Days 56 & 57: A reflection on pig diet

Back in late May/early June I made a decision with Jody, my adviser, and Stuart, the farm manager, to let the piglets wean naturally.

However, just last week, we interrupted that process by separating them.

Now at ~12 weeks old, they're a mere 52-53 lbs. each at the high end. Some pigs are around 150 lbs. at this stage.

What could we have done differently?

I see two options. 1) have kept the piglets and sows together, but had a line of polywire high enough that the sows couldn't go through but the piglets could, and thus feed the piglets separately with supplemental foods. 2) separate them, and have fed them feed from the outset, at around 8 weeks. That would have meant separating them a full month ago.

However, it's a learning process. I also have realized that were I to re-do this project, I would have the sows farrow in the early spring, so they could be out on pasture starting in late April to early May when there's more moisture and the ground tears up more readily. Then, move them to the woods during the dry heat of mid-summer.

Just my 2 cents.