New Additions

Recent new additions to the farm include four American Guinea Hogs purchased from Sleaux Greaux Farm in Bush, LA.  The “herd” comprised of a breeding pair and two siblings from the last litter (a gilt and a boar).  The sow is with pig and expected to farrow at the end of May.  American Guinea Hogs are a critically rare breed of pig that is unique to North America. The original stock for the breed developed through adaptation and crossbreeding with Appalachian English pigs to create an American original. They were commonly found on homesteads in the southeastern US.

I drove down to Louisiana on Superbowl Sunday to pick up the hogs.  For transportation I built a wooden cage out of studs and 4x2 welded wire to fit on the back of the Tacoma with the tailgate acting as the door.  The drive time was expected to be around 9 to 10 hours so I considered taking the youngest son to help me stay awake (the fear of him driving my truck would keep me alert enough to drive).  That didn't work out so I took Twix (one of the dogs) for company.  She slept all the way down, woke up just in time to bark at Ed (the man selling the AHGs), and then slept all the way back.  So much for the company!  All four hogs fit in the cage on the back of my truck.  

Despite a few strange looks while stopping for gas, the trip went smoothly.  By the time I arrived back at Hereward the hogs were sound asleep and did not want to leave their cage.  They were enticed down a makeshift ramp and led into a stable for the night.

The Four Guinea Hogs 

The babies are buried in the hay and apologies to all the drivers on I59 on Sunday, February 5th who may have had hay coated in porcine feces blown onto their windshields.

The “babies” are being kept in a wired off section of the garden where they have been rooting things up nicely.  The cover crop and remnants of last season’s garden still need tilling into the soil and these little helpers are doing their thing.  So far the chickens in the top field have been keeping their distance. When finished with the main garden they will be placed in a mobile grazing area built out of four hog panels and moved around every few days.   

The parents are being kept in the free paddock which I reinforced with field fence.  This will only be for a couple of weeks or so.  I am fencing in some of the wilder and wooded sections of the property to give the AGHs a large permanent area to roam and forage.  They will also continue to be used strategically  for tilling.  Their paddock does not have any shelter so a temporary and makeshift shelter was constructed (very makeshift).  I got the design idea from a picture of Haiti after the recent earthquake.  This shelter may be a rare example of one that actually violates the Appalachian Building Code and Standards

Temporary Hog Shelter

Note the strategic use of a hotel towel that must have accidentally ended up in my luggage [along with the matching robe and slippers]).

The Boar Asleep Outside of the Shelter - Clearly he has some standards!

Compared to the commercial breed pigs, the AGHs are exceptionally well-behaved and a real joy to spend time with.  These are very docile and slow growing pigs.  The siblings are nearly 6 months old yet are only the size the commercial breed piglets were when they were shoats (just weaned).  Adults are typically only 150-250 lbs.  The small size and docile disposition make the AGH an ideal homestead pig.  They can also forage for their own food, eating such things as snakes, nuts, rodents, grass and roots.  I hope they eat a lot of snakes!

Hereward Farm is now a member of the American Guinea Hog Association (www.guineahogs.org).