So Its winter – the days are so short right now. I only get two jobs a day done properly and finding the pigs fence isn’t working at 5pm in the afternoon is a real pain.
We did a lot of things wrong last year, between the water issues, sowing oats a little late and bad fencing, planting the potatoes in the wrong spot, the pigs and the sheep’s lice things never worked out as we planned. So this year, with a little hindsight and experience behind us hopefully things will turn out better. The list so far goes like this.
Potatoes – chit them before we plant. Chitting is when you leave them in the sun to sprout before you plant them. We will plant them in a better spot, with a little less shade.
Oats are going to be fenced properly and the ground is going to be biologically treated before we plant.
Pigs – we’ve sorted a couple of our problems but destocking is still a priority. Hopefully we will find the centre of gravity on that this year. It will probably be a dry year so we need to have good control on numbers – or a constant turn over.
Sheep – do we keep up with the sheep? Is the wool cheque worth it or do we go for a grass fed meat variety that sheds??
Where do we go from here? I’ve been thinking about doing geese, we have a few now and they seem pretty easy to care for. Ducks are another thing I would love to try.
Anyway, I’ve got winter to contemplate all these things.
I’ve been let down a couple of times lately by people who’d ask to take some pigs. I was going to have a butcher sell our meat as well, but that went belly up too. Now, I can take a couple of disappointments. These things happen, but it makes me really reconsider dealing with people instead of doing it all on my own. We live and learn I suppose.
So we are at the cusp of having our first pigs processed and trying our first Valley View pork. I’m considering changing the name of the product to something else – more regional that will be recognised else where. I’ve got my eye on something – I’ll reveal it later.
We’ve had more piglets arrive and last time I looked they where fat, healthy and fine. We had a little bit of rain last night, about 3mm last time I looked. Everything is starting to get a little muddy. We haven’t had a frost since mid May which is really unusual.
The piglet inside the house is having the tie of its life. Every evening it gets let out and runs around the house until feed time. Eats, then sleeps. The kids have named her Snowy which is supposed to have some reference to when she was born.
We did a lot of things wrong last year, between the water issues, sowing oats a little late and bad fencing, planting the potatoes in the wrong spot, the pigs and the sheep’s lice things never worked out as we planned. So this year, with a little hindsight and experience behind us hopefully things will turn out better. The list so far goes like this.
Potatoes – chit them before we plant. Chitting is when you leave them in the sun to sprout before you plant them. We will plant them in a better spot, with a little less shade.
Oats are going to be fenced properly and the ground is going to be biologically treated before we plant.
Pigs – we’ve sorted a couple of our problems but destocking is still a priority. Hopefully we will find the centre of gravity on that this year. It will probably be a dry year so we need to have good control on numbers – or a constant turn over.
Sheep – do we keep up with the sheep? Is the wool cheque worth it or do we go for a grass fed meat variety that sheds??
Where do we go from here? I’ve been thinking about doing geese, we have a few now and they seem pretty easy to care for. Ducks are another thing I would love to try.
Anyway, I’ve got winter to contemplate all these things.
I’ve been let down a couple of times lately by people who’d ask to take some pigs. I was going to have a butcher sell our meat as well, but that went belly up too. Now, I can take a couple of disappointments. These things happen, but it makes me really reconsider dealing with people instead of doing it all on my own. We live and learn I suppose.
So we are at the cusp of having our first pigs processed and trying our first Valley View pork. I’m considering changing the name of the product to something else – more regional that will be recognised else where. I’ve got my eye on something – I’ll reveal it later.
We’ve had more piglets arrive and last time I looked they where fat, healthy and fine. We had a little bit of rain last night, about 3mm last time I looked. Everything is starting to get a little muddy. We haven’t had a frost since mid May which is really unusual.
The piglet inside the house is having the tie of its life. Every evening it gets let out and runs around the house until feed time. Eats, then sleeps. The kids have named her Snowy which is supposed to have some reference to when she was born.
4 comments:
ooh! when can I buy VVP? Do you have to take them to Cootamundra yourself or can they go to Cooma?
PS, are you going to bee club next week?
As soon as I move down there you will have one new customer :)
I cant wait to try making my own prociutto and sausages and...oooh mouth is starting to water already hehe.
Hi Guys
Mrs DH - I'll be at the bee meeting, I've got to get on the course. You'll have to tell me what cuts you want so I can make sure there is some for you as well. I was on a course on Wednesday with a lady that knows you, (pregnant lady from DECC D.R.)
Em - I'll keep you in mind.
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