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The looming meat “cliff”….
…and we could be falling off that, too. Kit Pharo linked to the drought monitor today and it demonstrates that while the drought over much of the country is forgotten….it certainly isn’t gone! http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/12_week.gif The drought has forced many ranchers we know in the Midwest and West to cut back their herds or even close down completely. The increased number of cattle going to slaughter earlier in the year has kept cattle prices fairly low, despite the high cost of corn. But now the overall national herd is at record low numbers and demand has been forcing cattle prices (and beef) to rise. But the worst is yet to come. …
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Yes, Virginia there will be Thistle Hill pork again….
…though not in time for Christmas. But after considerable searching we have found a source for our favorite Tamworth breed at a price that makes sense. These four little ones are growing faster than any we have ever raised and we think it is probably because they are “pigging out” on all the acorns in their pasture. If I were going to guess, I’d say they’ll be ready in May but, as anyone who has tasted Thistle Hill pork, it is worth waiting for.
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Another ego trip for our pigs…
Noted Virginia artist Tom Neel dropped by Thistle Hill yesterday to do some research on pigs. When they get to about this weight, our pigs start to get suspicious of strangers so we had to spread a little feed on the ground to keep them close for Tom’s camera. He snapped them eating, walking, drinking and quarreling with Jack, the donkey and Darby, one of our ponies. Tom’s paintings are always on display at the Live and Artful Life gallery in The Plains. Thistle Hill pigs featured there soon!
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You should know….
….that all the big producers are patting themselves on the back for their humane treatment of animals. McDonald’s has joined Chipotle in campaigns to get their suppliers of pork to stop keeping their pigs in gestation pens. They’re crates really, about two feet wide, so the sows can’t even turn around. From the Wall Street Journal: McDonald’s Corp. is pushing its pork suppliers to stop confining sows in small pens known as gestation stalls, moving to address concerns raised by animal-welfare advocates—and catch up with some competitors. The burger giant on Monday said the pens are “not a sustainable production system” and there are alternatives that “are better for the welfare…
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New to the heifer pasture….
….and we guess it’s because all four of our new piglets are female. They continue to tour but in a somewhat smaller circle and are now right at home with our yearling heifers. They quickly learned to stay clear of the hind legs and are quite bold….as long as the cows are in front. They’ve also made friends with our guard donkey, Jack, and they even nuzzle each other from time to time. But no matter how far they roam, the piglets are able to hear the sound of our Gator when we crank it up back at the house. And they’re waiting for dinner in their pen when we drive…
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This little pig….
…had come all the way home, and with her sister and brothers. But not before a Great Pig Adventure! We had purchased the four piglets Monday, at Cathy Cochran’s Oak Hill Farm, a trip of about 75 miles. Wednesday, there was a knock at the door and the news that four piglets were out on Route 647, heading east. We jumped in the Gator but the fugitives had turned the corner at Tapps Ford Road and disappeared into the woods. There was no way to find them and even less chance of catching them. So we returned home, put some food in their pen and left the gate open. But…
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Want to make pork unhealthy?
Just feed your pigs anti-biotics. That’s the finding of a new study. All the pork you buy at the store has been raised in confinement houses, much as chickens are grown. To keep them from getting sick and dying, they are dosed with anti-biotics. It also apparently aids feed conversion so the hogs grow faster. The result, not surprisingly, is that pigs have now developed anti-biotic resistant genes. And of course, that resistance is passed on to the consumer. Ironically, taking the anti-biotics also encourages the growth of e.Coli in the pigs. It’s what is called a “lose-lose” proposition, exception for those big food companies. Here’s a link to the…