Weaning Piglets on Pasture
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
- How we set up our weaning pen. General concept, specific pointers and things to watch out for.
I (Jordan) and my wife, Laura, own and operate J & L Green Farm in Virginia. It has been our full time occupation for the last 12 years building this first generation, pasture based, direct to retail farm. We are in the small percentage of farmers that actually make their income from farming. As such we address our farm as a business and make decisions with that in mind. What you see here is what it takes. No BS or disney’ifying.
Have a question or idea for a future video? Leave a comment or drop a DM!
Follow on FB - / farmbuilderjordan
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Jordan on the web - www.farmbuilder.us
Farm on the web - www.jlgreenfarm.com
They get the best part of their lives spent happy and free and in company with each other. A thousand per cent better than factory farms.
I just wandered over because I saw the thumbnail of piglets. [smiles]
My grandfather raised hogs. They were the coolest creatures I ever knew. He took good care of his babies too. And they grew up lean, strong and much sought after.
But the thing that Really stood out, both in this video and how he raised his hogs, is that both you and he show respect and care for the lives you're in charge of.
Yes, economically, it makes more sense, but financial aspect aside, it shows what calibre of a man you are as well.
Thank you for that. For the reminder of happy times when I was the one sitting and having my rubber boots nibbled. And for being a decent person that while yes, you help feed people pork, you don't treat the life given cheaply.
Thank you, a wonderful compliment! If you're ever in VA stop on by and we'll let the piglets nibble your boots again!
I been raising hogs all my life and what you said at the end of this vid is a huge key to any livestock operation really.Taking time to be out there and observe.
I’ve observed that pigs like to eat yo much filling their bellies with green grass will not make them grow but fill the m up
Thank you for continuing to take the time to show your operations. The insight of your growing and learning in real time has helped many of us newbies of what to expect. It has also helped tremendously in reducing the learning curve.
+gary toles thank you!
I love to see them so stress-free and frolicking around as nature intended, great job. I could watch them all day!
Thanks, come on by the farm anytime!
Lovely to see happy and healthy animals! Thank you for sharing your journey, you are an inspiration. Imagine if all humans were as thoughtful and respectful toward animals, and other humans for that matter
good job, very nicely done. I just bought 40 acres and retiring this year and pigs are on the farm plan. You gave some great insight, and I will continue to watch your videos. Thanks
+Richard Smith appreciate the support!
Richard Smith . I
We raised about a dozen pigs a year in Saskatchewan.
In the winter they stayed in a small wooden shed with a small door on the south side and filled with light wheat straw.
The pigs would just submarine themselves underneath the straw and wintered quite well curled up together under a foot or two of straw.
In the mornings they would explode out of the straw and come tearing out into the pen when we showed up to feed them.
We also fed them lots of barley for the energy, and they got leftover milk from three hand milked cows.
Winters were cold, but dry.
The snow piled up around the shed and on the roof, along with bales, provided quite a bit of insulation.
Those are some happy looking piglets. So many wagging tails!
such a great video, thank you, and thank you for caring about the lives of animals we eat. it's an honorable thing
From the Philippines... Mabuhay! Nice video,,,keep it up...thanks for sharing..
I couldn't sell these babies after raising them. I know. I'm a softie. You're doing a great job. Thank you.
Life moves faster and faster for us these days.Its hard to find time but its gotta be done if your going to be successful.Youll learn ten books worth of info in a half hour with them hogs. Well done sir.
Very Informative and cool video about Weaning Piglets!
I'm a new viewer. Congrats on so many lovely healthy piglets. Wish they could all stay in their piglet heaven, but they all grow up so quickly. No I'm not picking faults. I love what you do, with your piglets and the full cows 😊
Cool video. Please keep them coming.
Love your specific info!
I just found you today. Thanks for the ideas.
We need more farmers like Jordon Green! I do not like pork, no reason why others who love it can eat and enjoy 1
Awesome idea
Nice informative video, there's a lot to learn about these guys, tyvm. I just subscribed, enjoyed very much.
Very nice set up. We do not have the cold like you do, we have little to no snow, and our summers are in the 80s. I have been weaning at a min of 21 days and up to 6 weeks. I pasture here in Chile and supplement them with Whey and Corn.
I have been having good results so far and get my price on whole animal sales. We get grass growth all year long so hay is not needed.
Thanks again for the nice video.
I’ve been watching your channel since you were interning at Polyface. I had lost hope in raising pigs due to financial concerns, but I’m trying to learn so that when I’m ready, I’ll be doing so with more knowledge. Thanks!
so much good advice. thank you.
Great video 👍
You are a very cultured farmer Sir. I mean look at the posh words he uses. He is like a University lecturer. I raise my hat to you.☺
I enjoy the video
It very educative waiting for more updates
Love raising pigs, thank you for the content...
In the old days, when I was younger than you, about your kids age. We cut the piglets as soon as they were running around good, as soon as they dropped they pride, but not weane them for until 6 or 8 weeks old. I was young then & am not sure when that was. We let the sow weane them, unless we sold them.
I am glad you made this video, cause it has been some years & I just want to rasie 3 or 4 pigs for the freezer. Not earn a living, now that I am retired, but still like the pasture rasied pigs. Thanks.
A very good video. This was a big help.
Another great video thanks
I really enjoy your videos. Very nice looking pigs.
Thank you!
I really enjoy your vids. Hardly too long...they could be longer and still keep my interest. I am at this time strictly into specialty chicken products (capons) in West Virginia but giving serious consideration to getting back into swine.
Keep up the good work!
+ronald stout thanks!
"As always... get after it on your farm". Lol. Good video.
farm builder bravo e complimente....
Great information! Thanks.
good, informative
Great Video
thank you for your kindness and caring for the wellbeing of you pigs ,people eat meat its a fact .but i would love to see more farmers giving their livestock freedom and good health
+Yvette Charron thank you!
Noelle Ferguson, You are a moron, vegan babies are not all growing up healthy.Tell me what we do with the billions and billions of farm animals? Do we keep them as pets or do we eradicate them all? The world will never go 100% vegan so get educated.The best we can do is donate and educate on fair humane farming .give me a nice juicy mouth watering rare steak any day yum mmmm my I do not like pork , sorry hog farmers lol
Cause cancer lmao! I think you need to go take your meds and go get a double big mac and enjoy, Cause a few of you 2 face vegans are eating meat on the sly Meataholics !! We have been eating meat since the beginning of time.Answer my question what do we do with the billions and billions of farm animals? And what about the wildlife do we kill all wildlife? How will people survive without farms Jobs?
My apologies for the troll. She is in the ban box now.
Noelle,
If you're not a fan of meat thats fine. However, the VAST majority of the global population eats meat.
Period.
I don't care that you're a vegan, so why do you care that we are meat eaters?
This guy is trying to raise animals as humanely as possible (didn't you hear him talk about reducing the stress on the animals?)
Fact is: mother nature is not kind, and decent, she is cold and ruthless. Just consider how animals die in the wild...
Disease, starvation, cold exposure, heat exposure, automobile impacts (where they lay dying in a ditch for hours to days), predation (where they are literally torn apart alive), etc.
I myself would take a bullet in the head over all these alternatives, (and yes I know you like to be the one to pull the trigger).
If you think otherwise, name one "nice" way to die at mother natures hand.
In the natural world animals don't live long enough (except in captivity) to die in their sleep.
Now go find somebody else to mess with.
HEY BIG GUY NICE VIDEO KEEPUP THE GREAT WORK. DIRT FARMER MICHAEL USNAVYRETIRED ORG. FROM GA. LIVINGIN THE COUNTRY OF PANAMA GETING READY TO START R. HOGS IN 2019 IN PANAMA.I LOVE WATCHING COUNTRY BOYS LIVE THAT OUTSIDE LIFE.( ALWAYS WISHING THAT MY MESSAGE FIND YOU AND YOUR WELL ALWAYS) BE SAFE AND TAKE CARE GOD AND COUNTRY. NOW GO HAVE A FINE NAVY DAY..THANKS.
good job and well done indeed
I love it . Thanks
Your really doing great
learned a lot thank you !
Best channel for pig farming💪🤟 yeeyee
Very nice👏👏
COOL MAN VERY NICE GOOD JOB.
Thanks for sharing your operation with us. I'm not in a position to have livestock right now so I appreciate watching these happy pigs while I work towards the goal. Maybe someday you could give us some advise about the do's and don'ts of leasing farmland...and your philosophy on vaccination, doctoring, etc.
Merry Christmas!
absolutely, would be glad to share what has worked for us.
+noelle ferguson pork is quite delicious and far more pigs GET to live a life as part of our farm then if we didn't raise pigs at all. Life eats life and a vegan lifestyle is responsible for far more animal deaths than a meat eater is. theconversation.com/ordering-the-vegetarian-meal-theres-more-animal-blood-on-your-hands-4659
+noelle ferguson you're quite a character. Lol perhaps if you educated yourself on regenerative agriculture I would give you a little bit more standing in this discussion. Unless your children are eating grass my cows aren't competing for one ounce of their food. Know what you're talking about before you make a fool of yourself.
+noelle ferguson LOL.
www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Myth-Food-Justice-Sustainability/dp/1604860804
sweet Video
piglets are entertaining as hell
So cute
R&O Pig Farm want to Thank you for the video i like your operation, i think is great for the animals.
Thanks!
I like your farming pig's 👍
Great stuff here as usual. Really like these videos. Any chance of a NYE special update with the 'Staff talk'??
+Richard O'Reilly well the interns got fired and the staff is likely to be quite drunk..we'll see how it goes! ;)
wow very nice good job sana mayron din akong baboyan
good set up , little harder to do up here in canada are winters are so cold
Indeed.
hello. great fan of what you are doing, and thanks for the video in particular, will like to see what is the best feed formulation for just weaned piglet. we don't have cold weather here in west africa. really look forward to your feedback. thanks
I'm thinking about doing it like that in tn
Great information about correct animal management. Those are some happy and healthy pigs there. Keep up the good work!
thank you!
Thanks for nice piggry video. i am a new pig rearer and need more tecniques for making my home pigs feed. can fishstocks be recommanded
Your pigs looks very healthy and happy. I had never seen pigs eat grass. Are some of your pigs eat grass in the video? Is that good or bad?
+SirGenius1723 yes, pigs will forage extensively if given the opportunity. I think it's a good thing!
good views.
like
At what age do you wean? Also do you have a recommended square foot space per X number of piglets?
Do you live off your farm income or do you have another job , thank you for your quick response to my prior question, could you make a Video of your whole farm like a walk around so we have a better idea of what you have going on , I like your attitude and posts thanks for the information you give to us . Todd
Both Laura and I are 100% employed on our farm and have been doing it full time since 2009. A whole farm overview sounds great and I'll try to get something up soon! Thanks for the comments!
Love the channel! I've got my first 3 weanlings coming this spring, just wondering if you've had problems with coyotes get after them when they're little. We've got a fair amount in the area, i figuire once they're getting to 60 or 70lbs they'd be left alone but i'm a little worried about them for the first few weeks
+Aaron Knodel I never have but I'm sure it can be a problem for some. You could try having a secured area they go at night and out on pasture just during the day.
Thanks for the videos, we are also trying the pasture pork life! It seems as though we are on the same page with our farrowing, weaning and dry sows through the winter. It is nice to know that we are not alone.We have 110 acres and a few cows along with 40 sows. We are looking to double our herd, is it okay if we build some pasture farrowing huts like yours? Thanks Cynthia Cahalan
+patrick cahalan sounds like you have a neat thing going on! Certainly use the design for your own. There will be plans for construction on the future website......(coming soon!)
What are the reasons for weaning at 8 to 10 weeks? I have a pasture based pig farm and I wean at 6 weeks. Mostly to be able to get the sow bred again and have two litters per year. What the advantages to your longer nursing time? Love the videos!
I've found better results with a later weaning, plus we wean the whole group of piglets at the same time so some are 10 weeks and some are 7. Keeping everything on the same schedule with our sow sets keeps it simple.
Awesome vids. For me, your a go to for advise. I dont have to Supplement iron when they're born on dirt correct?
Thanks! We haven't used iron ever. Everything I've heard confirms it's fine to go without when farrowing with available dirt.
FarmBuilder thank you
Hey there! Love the videos. Question about weaning piglets: do you reintroduce them to the sows after the 2 weeks you mentioned? Do they try to get milk off the sows again? New to hog farming & about to wean our little ones. Thanks!
I'm pretty sure they would and the sows would probably reject them,due to the fact that they have no milk and are possibly bred again.
New to the pig game. Videos are great we are doing our first paddock pen do you artificially in semenate or do you have boars
+Bj Kane empty. pockets farming boars.
how much pigs did ya have in tha paddoc? how lagre is it? thank ya fer the video
PIGGLERS!!!! Awww! I wanna pet em :'
We use to raise a lot of pigs in Northern Alberta fort Vermillion December could be- 30 blow
+Marvin McNeil that's cold!!!
Very nice , do the pigs not break the fence and run away?
No. We train to electric fence within a few weeks.
do you have a link to those feeders or the name of them so I can look them up? Thanks :)
So sad. I can't help it. I don't eat pig meats anymore, not after viewing so many videos like this. They are an intelligent animal..just can't. 😭 But if you are going to farm them, at least give them a good and happy life for the short duration they exist. Like this farmer is doing. Thank you.
killing pigs is not doing a great job we feed them treat them right give them freedom to roam,we play with them ,then the ugly start ,castration,teeth clipping i even hate going to the dentist imagine how that pig feels ,tail docking,ear cutting ,the rape if female pigs,if a women was raped it will be a big thing.Kidnapping baby pig away from the mother away from good milk to bad milk ,no anesthesia for the baby pigs .All in the name for MONEY or GREED .If a human male was castrated the person will be in jail .an animal life might not mean much to so people ,but they don't deserve the terrible Slaughter that is being done to them,they may not be more important then humans ,but Really .
While many farmers do choose to use some or all of the methods you have listed (particularly in a CAFO), not all do. It is very possible to raise livestock without a single one of those outcomes. There are farmers who choose to raise a herd of pigs including a boar, sows, and naturally bred litters. The piglets can remain with their mothers who wean them as she sees fit. Those young pigs can remain with the mothers for the remainder of their days. The entire herd can be fed on pasture and supplemented with food, water, and shelter. While no living creature "deserves" slaughter, in order for others to survive, some will die. Vegetable and grain crops such as corn, beans, and wheat require the slaughter of millions of wildlife who happened to be in the way as the conventional farmer drives his tractor through his fields when planting, spraying, and harvesting. Given the fact that animals will die, it is best to provide them a safe, healthy life and a respectful, humane death.
How do you catch the male pigs in the pasture to casterate without getting eaten by mama?
I love the variety of colors...what breed of pig are those?
Our own. Closed herd that started with duroc, hamps & yorks.
I’m relatively new to your channel so Sorry if you have addressed it but I was curious if you have double decked or even triple decked a livestock trailer for pigs? If so it would be neat to see. I have goats which go to market at 50-60 lbs and I’ve been thinking about modifying my trailer to support that. Not necessary with my current numbers but may be in the future. Anything to increase capacity and reduce transportation stress
Yes, you probably can do that. There are trailers built with 2 decks.
So honest question (x2)... I’ve been following you (as well as others) and doing my research because I want to raise pigs (at a much smaller scale of course). My question(s) is, do your trim/clip their teeth when they are born? I’m curious because while I understand the purpose I can’t help but feel like it’s cruel. I do not “humanize” my animals. I just want to know if this is really necessary/practical or more of a commercial practice. The other question is, is it necessary to give iron shots when they are born?
Check out the video here that should answer your questions. czcams.com/video/reueNTZx8JE/video.html
Nice piglets
Good❤
Ever thought about using tin? Seems like it would pay off in the long run.
Too hot
@@antoinecappelleri185 to hot? He's wearing winter clothes lol
I have noticed that you don’t seem to have any dogs on your farm. What are you doing for predict control for your chickens and piglets?
No issues with pigs but we do have a GP with our broiler chickens to protect them.
Love the video, I want to come play with those piglets
How much lb of food do you feed a piglet per day? Once a day or multiple times a day feeding?
They have a free feeder.
What is a good price for scrap or salvage round bales? Thank you. (I'm in NE Ohio)
$10-$20
How high is your feed protein content?
how do you deal with the sow when its time to castrate the piglets when they are out on pasture?
We collect the male piglets up in a bucket or box while mom is eating breakfast and take them outside the paddock a bit away. Once the deed is done we return them to the nest and there is minimal fuss.
Where are you located in Virginia?
Jordan new to raising hogs. We have our first litter and two guilts pregnant.. is there a natural weaning process that the sow will do on her own and is there a benefit if so? Thanks
I'm sure a sow will eventually wean the pigs but I don't see an advantage. Domestic hogs are bred to have larger litters and supporting a litter for an extended period of time could nutritionally sap the sow. I'd wean by 8-9 weeks max.
do you sell your pigs after weaning or top them out? what part of va are you in? I'm in southwest va .
+Stephanie Carrico we sell both piglets and finish out hogs for retail cuts.
+Stephanie Carrico we do both. Farm is located in Edinburg, up above Harrisonburg.
Why did you drop the sheep?:)
Farm Builder, sorry, I do not know your name yet, what breeds do you work with?
We started with Duroc, Hampshire and Yorkshire. 7 years down the trail of a closed herd. My Name is Jordan BTW. :)
Might need to do that castration a little sooner, if those two hogs entering the frame from the left 25 seconds in are any indication.. ;)
Do the pigs eat the hay?
Also...how much grass to feed is the proportion?
Pigs will eat hay. Give them all the forage they want to eat.
Happy and healthy and amazing looking piglets. So cute. Let's go vegan.
Don't deceive yourself into thinking eating vegan doesn't also result in animal death. There's studies showing it may in fact cause more. Death is as much a part of existence as life. Our aim is to provide the best life we can and grow both crops and animals in ways regenerating the landscape instead of depleting it.
For Jordan: You are saying that not killing results in more killing? I want you to rethink this please. I am not into hating at all nor political siding nor spreading agendas of any kind. My personal mission in life as one individual and as Nicki is to bring awareness about true love to the world we live in and true love means Never killing any animal. True love is when people such as the guys in Canada rescue a piglet from the slaughter house and nurse her back to health and happiness so that she can live her life free from fear and free from horrors. I recommend to you and everybody to take a look at Esther the Wonder Pig from Canada and see for yourselves how amazing it is when we live in peace and harmony with all beings.
I'm saying killing is a part of life on this planet and unavoidable. You speak of never killing an animal and while you may have personally been able to avoid doing so, the very fact that you exist and eat on a daily basis necessitates the killing of animals. I think with some research you actually would find the most animal friendly diet is one of mostly herbivorous animals, fed on pasture without grain or wild harvested. Here's why. Eating an herbivore causes 1 death. The deer, cow or bison. Studies have been done showing that cultivating 1 acre of soil to raise crops (foundation of vegan diet) causes the deaths of up to 300 mammals PER ACRE as their habitat is plowed up, sprayed on and repeatedly driven over. I appreciate your concern for animals. I care greatly for them and the environment as well, thus the methods we use on our farm. But, even Esther the pig's owners are responsible for other animals deaths to provide the feed she consumes. The decision we make is where to embrace death as part of the cycle of life but it shall happen whether we want it to or not. Shifting personal awareness of it to others does not lessen the fact that it happens.
For Jordan: If we all became Herbivores then Nobody would have to be slaughtered anymore. The most animal friendly way of living is veganism because it avoids killing and it avoids the separation of mother and baby cows. If someone did to humans what humans do to animals there would be a riot to the point of civil war.
Also in regards to global warming and eco balance. Tremendous amounts of water are used for each farm animal. Methane gases are released into the atmosphere building up among other gases the greenhouse gas layer that causes the heating effect. A vegan way of living avoids this additional burden on the environment.
Love the two making out in the back...
i know it is old vdo, Do you sell piglets for today ? yes i am looking .
Had a girfriend who was so dumb she thought the Boer War was a pig fight. Seriously, Genesis teaches that God gave dominion over the animals of the earth. We need certain of them as food but we should respect them as creatures of the earth.