2020 Herd Boar: Part 2

February 12, 2020

20200211_113021

 

Check out those tusks!  Another post on End Zone, showing off doing his two jobs.  We were moving some other hogs and he patrolled the perimeter, making sure everyone knew he was in charge!

Boars are very aggressive with each other.  That’s one of the reasons I sold his Father because I was worried about them ever getting together.  The ensuing fight would, at the least, sideline one or both of them with injuries and possible death.

And since End Zone is doing the important job so well, photo below, I have a son of Zone for sale, if any of you hog farmers need a good young boar.

IMG_0047

Leave a Comment » | Curious hogs | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

2020 Herd Boar: End Zone

January 29, 2020

IMG_0024

Last year’s post, “2019 Herd Boars”, talked about two of my all-time favorite herd boars, Zone and End Zone.  Father and Son, sadly, I decided to sell the Father as he got very big, over 800 lbs, and his son, End Zone, was breeding well.

And then, wouldn’t you know it, when I was down to one boar, End Zone got hurt.  I think he hurt himself in his mud wallow, as the mud had gotten very sticky.  This isn’t a problem confinement pork producers worry about.

I wasn’t sure if he would get better, but I separated him so he could rest and thankfully he did and is back better than ever.  I was able to use artificial insemination to breed one group of sows who will farrow in March.

I kept a white son of Zone and we will see how he develops.  I really like the confirmation of End Zone.  He has a lot of length and is close to perfect on his feet.  He is also easier to work with than his Father.  So I’m hoping I can keep him from getting too big too soon.

IMG_0023

4 Comments | Curious genetics, Curious hogs | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

2019: The Shortest Green Season

October 31, 2019

DSCF3651

 

Six months of green!  Our late snowstorm of April 27th joined forces with an early October 29th snowstorm to make this the shortest green season.  These photos were taken after a second, October 31st snowstorm.

DSCF3652

 

We have one litter outside.  They are doing fine with lots of bedding.

The sows are still finding some grass to eat.  You can see the one in the bottom photo munching on a clump of Orchardgrass.

DSCF3654

2 Comments | Curious hogs, Curious weather | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

September Farrowing and Calving

September 22, 2019

DSCN1047

September is a good month for new births, as it’s usually warm and dry.  This September has been warm and wet, continuing a two year trend.

We farrow most months of the year, except for the coldest weeks in winter.  Calving works great in September and October, calves wintering on the cow, and weaned onto the lush spring pastures.  It also helps that I can borrow a breeding bull from my parents, who practice spring calving.

Photo credits to my sister, Rebecca.  I like the perspective she captured in the top photo.  In the photo below, the two day old calf hiding in the weeds almost looks like we’ve adorned him with some type of holiday flowers.

DSCN1045

2 Comments | Curious cattle, Curious hogs | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

Canadian Bacon and Tomato/Onion

August 30, 2019

DSCF3531

Our version of the BLT uses Canadian Bacon.  Look how nicely it fits on the toast.

And we also use onions instead of lettuce.  I don’t like all that bulky lettuce crowding my sandwich.

And lots of tomatoes.  Yum.

DSCF3530

3 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

Oyster Mushrooms

July 31, 2019

DSCF3514

 

My friend Jeremy helped me identify delicious, Oyster mushrooms, (genus Pleurotus).  While I don’t consider them to be as good as Morel mushrooms, they are still very good and have many advantages.

One is they are saprotrophic, meaning they grow on dead material, which makes them much easier to find, as once you find them, they tend to continue producing throughout the summer.  I like foraging, but I like it even better when its like going to the supermarket!

Another advantage is they are highly productive.  Check out all the beauties on this one tree.

DSCF3515

In my research, I learned something else new.  Wikipedia says Oyster mushrooms and other fungi as well are Nematophagous, which means they catch and eat nematodes.  Nematodes are round worms.  Are you getting hungry?

Gross factor aside, I’m finding fungi more fascinating the more I learn.  Would you like to eat Oyster mushrooms?

DSCF3516

4 Comments | Curious food, Curious nature, Curious wild food | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

Monarch Caterpillars

June 27, 2019

DSCF3497

The wet spring appears to be favorable for the butterflies, as I’ve been seeing a ton.  Incidentally, which weighs more, a ton of bricks, or a ton of butterflies?

DSCF3498 2

I’m seeing more Milkweed, which is the host plant for Monarch larvae, the Monarch caterpillar.  Its orange, black, and white stripes signal toxicity to potential predators.  The word for this is Aposematism.

Milkweed contains large amounts of Cardiac glycoside poisons, and the Monarch, from feeding on the Milkweed, does as well.  Some predators have evolved workarounds for the poisons, though.

 

DSCF3500 2

Check out the massive turds behind the caterpillar in the photo above.  Chewed leaves and feces is your best signifier that a monarch caterpillar may be near.

I read in my local paper that its not just my experience, but scientists and citizen scientists confirm the greatest number of Monarchs in the last decade.

No doubt efforts by many of us to increase the amount of Milkweed and Monarch habitat have helped.  Some have taken to mass rearing Monarchs indoors.  While I appreciate their efforts, the holistic naturalist in me questions the overall effectiveness and it appears some agree, citing concerns over spreading of parasites and disease, and inadvertently selecting for less thrifty individuals.

What do you think?DSCF3502

4 Comments | Curious nature | Permalink
Posted by Curiousfarmer

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »