Introducing Pork Chop and Ham

Pork chop and Ham are the new additions to our homestead.

Just a little over 6 weeks old they are as cute as can be.

Joe keeps telling the dogs (one of them is looking through the fence) that they are their brother and sister. I keep telling Joe, though our dogs may eat like pigs and one looks like a pig grunts and snores, they still, are not pigs. Distant cousins maybe but not pigs.

Now I have seen pigs afar and on TV, but never up close. When we went to view them before picking them up, we were in the pen with the mother and about eight piglets. Mom was not happy that we were there. I guess she sensed we were there to take her babies. So, she decided she wanted to nibble on my leg to make me go away. Well it worked! Even though her little mouth could not do too much damage. The whole concept is to eat the pig not to be eaten by one. I went outside the cage and watched my husband get periodically nibbled on by momma pig, while here babies ran frantically around the pen together in a herd. During this time the owner, whom we met through a social event, is telling us all about mom, dad and which piglet was available. They happened to stand still just long enough for us to pick out Pork chop and Ham. A few days later they were in their new pig pen.

They look cute but don't like being touched or held by humans as babies. I guess that is a good thing, so you don't get too attached to them. They are afraid of humans but will go nose to nose with dogs and goats.

Here is Chocolate, one of our nubian/boar goats. She was down wind when she smelled her new neighbors and had to come visit. The smell is not overbearing, it is a different odor I have ever smelt in all my years. You have to be near the pen for a while to smell it. Though, Joe says he doesn't smell the pigs and that I have always had a sensitive nose. But, I did see Chocolate sniffing them before visiting so I know it is not just me.

They are frantic little critters that run as soon as they see you coming. Lately, they have been coming closer to me since I bring them food. I guess they figure this nice lady can't be all that bad, she brings us delicious things to eat.

Here they are trying to find a way to get out. But Joe made the pen pig proof, for now.

As cute as they look now, they are truly pigs. They stink, grunt, get themselves and everything else dirty and try to dig their way to china with their noses. How they manage to breathe is beyond me. In all, they just do pig things.

Along with their non-GMO feed, we discovered they like greens, squash, sweet potatoes and oranges are their favorite. They even eat like pigs, smacking and grunting and pushing each other away.

By the way, pork chop is the one on the right. Her brother is a real ham.

Because we do not have them on the conventional feed, we don't expect them to grow very fast. Just as long as they are easy to handle I don't think we will mind. Eventually, we will have them eating more of the pasture in designated paddocks,(fenced in areas), just to give them a different area to forage. Plus we plan to grow food for the animals as well as the mananimals (us) this spring. Lord willing, we will have a healthy harvest to feed us all through winter and then some.

Since, Joe built the pig pen, I will leave him in charge of making the paddocks while I work on the vegetable garden.

There is plenty to do around the homestead, because we are new in our home, to the area and because of our goals of being self-sustaining. It is getting a little easier as we are joining forces with our neighbors, church members and fellow homesteaders. Firewood, livestock, food, seeds, plants, equipment are some of the resources we have already established through the few people we have met in our neighborhood. And there are more to meet.

Life is good on the homestead in Florida.

Healthy Tip of the day

During the holidays, we tend to get stressed physically and mentally. Diffusing lavender essential oil, will relax the mind and body, helping you get a good night sleep. A good night sleep helps to rejuvenate the body and boost the immune system.

You can contact me through comments below, if you have any questions on where to buy or how to use a diffuser or essential oils.

Thanks for viewing!

Happy Holidays!!