How to till soil with pigs

Pigs are well known for rooting. They dig their snouts into the ground and move the soil around, searching for roots. Their rooting action is beneficial to you in that depending on where you've placed your pigs, you will get your land tilled for free. Pigs love to roam on as much space as you'll let them have, tilling it all. How many pigs you have working on your fields will determine how fast you can accomplish the task.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Number of pigs
• <br>Selected field you need tilling

1. 
   Weaner pigs

   Buy piglets. You can buy weaner pigs at reasonable prices at about the size as the piglets pictured with this step. Pigs are easily fed. They will eat all your table scraps and vegetable waste from the garden. They also eat bones and meat, making them omnivorous. Commercial pig starter, grower and finisher is available at your local feed store, although pig-farmer friends of mine like to feed their pigs on dog food. They love cracked corn, too! You might be lucky enough to have a restaurant nearby that would be willing to have you collect all their restaurant waste, which would help lower your cost of feeding your pigs.

2. 
   Rooting around

   Check your field fences to ensure no pigs escape and go running off. After you are sure your field is secure, allow your pigs to enter. They will love their newfound freedom of having so much space and will run around everywhere, which is what you're aiming for! Every day you will see an improvement on tilth in your field. When the field is tilled to your satisfaction, you may move the pigs to another location. Don't forget you are getting the added benefit of pig manure dug evenly into your field; therefore you are using organic practices to grow what ever you decide to grow in that tilled field.

3. 
   Pigs eat grass and hay, too!

   If you are running a mixed bunch of pigs, you will no doubt have sows getting bred. The gestation time for a pig is 114 days. Please make sure that the sow is on her own in a safe place when she is almost ready to have her litter, as she will cannibalize her newborn piglets if she feels threatened, especially by other pigs. The last thing you need is to have all your hopes dashed by lack of preparation; remember, 114 days go by fast!

Tips & Warnings

• Try to feed your pigs a balanced diet.
• <br>Check field fences every day.
• <br>Eyeball each pig and do a head-count each day to make sure they're staying healthy.

[JessicaSchira]

on 11/12/2008 What type of fencing do you recommend?

[painthorse42]

on 10/2/2008 Great Article! Thanks! 5*