Beki's 2009 garden and piglet diary

Beki

Leopardlady wrote: »

my hubby would love a goat or two

today i'm kind of wishing we didn't have goats :rolleyes: lol... one of them, mindy, has been (what we thought was) moulting for a couple of weeks. yesterday i noticed that not only was she moulting, but she actually had a couple of bald patches down her sides :eek:

and now the other goat, mork, has started shedding bits of fluff everywhere too, so looks like he's heading the same way :mad:

have called the vet and she's coming out tomorrow. she thinks it's mites, i think it's ringworm, but either way they'll both need an injection. £82 for the jabs + callout charge :eek: *cryyyyyyyyyyyy*

but to kind of compensate, our chooks are now laying roughly 140-180 per month between them now... i'm starting to feel a bit eggbound :rotfl:

rhiwfield

Beki wrote: »

today i'm kind of wishing we didn't have goats :rolleyes: lol... one of them, mindy, has been (what we thought was) moulting for a couple of weeks. yesterday i noticed that not only was she moulting, but she actually had a couple of bald patches down her sides :eek:

and now the other goat, mork, has started shedding bits of fluff everywhere too, so looks like he's heading the same way :mad:

have called the vet and she's coming out tomorrow. she thinks it's mites, i think it's ringworm, but either way they'll both need an injection. £82 for the jabs + callout charge :eek: *cryyyyyyyyyyyy*

but to kind of compensate, our chooks are now laying roughly 140-180 per month between them now... i'm starting to feel a bit eggbound :rotfl:

Ouch! I'd been waiting for another post by you but thats a real good news, bad news, good news story!

After seeing your raised bed efforts you inspired me to expand my growing space so I've turf stripped a 20ft x 10 ft plot and will build the beds over the next 2-3 weeks Spent last night looking at the seed catalogues that I'd hidden away to avoid temptation. Sadly OH and me decided that we didnt have enough room for chickens as well, never mind pigs and goats!

Beki

Oh wow! that looks amazing!!!! now i'm the one feeling jealous!!! you'll be able to grow SO MUCH there.. ooooh i'm all excited to see your progress with it

as for piggies... although we're giving them around 750sq ft between them, they actually only NEED 150sq ft between two so you probably would have room.. ie; that bed's 200sq ft not trying to tempt you or anything LOL

Beki

Just been out to the greenhouse and have sown, in seed trays and modules (to bring indoors later)...

* 40x nasturtium (tom thumb)

* 25x cauliflower (all year round)

* 25x cabbage (primo II)

* 5x courgette (astia F1)

* 25x rocket

* 25x lollo rossa

* 25x brussel sprouts (evesham special)

* sprinkled a few radish in two rows on a raised bed

* DD also sowed 5 radish in a pot (for her, and her only, apparently LOL)

feel like i've achieved something today!

betterlife

well done beki you are doing so well, and thoses piggies are soooo cute. and you are really tempting me! ive removed some tree`s at the top of my garden to do a new veg patch, this space gives me about 370 sq ft, i have loads more room than i intended to grow for as i also have a seperate fruit area already, 150sq ft you say for 2 piggies oh i am soooo tempted! could you tell me a bit of what is involved as i am clueless, costs, how long you have them etc. ive also started planting some seeds no rest for the wicked now the nicer weather is here. x

Penelope_Penguin

Beki wrote: »

We met our piggies yesterday They're two weeks old today (did i say we'd decided on saddlebacks rather than lops in the end? can't remember if i said).., anyway.. here we go

Yum - I'm collecting a saddleback box on Sunday - rare breed roast pork for dinner, and a piece of loin to make into bacon :T

Penny. x

Beki

betterlife wrote: »

well done beki you are doing so well, and thoses piggies are soooo cute. and you are really tempting me! ive removed some tree`s at the top of my garden to do a new veg patch, this space gives me about 370 sq ft, i have loads more room than i intended to grow for as i also have a seperate fruit area already, 150sq ft you say for 2 piggies oh i am soooo tempted! could you tell me a bit of what is involved as i am clueless, costs, how long you have them etc. ive also started planting some seeds no rest for the wicked now the nicer weather is here. x

believe me, i am NO expert lol... i'm actually worried that when the day comes, the farm won't let me have the pigs cos i'm such a novice :rotfl:

i get a lot of my info from www.downsizer.net and through reading a LOT of pig-keeping books that i get from the library :beer:

good luck!

Beki

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Yum - I'm collecting a saddleback box on Sunday - rare breed roast pork for dinner, and a piece of loin to make into bacon :T

Penny. x

oooh lovely, penny! was it you who said you'd made bacon before? i've never made it, but actually keep meaning to buy a belly joint to have a go. always forget though :rolleyes:

rhiwfield

Beki wrote: »

Just been out to the greenhouse and have sown, in seed trays and modules (to bring indoors later)...

* 40x nasturtium (tom thumb)

* 25x cauliflower (all year round)

* 25x cabbage (primo II)

* 5x courgette (astia F1)

* 25x rocket

* 25x lollo rossa

* 25x brussel sprouts (evesham special)

* sprinkled a few radish in two rows on a raised bed

* DD also sowed 5 radish in a pot (for her, and her only, apparently LOL)

feel like i've achieved something today!

Well done! You're way ahead of me, just toms, peas, broad beans, salad leaves and marigolds so far. Willl need to re-sow cucumber, peppers and parsley as old seed didnt germinate

Still, pinched a bit of space in rose garden for bunching onions

Beki

betterlife wrote: »

costs, how long you have them etc.

sorry, i actually meant to put in my last reply the costs etc.

2 x weaners = £70 (£35 each)

delivery = £0 (BIL bringing them over for us)

food for 7 months as we're planning on slaughter at 9 months old = £200-£250 (working on the 1lb per month of life per day, up to a max of 6lb per day)

abbatoir = £60 (£30 each - rough over-the-phone price but she said fairly accurate... she said to contact them nearer the time for an up-to-date price... should be the same as now though)

transport to abbatoir = £0 (BIL doing it for us again)

ear tagging/slapmarking = £29-£69 (if we buy the kit ourselves. if we can borrow the equipment from the farm then it'll be £0)

TOTAL COST (not taking into account any veterinary care they may or may not need) = £330 - £449

I know it sounds a lot, but when you consider that in tesco, their 'finest' range pork (which probably wouldn't even come close to home-reared pork in flavour etc) is £9.99 per kilo, and even their value range is £3.99 per kilo...

If you were to class the pigs as VALUE and value them at £3.99 per kilo, we'd be getting around £558.60p of pork (based on a dead-weight of 70kg per pig).

And if you were valueing them at the £9.99p 'finest' range... then we'd be getting £1398.60p of pork.

I know it's all very rough, and doesn't take into account any near-disasters etc, but i hope that helps a bit