To market, to market to buy a small pig...home again, home again jiggety-jig...

So, we are doing it...after tossing around the idea of getting goats or pigs...We are getting pigs!  Ossabaw Island Hogs to be exact!  A family friend has a breeding pair and is selling us a couple so we can see if we can get along with raising pigs to butcher.  Hopefully...hopefully next year we will start breeding our own.  At least that is the plan.  From what we hear pigs can be beyond challenging.  Most people have recommended purchasing a butchering hog at auction vs. raising them ourselves.  But, we are stubborn people who just have to try it ourselves first.

Meanwhile...we are getting ready.  Back story...shortly after we moved into the house my sister gave us an old trampoline.  She didn't want it around anymore after my nephew broke his arm doing a back flip off one.  We found all sorts of ideas on Pinterest to use it for...an in ground trampoline (nixed after the broken arm). A swing...a teepee.  All sorts of really cool things.  We opt for making a greenhouse.  We wanted to go as cheap as possible, using supplies we found around the property.  I know your thinking...what does a greenhouse have to do with pigs?  Just bear with me...I will get there...a bit of the long way...but I promise...I will!!!!

Putting the frame together

First we assembled the trampoline into halves. Then we added parts of the legs to it.  It was really easy, self explanatory, and almost kicked our butts!These became the front and back of the greenhouse.  It was weird...there were only screws (and screw holes) for every other leg.  We weren't sure how we were going to keep it together.  Hubby scratched his head, went into his workshop, dug around for what seemed like forever. Then it hit him...he decided to  use some sheet metal screws he had from an old project.  They were self tapping and are holding things together rather nicely.

Adding copper poles

Then we had to figure out how to connect the halves.  On Pinterest some people used PVC pipes, or flexible vacuum tubes.  We found 10' conduit down in the hunting cabin.  They turned out to be perfect.  It took us a bit to figure out how to connect the conduit to the frame.  Turned into a simple, easy fix.  The conduit fit perfectly into the legs of the trampoline.  We then attached theconduit into the legs with more sheet metal screws.   Unfortunately we came up short on how many we needed...so off to the local, small town, hardware store.  I think in the end we used an additional $13 worth of screws. Of course we spent more because we bought a big box of them...but we never know when we will need screws!  DIYers know what I mean by that!!!  lol

Our little helper and
 complete frame

Next up we pieced the two halves together and used MORE sheet metal screws to finish holding it together. You can see our "helper" in the corner of the picture. Our 6-year old loves to help build things.  In fact, he has his own tool bag and is as bad as I am about confiscating Daddy's tools if he leaves them unsupervised to long (I just wait till he goes out of town to steal, I mean, confiscate them...our son is just faster!)

But, as you can see, we now have the frame of what was to become our greenhouse.  We also purchased some 4mm plastic and sheathing tape to finish the project.  We just wanted to wait for it to warm up some more.  This was built the last week of January...so we weren't quite ready for it yet.  We just sat it in location, staked it down...and left it there.

Tarp for cover

Now, introduce the idea of getting pigs.  We debated for several days, did some more research, made some phone calls, sent lots and lots of PM's over Facebook.  Debated some more, researched some more.  Looked over our back yard and debated some more.  Then decided to go for it.  Just jump right into it before we changed our mind.  We decided we will pasture them for most of their feed.  Figured out what to buy to feed them, how we were feeding them, etc.  Now to figure out where to start them and a shelter.  Back to the greenhouse...PERFECT!  Just repurpose it into a pig shelter.  It was a beautiful day to get outside and get creative.  Very, very warm for a February...we hit 82* yesterday (when we worked on our project).  We broke some serious records here!


Continuing with using supplies around the house...a large tarp became the cover. Zip ties are a poor mans best friend.  They serve so many purposes.  We used them to help secure the tarp into place. We also used them to help attach cattle panels to the t-posts.  We go through zip ties like candy around here.  Just ask my 4-year old who loves to play "connect them together" while we work.

We have a second smaller tarp that will help finish enclosing the shelter.  Now, in comparison to the size of the piglets right now...there is more than enough room for them.  From what we hear...the piglets are the size of 2 footballs.  Lol.  Using sports equipment to give estimates works for this family!  Our 6-year is searching for a second football so we can have an exact visualization.  Since we will be transporting them in a dog kennel, knowing they can share one makes me feel better.

Hiding and playing
with zip ties

We decided that the piglets can help start preparing our garden for planting season.  We haven't had a chance to plow it under.  So they can root around it in.  So, as you can see we moved the shelter to the middle, upper field.  We didn't have anything to enclose the garden with...so we headed over to Riverside Farm Supply and got 8 cattle panels and some t-posts.  They are so sweet over there.  They ordered, picked up, and delivered everything to us!  We got most of them set into place.  Either tomorrow or Monday hubby will build a gate and finish the enclosure.  He will also run some electricity.  From what we have been told...pigges like to escape! 

Our Great Dane relaxing
 in the shade of the shelter

While we are proud of how it is all coming together...our 4-year old is unimpressed.  According to her we have to build a brick house to keep the big bad wolf from blowing it down.  At least for HER pig.  Her brother and sister can build straw and stick houses for theirs.  But hers has to have a BRICK house.  And she has decided that she can tell them the story of the 3 Little Pigs and she gets to play the roll of the Big Bad Wolf and blow down her brother and sisters pigs houses.  We have tried to explain to her that we are only getting TWO pigs...but she doesn't care.  Her story has 3...therefore we will be getting 3. This child has an imagination that goes with her attitude...WILD!!!!!

Well, it is late...and all of this building and story telling has wore me out.  We will be picking up the pigs in the next few days to a week.  That will be an adventure in itself.  I hope to get some good pictures of our friends place to share.  They have goats, pigs, chickens...you name it.  I can't wait to get back down there!!!!

Until next time!!!!!