shower, halved my soap consumption. I dont have a bar of hand soap, just lather up from the shower bar.