Spring Piglets

This was the first day that we opened the barn door and allowed the Tamworth piglets to enjoy the sunshine.  In this photo they are about 3 weeks old and we felt they needed the Vitamin D more than protection from the cold winds.  That was about two weeks ago and now they currently have constant access to the barn yard where they have have begun eating grain.  They are still nursing but eating grain at the same time.  We typically wean them from their mother at 6-7 weeks and that is coming up soon.  We will move the mother back out to pasture with the other breeders and will leave the piglets at the barn for continued observation.  Usually by 10-12 weeks they are ready to move out to pasture with the other feeder piglets.  We are expecting another litter in the beginning of March and that is with our Berkshire gilt and Tamworth Boar.

In other news we will be taking delivery of our first batch of Spring chicks this week.  We decided on Black Austerlops and are expecting 50 of them on Friday.  As many people know they come via US Mail so I am a bit concerned with how cold it still is outside while they are in transit.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.  I have always found the egg layers to be hardier than the meat birds and I am not expecting my first batch of meat birds until the middle of April.  May will bring our first batch of East Durham Farm turkeys.   We have not tried to raise turkeys here yet and I am sure are in for soem surprises.  We expect to offer them for sale through the farm store along with our eggs, and meat birds.

We have 3200 seedlings started and have many more to go.  I have been researching OMRI approved insecticides to deal with Colorado Potato Beetle and Squash bugs.  We will be trying Monterey for the Colorado Potato Beetles and Pyganic for the Squash Bugs this year to deal with them.  I will be interested to see the bug pressure with such a cold winter.