We built a great straw bale pig shelter. We made it two bales high and then two bales wide and one bale deep. We cut rebar so that it would just be flush with the bales when we pounded them through the two bales in the walls. We put two bars in each set of bales. Then I tied baling twine through the bale strings on the top and "wove" it through all of the top bales. Not sure if that helps at all, but we're hoping it does.
We then put some sheet metal on top (with a couple of 2x4s bolted to the bottom of it for strength). On top of the sheet metal, we put four tires (to keep the wind from blowing it off). We filled the inner space with half a straw bale for bedding. The pigs seem to really like it. The sheet metal hangs over the outer walls by about two feet all the way around, so they have some dry space on the outside too. We put their food trough under the over hang and one of the water tubs...that way they don't HAVE to go out in the snow. So far, they haven't destroyed it.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Salt Poisoning in Pigs
The learning curve for pigs has been steep. I guess that's just the way we learn. When we first got cows, they died before butcher - snow berry. When we first got goats, we killed one with a full bucket of grain. When we got pigs Thursday, two were dead by Saturday - salt poisoning.
Who knew that pigs weren't smart enough to figure out where their water was in a new pen? Two of our pigs ate their grain but didn't drink enough water and both started staggering around. One of them got trapped in a corner with his leg over the electric fence wire that should have been pulsing but wasn't. He died of a heart attack. The other started convulsing and after six hours of trying to give her water with a syringe, she died. So now we have one pig.
Apparantly, this is somewhat easy for pigs to do. They MUST have water or the salt builds up in their system. Then when they do get water, the fluid goes to the brain and causes siezures and eventually death. We had a pig waterer out there, but they didn't know how to use it. Then I gave them a pan of water and that sealed the deal. The vet said he could come out for $85, but the pig only cost $75 and the vet couldn't guarantee anything.
J loaded the pig carcasses into the golf cart and took them to the back corner of the property for the coyotes. Such a waste...and cost. $150 for coyote feed.
Who knew that pigs weren't smart enough to figure out where their water was in a new pen? Two of our pigs ate their grain but didn't drink enough water and both started staggering around. One of them got trapped in a corner with his leg over the electric fence wire that should have been pulsing but wasn't. He died of a heart attack. The other started convulsing and after six hours of trying to give her water with a syringe, she died. So now we have one pig.
Apparantly, this is somewhat easy for pigs to do. They MUST have water or the salt builds up in their system. Then when they do get water, the fluid goes to the brain and causes siezures and eventually death. We had a pig waterer out there, but they didn't know how to use it. Then I gave them a pan of water and that sealed the deal. The vet said he could come out for $85, but the pig only cost $75 and the vet couldn't guarantee anything.
J loaded the pig carcasses into the golf cart and took them to the back corner of the property for the coyotes. Such a waste...and cost. $150 for coyote feed.
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