Monday, November 5, 2012

Berkshires come to Nannyland, yay.

We had a nice worship service. The Preacher and Pianist have just recently celebrated their first 5 years here in Superior. We heard about the first years of struggling to continue with the Church being so small. They got support, got jobs, and now in the last year the Church is growing and God is showing them they did the right thing to stay. Their daughter has now mover to Montana so they don't miss all of their family so much, they still don't get to see their other daughter and Grands like they might but Montana and it's people have melted their hearts to the calling the Lord sent them to. They are here for good. We are blessed to have them. Right after Church we were on our way to Polson. We stopped at subway to get footlongs and our journey began. The Ladies got to see buffalo, swans, the lake and ninepipe bird reserve. The Missions were beautiful, as always. We played eye spy with my little eye, and one round Poppie joined in. The day was nice with no real rain. We got to our destination and Our Crazy Goat lady was ready to have us see her little menagerie. She has two horses, that Yogie couldn't get enough of, 10 or 15 goats, including Shamrock who was one of my first Boer babies. He is most definitely the king of his world. He is a more magnificent buck than his father, a true son of his mother. She also had 6 pigs, two giants that meandered with the goats, ducks and geese and who really knows what. Poppie could for the first time see one of my crazy goat ladies up close and personal, he said they are truly crazier than me, see I told him he just didn't believe. The piggies were in a kennel, Poppie and I transferred them to our bigger kennel. Poppie got bit by one of them, they were very scared of all the new goings on. They are adorable. They are black with white the are too cute.

  I have been reading up on Berkshires. They are used exclusively in 5 stare restaurants because of the taste of their meat. They have marbles meat and are considered the best of the porks. That was exciting to know, now we just have to wait a year to get our first crop and then until the piglets will grow to adult size. I am so excited. They make a great meat crossed with other breeds as well, we intend to cross the boar with our present Sows, that is still a year plus to a resulting meat as well but we are down the path to heritage pigs and that is a blessing. The Crazy Goat Lady from Polson had some red wattle crosses as well, they are a heritage pig as well, she is not breeding them but has them for meat. We have seen wattles in goats but it was the first time we had seen the wattles in pigs. There is a breeder in Koski but they are more expensive than the Berkshires, well not really since  my dear Goat lady cut me a dirt cheap deal to help us get started raising them, sort of pay back for getting her started on the Boer goats with Shamrock. Kindness repaid is always such a blessing. Never underestimate the kindness you can share in your life, it is a blessing to people and sometime God gives it back to you.

They are really cute and different than what we have. The new ones are a couple weeks or so younger than the three little piglets we are raising as market pigs but they will get on well together. So there is no need right was for a separate pen.  We will eventually move Oreo, the boar, to the first cabin pen we have as it is vacant. Our second sow, Charlotte, will get the pen the little piglets are in in a couple of months as she will soon be a new mamma, she is currently in a pen with her Momma, Swiss Miss Chops "Chops", who is out at Mokies for breeding. She misses her momma so it is good they are apart, Charlotte has never been alone and it is hard on her but not sure it would be a good idea to allow them to both have babies in the same pen, that might just be a disaster in the making so we are going to separate them. The little piglets will go into the old turkey pen, we have to take out a wall to expand in full length of the barn but they will have a pen of there own. We are thinking we are going to free range the pigs in the big goat pen some this year to see how it goes. It worked at The Crazy Goat Lady from Polson's and I have seen it on the Berkshire sites, and as Poppie has now seen it it will be easier for him to get behind. Though Chops and Charlotte are in the goat pen alot on their own, Charlotte likes to eat with the goats in the hay manger and they don't seem to mind her. It will make for better meat I think, and that is always a consideration in the end. I hope you have a great day, remember the Lord loves you and has an open invitation for eternal life for one and all, seek your gift of grace.... tomorrow.

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