Awwwhhh…….what a cute little piggy!
Did you just get the image of a little pink piglet in your head? Me too!!
Rarely are our pigs pink. I love all the variety of color that comes from the Idaho Pasture Pigs (IPP) we raise.
Never heard of an Idaho Pasture Pig? Don’t worry, most people haven’t.
They are extremely friendly and docile.
The kids love spending time in the pig pen. No, not their messy rooms! LOL!
Each and everyone has a unique personality and name. Since the breed originated in Idaho, we started naming them from different places in Idaho.
But as our herd grew, and we traveled farther to get new lines, we started naming them after the places they were born.
Another aspect we love about our IPP’s is they have great mothering qualities. They farrow, usually unassisted, in their huts.
As a kid we raised pigs. When they farrowed we put them in crates to keep the babies safe until they were old enough and learned to stay out of the way.
Their A-frame hut acts like a farrowing crate protecting the pigs on the sides, but allows Mom and piglets to come and go as they please.
This allows them to be outdoors in fresh air as animals were intended and not in confinement.
There is a time and a place for confinement, but we try to avoid it as much as possible.
In the spring and fall, our place can get pretty busy. Including boars, sows, feeders and piglets, we currently have 74 pigs wandering different pastures and farrowing pens on the place.
They love to graze on green pastures. While their diet can’t solely consist of grasses, they do well on very little grain as compared to a commercial hog.
Their short upturned nose is an ideal trait for grazing.
People chuckle at them and think they look odd, but I’ve been raising them long enough now that I think commercial hogs look like anteaters with their long noses.
It’s not uncommon on a warm day to see a pile of pigs or piglets basking in the sunshine. Some of them even appear to be smiling.
Being out in the sunshine, eating and roaming the pastures, allows for them to create pork that is packed full of nutrients.
I think it’s the best pork, I’ve ever eaten. Some of our customers have commented it’s more like beef than the pork they’re used to, but with a pork flavor.
If you’re ever out our way, we love visitors to the farm.
Give us a holler. We’d be happy to introduce you personally to the pigs and other critters on the farm.
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Each month we will be introducing a different species we have on the farm.
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