Thank you Mike! Great stuff my friend ! A few years back I had neighbor's that raised a beef every year. They would buy a calf in the spring from a local farmer. They would give the calf a name , pet it , feed it from their hands , and in no time it would follow them everywhere! When the first frost hit in the fall , they would go to the pasture and take pictures of the steer ! Then the father would shoot the steer with a 38 pistol ! By dark they would be frying hamburgers! This was their way of life !! I know we always raise hogs when I was home but we never made pets out of them. Thought you might enjoy this story. Hope I didn't bore you with details! Be safe my friends and God bless you all !!!!!! Eddy
We always named our pigs Sausage, Bacon, Ham, etc. We would talk about their going to piggy camp at the end of the year. What they were meant for was never far from our minds. We still treated them like you do, with respect and treats.
Always sad to say goodbye Mike and when you care as much about your animals as you it will always bring a tear to your eye and over the years you will shed many
Congrats on the pigs they look good. We are on our 2nd year of farming pigs ourselves and enjoy it very much. We run our pigs on our forested part of our property & love the better quality of pork. They are trained on poly rope and enjoy foraging and rooting and destroying the ever annoying blackberry bushes that grow everywhere (they actually eat the bushes)out west in Washington state. We currently raise Pigs, Chickens (meat and layers) plus turkeys and will soon be trying out lowlife beef. Keep up the good work your videos are enjoyable to us.
I'm one of your new people. I'm from Oregon and I'm pretty much retired more. I used to help my Dad raise pigs when I was a kid. We had a boar and five sows plus we were usually feeding around sixty to eighty Weiners for fat hogs. I haven't watched a lot of your videos yet but I will. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Mike. Enjoy watching your videos. Tip for you that I learned from my grandfather. About a week before the pigs go to the slaughter back your trailer up to your ramp and set it up so the pigs can go in and out of the trailer. Start putting some treats in the trailer everyday. When it's time to load them simply put some treats in the trailer and the pigs will load themselves.
That was kind of my plan, I was hoping to build the ramp then have a week or so of them getting in and out of the trailer and getting used to it. That plan got thrown off but oh well. Thanks a bunch, I'm glad it works. - Mike
Thank you for sharing Mike. The slats on the ramp will be a big help loading. Your customers will really appreciate that pork when they get it. So much better than store bought! ) Have a safe trip to Sturges, SD and back.
When I was young we raised hogs. Best loading trick we found was back the truck up to the chute the afternoon before. Break a few bales of fresh straw and spread it out in the truck. First thing in the morning come out and all you see are ears sticking out of the straw. Close the gate and head for market.
I can't believe how excited I am for Tuesday's video. I feel kind of silly for it!. When I was growing up we had a couple of pigs that my Dad tried to keep us from naming. Didn't work. Mom was upset when Wilber and Wilma went to be processed but I wasn't. I thought the whole concept of eating bacon we had raised was super cool. Thanks for keeping the videos coming!
Mike...I could hear the emotion in your voice as you were talking about the pigs and how they are raised and why there are raised. And from the way the pigs were interacting with you, I can tell that you are doing the right thing in the way you raise them. As you said, truly we are stewards of the land and the crops and animals we raise....or should be so. Factory farming is as far from this as possible, and it shows in the quality of the meat and produce that comes from those farms. I believe, like you, that the land is not here for us to use and use and use. It is here for us to use, and care for, and to work to make it better season after season...not just to run it down until all fertility in the soil is lost. I believe that the animals raised should be treated life living beings. Like I have seen you do in your videos, I would be out in the pastures with the cattle...checking on them, getting to know them, their personalities....thus, that knowledge of them will make it easier to know when they are "off", when they are sick or injured. Same goes for hogs, sheep, goats...what ever I would raise (if I had a farm other than in my dreams). See those pigs come to you, to see you reach down and touch them, pet them....that shows that those pigs are more than just "money on hooves"...they are animals that you care for, that you nurture, that you want the best for. And it is clear that when it comes time for your calves and pigs to go to market or processor....it bothers you, it hits you in the heart strings....and I appreciate seeing that, I appreciate that you allow that to show in your videos....it's nice seeing the human element of farming, the heart that is put into the land and crops and critters.
What you've said about not to getting attached to animals is very true, my neighbour had to get rid of an elderly bull that we were all fond of mainly because he was a character and he always enjoyed us scratching between the front of his shouders. We were saddened when he leaft, his replacement I wish I could say the same so much for the type of breed being quite natured although the owner has a talent of choosing nutcase animals. Nice job of the ramp you made there Mike well done for getting it done fast too !! Looking forward to part2.👍
Those animals that you get close to sure are fun, we have quite a few that we really get to know well, especially the breeding cows. Thanks for watching Calum, see you on Tuesday - Mike
My husband was raised on a dairy farm and never got attached. I however ,I was not. With his kids in 4-H showing their steers, I was always right there involved helping out. It was very hard to say goodbye on Monday after the County fair was over. I would cry and try to convince my husband to let me keep just 1, but that would take away from the kids college funds. I had to put on big girl pants and swallow with that big lump in my throat watch them drive away to do what they were meant to do, filling someones freezer and one of the kids steer went to a buyer who donated the cow to a local food bank.
I learned my lesson on uprights for a flat bed truck, put the sheeting on the inside of the uprights that way the stock pushes against the fasteners tightening them instead of the stock pushing the sheeting/rails off the outside by loosening the fasteners as they push against it. My poor little piggy went to market but got away by means of rolling in the ditch and running into the woods. End of lesson.
Oh wow, thats one of my fears. Losing a pig, either through the chute or off the trailer. I can imagine it would be a major pain. Thanks for sharing - Mike
I enjoy your vids and watching you and Erin doing your thing. Living in TX we don't have the snow or severe temps which I like but Wyoming is beautiful. I've traveled there and saw a lot but you are giving us a much larger view of the state. Wanted to say thank you and urge you to continue as is very enjoyable!!
Growing up on a farrow to finish hog farm I have a couple suggestions for you if your going to continue to raise pigs. First I would suggest putting an alley in the back of your shed for ease of feeding and sorting. Your system of moving your pigs from side to side to clean is good but I would suggest cutting your hole closer to the corner that way you already have 2 walls to help squeeze them into if you want to sort a couple off or they just don’t want to go to the other side. When you cut the hole I would also suggest lining the hole with some sheet metal because you’ve obviously discovered that pigs will chew on everything. Good. Luck at market!
I hear ya, we are going to be reworking the pig area this spring. I would like to build a permanent load out area as well as the alley that you are talking about, it would make things alot easier. Thanks a bunch - Mike
HI MIKE ,Old sacking tacked to the ramp will help pigs up the slope , otherwise with a bit of inevitable muck it Beacomes very slippery. Nice job on the improvised ramp . One other thing we used to try when loading pigs was to dig a shallow hole on each side to drop the trailer wheels in ,this lowered the ramp angle to almost nothing, making it easier for the pigs to walk up . Nice video once again thank you.
I like the lower loading idea, there is a bit of an elevation difference inside the shed I didnt account for but we will hopefully figure it out. Thanks David - Mike
It's not because you guys are new to the ranch, Mike, my hubby and I were raised on the farm and we name and love the critters that are headed for the butcher. As long as you remember that is the end result. I think the critters are happer/healthier, when loved. My pig, Pepper is headed out next week.
@@OurWyomingLife your pigs seem to have gotten very friendly towards you. You must've treated them very well, and they've become happy where they're at. It makes it kinda sad that they're not going to be around much longer. But at least they don't know it, and I hope that they're slaughtered humanely. I do understand why you said it may be best not to get too attatched to them
Mike great job on the chute. When we use to farm I didn't let the kids get to friendly with the animals we had meat customers that bought from us also. I let them have there pets for 4 h they had rabbits, chicken's, ducks and horse's they had great time there are 38 ,36, the youngest will be 32 3/1/18 . My oldest Daughter still to this has the problem getting to close to animals when something happens to them it takes awhile to get over it.
Grew up in west central Wyoming, loved it and I miss it. For many years I have been living in SE Oklahoma and loving it. Still raising cattle, and other live stock not to mention kids we ha 3 left at home out of 10. Enjoy watching you raise cattle and livestock the Wyoming way, I sometimes forget those brutally cold and snowy days. Do you sell your calves at weaning or do you sell them at yearling age. We have found we do better financially holding on to them until they are yearlings. We also hold back and sell a lot of replacement heifers. Keep up the good work and the good videos.
Thank you very much, we usually sell at weaning unless we have a few smaller calves. Those we may hold back until the next year. I've never actually thought of selling bred heifers myself but it does sound like a great idea. Hopefully prices go back up and we can keep some back and try it. Thanks again - Mike
Be sure those pigs are hungry so you can use feed to lure them up the ramp. It's VERY hard to make a pig go where it doesn't want to go. Be sure to use solid panels sized around 2.5' by say 3' with a hand grip cut into the top so you can trap the pigs into the corner and get them up the ramp. Never let a pig see light under the board . Where their nose goes, the rest goes. I don't know how much you know about herding hogs, so I just thought I'd pass this along. Hope I was helpful and not insulting.
Hi Mike. Always hated seeing the butchering truck drive up. Normally we only did one, maybe two pigs at a time, so home butchering was easier. I hated the feelings I had. ( I was 5-10yrs), but once they were killed, I would go out and watch the processing. Best anatomy lesson ever. Safe trip to Sturgis. Deb
When we have pigs we name them and when we eat we talk about what pig or calf we are eating and the kids just get used to it. Sometimes people come over and don't want to here that the hamburger we are eating was from my favorite cow that raised 13 calves and I couldn't bare to sell her. I tell them meat isn't made at the store.
+Our Wyoming Life Im Ranch Raised SE OKLA !! DAD. GOT SICK ! WE HAD SELL PIECE BY PIECE 2 PAY DR BILLS & DAD PASSED IN WINTER OF 92!! I CANT SEEM FINS GOOD RANCH JOB ANYWHERE !! OH WELL. RECKON GOOD OL DAYS GONE !! GUESS. CDL WITH CLEAN DONT MEAN MUCH THESE DAYS !!!! MISS THE RANCH LIFE !# FIXIN FENCE ! CHECKIN CATTLE ! FEEDIN. !!!
Business is business, that's the bottom line. I have names for most of the animals too though. I call the " pork chop, sausage, tender loin, ham, note payment, taxes, fuel, grease, gift for the kids or for the wife, college fund".... Lol, it may sound corny but it does make it a little easier when the time comes!
Good thing you made it sturdy...I don't know a nickel's worth about pigs but imagine they could get rowdy...and at 600 pounds each could break the chute if they get scared...I hope it goes smoothly for you...looking forward to the Tuesday video. Hmmm...might we worth it to bore maybe three holes in each side panel...thinking that it would be good that they see some daylight and not feel trapped and start jumping around on you. Terry
Hey Mike good job. Yeah it's hard to say good bye. But just think of all the money you will be getting back. Also I bet you have way more orders next year. God bless
when I was on the farm I took the thought I fed and watered the chickens and pigs it was their time to feed me you asked for a flavor of jerky no sat or flavor just dry meat like we made at a tribal school I worked at in Montana it was good; health restrictions on salt or sugar intake
Hi Mike, My pig ramp is like yours but I have mine so I can close the door fast to trap them. It is elevated and screwed to a 3' telephone pole then the trailers is backed up to it, also 2x4 footing cleats is a good idea too. Ounce the pigs learn the trailer is a danger spot they'll all want to escape from inside. I found that the best and easiest way to get them inside is to feed them there. It'll take about 3 day for them to find the food and get comfortable going up the ramp and inside the trailer. That's when the door is quickly closed. If they get scared and given a chance they'll run out and the you'll have big troubles getting them in after that . Pigs are very smart and very trusting of you so I have found I have only one good try at it before they learn what's happening. I also like to get them to the butcher a day ahead of schedule (if possible) so the pork meat isn't full of stress and adrenaline for the best eating pork (same with steers). It's the saddest day on the ranch when the animals are taken to the butcher but a very happy one when they come back in a box! Good luck 🤠
Hello. My next project will be a pig farm. This year we plan to complete the development of the farm of rabbits. I hope everything will come out. I want a pig farm from birth to slaughter, that is, the birth and fattening of pigs
We kind of learned with the kids don't play with your food there's a time for everything. Sometimes they don't understand but in the end when it's on the table I think the boys are pretty happy. have a great morning talk to you later. Did any new calves show up yet. 10 days of rain here I'm hoping to be done with calving soon
my aunt raised sheep. she named them all and cried when she sent some ram lambs to the butcher... so the next year she just numbers them 1,2 and 3...... who knew 1 2 and 3 are names too.....
very true. We have many cows that we have grown attached to and we just use their tag numbers. It all counts. Thanks a bunch and thanks for watching - Mike
I do not want something ranch, I want to have a business like that. Put the woodcutters and control everything yourself. But this is my dream Good luck
My boyfriend and I talked about raising a butcher pig and he did the same thing about not getting attached lol but I know he would too, I just told him if we named it was to call it pork chop lol
At 5:50ish I believe those are OSB (oriented strand boards) not particle board At 8:38ish What is that truck in the background? Thanx from the left coast near the Krapitol of California
Great quick idea mike. When I started watching this video, I thought boy that screwed up the project list. Darn slaughter houses, screwing up your project list lol. When I was a kid we built a set of chutes out of railroad ties and bridge planks. It was literally one of the last things to get demolish, when Mom claened up the yard. At least it looked like the wind wasn't blowing. I bet with some bribery of some greens ( raid Erin's tunnel but don't tell her ) those kids will walk right onto the bus. Pigs are as I'm sure you know curious by nature especially if food is involved, kinda like me lol. Have you ever thought about turning the pigs into Erin garden in the fall. They would love cleaning it up and it would arriate the soil and ad some free fertilizer . Sorry for the long post. Thanks for the video.
Brian JOnker I beg to differ we never had that problem. And yes our pigs were penned got most of their life. But I'm not gonna argue a mute point, our of respect for Mike and Erin channel
Thumbs up for you and respecting Mike & Erin. We can disagree without rancor and acknowledge that on UA-cam we cant understand the others circumstances .
Hi Kory, we actually cant use pig manure in gardens without heavy composting first. Pig manure, along with dog and cat manures, should never be used on vegetable gardens. These manures often carry parasites. On a side note, the wind is making up for it today. lol Thanks again - Mike
i was raised in the city but do have an understanding that milk does not come from the store and neither does the pork, beef and chicken. As far as game hunting I know that that there is a need for hunting things deer. Because if you don't the heard will starve to death because there is not enough food. and besides it thins the heard easier to manage from a wild life point of view.
Great job on the ramp! You mentioned weighing them before you go to Sturgis, what type of scale do you have as I have been looking into getting one for our cow calf operation.
I guss you are going to have to wait...haha, just kidding. We are going to weigh them, We have a couple of alley scales both from A and A Scales LLC. The small one we use for pigs and calves and it weights up to 800lbs. We also have a 6000 lb scale. Thanks - Mike
That's the same brand we have been looking at! Looking at the 10k lbs scale legs and building an alley platform that we can move from calf table alley to squeeze chute alley and save money by only getting one set.
Also to give more ideas, many animal farms are pardoning their animal friends and changing to plant farms. But still I know you’re good people and treat your animals good. Still the karmic burden when they are killed is huge on you, your family and the people who buy the carcass to eat.
To try to get them to load easily, let them see you putting their feed in the front of the trailer. They are curious and quick learners and needless to say always ready for a meal. Don't feed them in the barn and it should help them to get used to loading fairly quickly.
Mike, You sure explained well. QUESTION: When pigs are taken to Sturgis, does the packing facility separate your pigs from others, i.e. no hormones/antibiotics? Because, you have a special product which I'm guessing must be labeled that way at the retail level. Does it work that way? --- [PS: We have local pig farmers where I am in NH growing naturally and selling processed meat to chain-store-grocers at a local level. But, and I'll have to look, I don't know how our NH local meat is inspected.] --- Thanks...
We have to get ours inspected to sell individual cuts. Our pigs are kept separate as well. It would be interesting to know how its done in other states. Thanks - Mike
Thanks for sharing as always mike. I'M sure it is hard in a way to take them to slaughter but as you said God says we are the stewards over the animals. Wish I lived closer would love to have some of that fresh thick cut bacon or spare ribs and pork shoulder to barbecue. Yummy to my tummy LOL.I thought you did a great job on the building of the shoot never building one before. YOu might want to take some 2x6's to frame the cut out of the side of the barn for strength and let them over hang a couple of inches to give you something to reattach the cut out to. Wish I lived closer or had time to come out for a couple of weeks I would rewire trailers that need it and im sure several other odd jobs I could take care of you. Have a great and God Bless!!!
You should have put some strips of wood down for them so they would not slip going up the ramp. 1 inch buy a half inch strip and then tacit it to the floor just an idea for the next time.
Our Wyoming Life I guess that's what makes a good video when you watch it to the end LOL I analyze things and then I have them on my mind and then I thought I should say something but then you already talked about it at the end of your video. I guess that's the farmer in me. have a great morning
Hey mike good idea with the shoot. I have 2 suggestions, first you could have used tin roofing for sides and maybe even on top as well to get a few years out of that particle board floor and the tin would reduce the weight and number 2 maybe some wood slats on the floor of the shoot so they don't slip and slide trying to get up the shoot. Yes I'm sure your busy this time of year, but was just some suggestions from the outside looking in. Take care mike
Thank you very much, hopefully this spring we are going to rework the pig area. I would like to build a permanent loading ramp as well as some better stalls for them as well. Thanks - Mike
Thank you very much , we are planning on one. Probably when we start getting tractors ready. We are still trying to get someone from John Deere to maybe join us as well - Mike
Looking at the numbers really quickly, each pig will eat about 800 lbs of food, costing about 300$ per pig. Processing can get expensive and cost anywhere from 600-800 per animal. Thanks for watching - Mike
Their true purpose seems to have morphed into consuming quantities of goat food, pooping it out, and attacking all and sundry with their cute little horns. Sort of like the lazy brother-in-law in the spare bedroom, but with cloven hooves.
Say goodbye to the pigs now but say hello to the bacon later! LOL! That is definitely a hard thing to do but it would be even harder if you were butchering yourself.
I hate to be "that guy" but on this one I can't help myself. Please do not call OSB, Particle board. two completely different products and a huge difference between them. If someone wants to copy your design and they order Partical board they will be hugely dissapointed.
Hey that guy lol. Good catch. :). I'm not a builder so I'm glad I have people to set me straight. You are right. I should be better about calling it what it really is. We are lucky I didn't just call them flat wood things lol. Thanks David -Mike
you cant haul pigs in cattle trailers, my family has raised pigs for over 80 years and I've witnessed pigs come off cattle trailers and fall over and die because the cattle trailers don't allow ventilation to the bottom of the trailer where the pigs are, please get a suitable trailer and don't do this again, thanks
Our trailer has a forward facing vent you can open to allow airflow through the trailer, never had a problem with it. I will have to look into the issue you describe as I havent ran into it before. Thank you and thanks for watching - Mike
We hauled hogs with stock trailers for years; in the heat, in the cold. Never once had a problem. Simply water them down when it's hot. We shipped at least 30 to the packer every two weeks for decades. I'm sorry for Michael's sad luck!
We buy our weaner pigs for 50$ apiece from a breeder, we cant afford to keep a sow and a boar for that price. Plus the timing works out, the pigs leave when we are getting ready to start calving and we wont get piglets until after calving. One less thing to worry about. Thanks Sara - Mike
As the kids get a bit older they will get to take a more active role as well. They already know how it works and I'm sure they will get to know it even better. Thanks - Mike
Thank you Mike! Great stuff my friend ! A few years back I had neighbor's that raised a beef every year. They would buy a calf in the spring from a local farmer. They would give the calf a name , pet it , feed it from their hands , and in no time it would follow them everywhere! When the first frost hit in the fall , they would go to the pasture and take pictures of the steer ! Then the father would shoot the steer with a 38 pistol ! By dark they would be frying hamburgers! This was their way of life !! I know we always raise hogs when I was home but we never made pets out of them. Thought you might enjoy this story. Hope I didn't bore you with details! Be safe my friends and God bless you all !!!!!! Eddy
We always named our pigs Sausage, Bacon, Ham, etc. We would talk about their going to piggy camp at the end of the year. What they were meant for was never far from our minds. We still treated them like you do, with respect and treats.
SAVING THIS VIDEO FOR NEXT TIME WE LOAD UP ARE PIGS. Your little ramp is a great idea. Going to have my dad and uncle build one for next pigs.
Thank you hopefully it works! - Mike
Always sad to say goodbye Mike and when you care as much about your animals as you it will always bring a tear to your eye and over the years you will shed many
Very true, sometimes its tough to be tough. Thanks Mike - Mike
Congrats on the pigs they look good. We are on our 2nd year of farming pigs ourselves and enjoy it very much. We run our pigs on our forested part of our property & love the better quality of pork. They are trained on poly rope and enjoy foraging and rooting and destroying the ever annoying blackberry bushes that grow everywhere (they actually eat the bushes)out west in Washington state. We currently raise Pigs, Chickens (meat and layers) plus turkeys and will soon be trying out lowlife beef.
Keep up the good work your videos are enjoyable to us.
Thank you very much and thanks for sharing your story - Mike
Great looking pigs and nice ramp.
Thank you very much ! - Mike
I'm one of your new people. I'm from Oregon and I'm pretty much retired more. I used to help my Dad raise pigs when I was a kid. We had a boar and five sows plus we were usually feeding around sixty to eighty Weiners for fat hogs. I haven't watched a lot of your videos yet but I will. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for sharing Mark, I couldnt imagine keeping 80 hogs, there is some hard work. - Mike
Hi Mike. Enjoy watching your videos. Tip for you that I learned from my grandfather. About a week before the pigs go to the slaughter back your trailer up to your ramp and set it up so the pigs can go in and out of the trailer. Start putting some treats in the trailer everyday. When it's time to load them simply put some treats in the trailer and the pigs will load themselves.
That was kind of my plan, I was hoping to build the ramp then have a week or so of them getting in and out of the trailer and getting used to it. That plan got thrown off but oh well. Thanks a bunch, I'm glad it works. - Mike
Thank you for sharing Mike. The slats on the ramp will be a big help loading. Your customers will really appreciate that pork when they get it. So much better than store bought! ) Have a safe trip to Sturges, SD and back.
Thank you very much Patricia and thanks for watching - Mike
Love the ‘do it yourself’ chute!! Can’t wait for part 2!!
Isnt most stuff "do it yourself?" Thanks Ryan- Mike
Yeah! I like that you don’t just run out and buy a chute. I like working with what ya got and building things with our own hands.
When I was young we raised hogs. Best loading trick we found was back the truck up to the chute the afternoon before. Break a few bales of fresh straw and spread it out in the truck. First thing in the morning come out and all you see are ears sticking out of the straw. Close the gate and head for market.
Thank you very much, love all the tips, definitely going to try it next year. - Mike
Excellent as always.
Thank you sir! - Mike
Put a small axle and two wheels and you can move it easy. Get fancy and throw a hitch on it and tow it with your Gator.
Love the show!
Great idea, thank you very much ! - Mike
I can't believe how excited I am for Tuesday's video. I feel kind of silly for it!.
When I was growing up we had a couple of pigs that my Dad tried to keep us from naming. Didn't work. Mom was upset when Wilber and Wilma went to be processed but I wasn't. I thought the whole concept of eating bacon we had raised was super cool.
Thanks for keeping the videos coming!
Thank you very much Curt, means alot to us. Thanks for watching - Mike
Mike...I could hear the emotion in your voice as you were talking about the pigs and how they are raised and why there are raised. And from the way the pigs were interacting with you, I can tell that you are doing the right thing in the way you raise them. As you said, truly we are stewards of the land and the crops and animals we raise....or should be so. Factory farming is as far from this as possible, and it shows in the quality of the meat and produce that comes from those farms. I believe, like you, that the land is not here for us to use and use and use. It is here for us to use, and care for, and to work to make it better season after season...not just to run it down until all fertility in the soil is lost. I believe that the animals raised should be treated life living beings. Like I have seen you do in your videos, I would be out in the pastures with the cattle...checking on them, getting to know them, their personalities....thus, that knowledge of them will make it easier to know when they are "off", when they are sick or injured. Same goes for hogs, sheep, goats...what ever I would raise (if I had a farm other than in my dreams). See those pigs come to you, to see you reach down and touch them, pet them....that shows that those pigs are more than just "money on hooves"...they are animals that you care for, that you nurture, that you want the best for. And it is clear that when it comes time for your calves and pigs to go to market or processor....it bothers you, it hits you in the heart strings....and I appreciate seeing that, I appreciate that you allow that to show in your videos....it's nice seeing the human element of farming, the heart that is put into the land and crops and critters.
What you've said about not to getting attached to animals is very true, my neighbour had to get rid of an elderly bull that we were all fond of mainly because he was a character and he always enjoyed us scratching between the front of his shouders. We were saddened when he leaft, his replacement I wish I could say the same so much for the type of breed being quite natured although the owner has a talent of choosing nutcase animals. Nice job of the ramp you made there Mike well done for getting it done fast too !! Looking forward to part2.👍
Those animals that you get close to sure are fun, we have quite a few that we really get to know well, especially the breeding cows. Thanks for watching Calum, see you on Tuesday - Mike
Your videos are full of knowledge it's amazing. Keep up the awesome work man. You are a beast
Thank you very much, but right now I wish I had a hot tub lol Thanks for watching - Mike
My husband was raised on a dairy farm and never got attached. I however ,I was not. With his kids in 4-H showing their steers, I was always right there involved helping out. It was very hard to say goodbye on Monday after the County fair was over. I would cry and try to convince my husband to let me keep just 1, but that would take away from the kids college funds. I had to put on big girl pants and swallow with that big lump in my throat watch them drive away to do what they were meant to do, filling someones freezer and one of the kids steer went to a buyer who donated the cow to a local food bank.
That is really good, we donate as well. I think its important to give back. Thank you for watching - Mike
Nice ramp,very ingenius
Thanks Curtis and thanks for watching - Mike
Your a good dude Mike, it's impossible not to get a little attached!
Yes it is, thanks and thanks for watching- Mike
I learned my lesson on uprights for a flat bed truck, put the sheeting on the inside of the uprights that way the stock pushes against the fasteners tightening them instead of the stock pushing the sheeting/rails off the outside by loosening the fasteners as they push against it. My poor little piggy went to market but got away by means of rolling in the ditch and running into the woods. End of lesson.
Oh wow, thats one of my fears. Losing a pig, either through the chute or off the trailer. I can imagine it would be a major pain. Thanks for sharing - Mike
I enjoy your vids and watching you and Erin doing your thing. Living in TX we don't have the snow or severe temps which I like but Wyoming is beautiful. I've traveled there and saw a lot but you are giving us a much larger view of the state. Wanted to say thank you and urge you to continue as is very enjoyable!!
Thank you very much, I'm going to be in Dallas this fall so I'll get to enjoy some of that Texas weather as well. Thanks for watching - Mike
Growing up on a farrow to finish hog farm I have a couple suggestions for you if your going to continue to raise pigs. First I would suggest putting an alley in the back of your shed for ease of feeding and sorting. Your system of moving your pigs from side to side to clean is good but I would suggest cutting your hole closer to the corner that way you already have 2 walls to help squeeze them into if you want to sort a couple off or they just don’t want to go to the other side. When you cut the hole I would also suggest lining the hole with some sheet metal because you’ve obviously discovered that pigs will chew on everything. Good. Luck at market!
I hear ya, we are going to be reworking the pig area this spring. I would like to build a permanent load out area as well as the alley that you are talking about, it would make things alot easier. Thanks a bunch - Mike
HI MIKE ,Old sacking tacked to the ramp will help pigs up the slope , otherwise with a bit of inevitable muck it Beacomes very slippery. Nice job on the improvised ramp . One other thing we used to try when loading pigs was to dig a shallow hole on each side to drop the trailer wheels in ,this lowered the ramp angle to almost nothing, making it easier for the pigs to walk up . Nice video once again thank you.
I like the lower loading idea, there is a bit of an elevation difference inside the shed I didnt account for but we will hopefully figure it out. Thanks David - Mike
It's not because you guys are new to the ranch, Mike, my hubby and I were raised on the farm and we name and love the critters that are headed for the butcher. As long as you remember that is the end result. I think the critters are happer/healthier, when loved. My pig, Pepper is headed out next week.
Thank you Melissa, its easy to get attached, especially to the friendly ones, but you are right, the end result. Thanks - Mike
Well done, See you Tuesday.
Thanks Todd - Mike
@@OurWyomingLife your pigs seem to have gotten very friendly towards you. You must've treated them very well, and they've become happy where they're at. It makes it kinda sad that they're not going to be around much longer. But at least they don't know it, and I hope that they're slaughtered humanely. I do understand why you said it may be best not to get too attatched to them
Thanks for video like it man . God Bless .
Thank you for watching - Mike
Good work
Thank you Matt and thanks for watching - Mike
Thanks mike for sharing, let the pigs go , might be sad , but they have to feed us blessing
Very much I couldnt agree more. Thanks Miguel - Mike
Mike great job on the chute. When we use to farm I didn't let the kids get to friendly with the animals we had meat customers that bought from us also. I let them have there pets for 4 h they had rabbits, chicken's, ducks and horse's they had great time there are 38 ,36, the youngest will be 32 3/1/18 . My oldest Daughter still to this has the problem getting to close to animals when something happens to them it takes awhile to get over it.
I can see that, our kids know the deal but its never easy. Thanks John - Mike
Grew up in west central Wyoming, loved it and I miss it. For many years I have been living in SE Oklahoma and loving it. Still raising cattle, and other live stock not to mention kids we ha 3 left at home out of 10. Enjoy watching you raise cattle and livestock the Wyoming way, I sometimes forget those brutally cold and snowy days. Do you sell your calves at weaning or do you sell them at yearling age. We have found we do better financially holding on to them until they are yearlings. We also hold back and sell a lot of replacement heifers. Keep up the good work and the good videos.
Thank you very much, we usually sell at weaning unless we have a few smaller calves. Those we may hold back until the next year. I've never actually thought of selling bred heifers myself but it does sound like a great idea. Hopefully prices go back up and we can keep some back and try it. Thanks again - Mike
Another resource for selling your cattle is cattlerange.com
Looks like it will work but you never know what pig's will do.
Here piggy, piggy.
God bless.
Thats very true, every year we load them is an adventure. Thanks Brian - Mike
Be sure those pigs are hungry so you can use feed to lure them up the ramp. It's VERY hard to make a pig go where it doesn't want to go. Be sure to use solid panels sized around 2.5' by say 3' with a hand grip cut into the top so you can trap the pigs into the corner and get them up the ramp. Never let a pig see light under the board . Where their nose goes, the rest goes. I don't know how much you know about herding hogs, so I just thought I'd pass this along. Hope I was helpful and not insulting.
Thank you very much for the tips. Hogs can definitely be stubborn and hard headed. - Mike
Hi Mike. Always hated seeing the butchering truck drive up. Normally we only did one, maybe two pigs at a time, so home butchering was easier. I hated the feelings I had. ( I was 5-10yrs), but once they were killed, I would go out and watch the processing. Best anatomy lesson ever. Safe trip to Sturgis. Deb
Thanks Deb, in some ways I am very glad that we dont process ourselves. - Mike
It's the killing that's sad. once they are dead, it's just meat. memories are still there.
Pigs are neat animals. My great aunt had a pig farm and one thing they told me was don't get between a sow and her babies.
When we have pigs we name them and when we eat we talk about what pig or calf we are eating and the kids just get used to it. Sometimes people come over and don't want to here that the hamburger we are eating was from my favorite cow that raised 13 calves and I couldn't bare to sell her. I tell them meat isn't made at the store.
Exactly, some people dont want a face on their food and thats ok, but you are right it is very important. Thank you very much - Mike
+Our Wyoming Life Im Ranch Raised SE OKLA !! DAD. GOT SICK ! WE HAD SELL PIECE BY PIECE 2 PAY DR BILLS & DAD PASSED IN WINTER OF 92!! I CANT SEEM FINS GOOD RANCH JOB ANYWHERE !! OH WELL. RECKON GOOD OL DAYS GONE !! GUESS. CDL WITH CLEAN DONT MEAN MUCH THESE DAYS !!!! MISS THE RANCH LIFE !# FIXIN FENCE ! CHECKIN CATTLE ! FEEDIN. !!!
Our Wyoming Life
I've only raised a cow for consumption. I named him T-bone. So, even if we were eating hamburger - it was T-bone. Good ole tasty T...
AndersonCattleCo. Yes we do that with our Dogs 🐕 and Puppies 🐶 Fresh Docked Puppy Tails are a favourite!
Business is business, that's the bottom line. I have names for most of the animals too though. I call the " pork chop, sausage, tender loin, ham, note payment, taxes, fuel, grease, gift for the kids or for the wife, college fund".... Lol, it may sound corny but it does make it a little easier when the time comes!
That is does. We had a friend that had two turkeys. "Thanksgiving" and "Christmas" Thanks for watching - Mike
If we "name" an animal is to tell one from another. it's not like a pet naming thing.
Love love love da piggies
agreed! - Mike
Good thing you made it sturdy...I don't know a nickel's worth about pigs but imagine they could get rowdy...and at 600 pounds each could break the chute if they get scared...I hope it goes smoothly for you...looking forward to the Tuesday video. Hmmm...might we worth it to bore maybe three holes in each side panel...thinking that it would be good that they see some daylight and not feel trapped and start jumping around on you. Terry
Thanks Terry, luckily our pigs dont weight that much but I like the idea of the holes, it will definitely help - Mike
That's sad but its how it works how are you mike to day
Im doing well. How are you Jacob? - Mike
Our Wyoming Life im good
Great Video👍🐖🐷
Thank you very much - Mike
Hey Mike good job. Yeah it's hard to say good bye. But just think of all the money you will be getting back. Also I bet you have way more orders next year. God bless
I hope we do. Thank you very much - Mike
when I was on the farm I took the thought I fed and watered the chickens and pigs it was their time to feed me you asked for a flavor of jerky no sat or flavor just dry meat like we made at a tribal school I worked at in Montana it was good; health restrictions on salt or sugar intake
Nice, we are going to be speaking with our processor on Monday, so we can find out what we can do. Thanks a bunch - Mike
Hi Mike, My pig ramp is like yours but I have mine so I can close the door fast to trap them. It is elevated and screwed to a 3' telephone pole then the trailers is backed up to it, also 2x4 footing cleats is a good idea too. Ounce the pigs learn the trailer is a danger spot they'll all want to escape from inside. I found that the best and easiest way to get them inside is to feed them there. It'll take about 3 day for them to find the food and get comfortable going up the ramp and inside the trailer. That's when the door is quickly closed. If they get scared and given a chance they'll run out and the you'll have big troubles getting them in after that . Pigs are very smart and very trusting of you so I have found I have only one good try at it before they learn what's happening. I also like to get them to the butcher a day ahead of schedule (if possible) so the pork meat isn't full of stress and adrenaline for the best eating pork (same with steers). It's the saddest day on the ranch when the animals are taken to the butcher but a very happy one when they come back in a box! Good luck 🤠
Thank you very much Rich, we are going to be reworking the design and making a more permanent ramp this summer. Thanks for the tips. - Mike
growing up on a farm we named them. my son named his first FFA pig Bacon he made good bacon.
Thanks Earl, I imagine that is a pretty popular name for pigs - Mike
Hello. My next project will be a pig farm.
This year we plan to complete the development of the farm of rabbits.
I hope everything will come out.
I want a pig farm from birth to slaughter, that is, the birth and fattening of pigs
We actually buy weaner pigs because we dont have a sow or a boar, its kind of nice to get a break from them for a bit. Thanks - Mike
I am interested in the whole process, and there is more profitability there
Morning Mike I think the chute will work well,maybe ☺️
Here's to hoping all goes well. Thanks Brent - Mike
Or this summer because I love working on farms
We kind of learned with the kids don't play with your food there's a time for everything. Sometimes they don't understand but in the end when it's on the table I think the boys are pretty happy. have a great morning talk to you later. Did any new calves show up yet. 10 days of rain here I'm hoping to be done with calving soon
No calves yet, our heifers are due to start soon, then it will be the cows. A long few months. Thanks - Mike
Isn't Sturges where they have that huge motor bike festival every year ?
It sure is, the rest of the year however its a pretty quiet little town. Thanks Kylie - Mike
HOGS, as in Harley's and hogs as in walking pork. There must be pun in there somewhere.
my aunt raised sheep. she named them all and cried when she sent some ram lambs to the butcher... so the next year she just numbers them 1,2 and 3...... who knew 1 2 and 3 are names too.....
very true. We have many cows that we have grown attached to and we just use their tag numbers. It all counts. Thanks a bunch and thanks for watching - Mike
I do not want something ranch, I want to have a business like that. Put the woodcutters and control everything yourself. But this is my dream
Good luck
Its alot of fun and alot of work, but very rewarding. Thank you - Mike
AWESOME BLOSSOM🌻
In your talk you kept saying, "we." Who was "we" as I only saw you working.
LOL
The we is me and you Betty :) - Mike
Our Wyoming Life
Ha, no wonder I was cold and tired after this vlog.
My boyfriend and I talked about raising a butcher pig and he did the same thing about not getting attached lol but I know he would too, I just told him if we named it was to call it pork chop lol
I've heard that done alot, I imagine it does make things easier. Thanks for watching - Mike
At 5:50ish I believe those are OSB (oriented strand boards) not particle board
At 8:38ish What is that truck in the background?
Thanx from the left coast near the Krapitol of California
1924. Model t. Thanks for watching -Mike
Great quick idea mike. When I started watching this video, I thought boy that screwed up the project list. Darn slaughter houses, screwing up your project list lol. When I was a kid we built a set of chutes out of railroad ties and bridge planks. It was literally one of the last things to get demolish, when Mom claened up the yard. At least it looked like the wind wasn't blowing. I bet with some bribery of some greens ( raid Erin's tunnel but don't tell her ) those kids will walk right onto the bus. Pigs are as I'm sure you know curious by nature especially if food is involved, kinda like me lol. Have you ever thought about turning the pigs into Erin garden in the fall. They would love cleaning it up and it would arriate the soil and ad some free fertilizer . Sorry for the long post. Thanks for the video.
Brian JOnker electric wire. Couple shocks they'll learn. That's all we ever used for our pigs
Pigs that have been penned there whole lives will get out before they learn.
Brian JOnker I beg to differ we never had that problem. And yes our pigs were penned got most of their life. But I'm not gonna argue a mute point, our of respect for Mike and Erin channel
Thumbs up for you and respecting Mike & Erin. We can disagree without rancor and acknowledge that on UA-cam we cant understand the others circumstances .
Hi Kory, we actually cant use pig manure in gardens without heavy composting first. Pig manure, along with dog and cat manures, should never be used on vegetable gardens. These manures often carry parasites. On a side note, the wind is making up for it today. lol Thanks again - Mike
i was raised in the city but do have an understanding that milk does not come from the store and neither does the pork, beef and chicken. As far as game hunting I know that that there is a need for hunting things deer. Because if you don't the heard will starve to death because there is not enough food. and besides it thins the heard easier to manage from a wild life point of view.
You are right, hunting can be a great form of control on population, helping eliminate disease and other issues. Thanks for watching - Mike
Great job on the ramp! You mentioned weighing them before you go to Sturgis, what type of scale do you have as I have been looking into getting one for our cow calf operation.
I guss you are going to have to wait...haha, just kidding. We are going to weigh them, We have a couple of alley scales both from A and A Scales LLC. The small one we use for pigs and calves and it weights up to 800lbs. We also have a 6000 lb scale. Thanks - Mike
That's the same brand we have been looking at! Looking at the 10k lbs scale legs and building an alley platform that we can move from calf table alley to squeeze chute alley and save money by only getting one set.
Also to give more ideas, many animal farms are pardoning their animal friends and changing to plant farms. But still I know you’re good people and treat your animals good. Still the karmic burden when they are killed is huge on you, your family and the people who buy the carcass to eat.
To try to get them to load easily, let them see you putting their feed in the front of the trailer. They are curious and quick learners and needless to say always ready for a meal. Don't feed them in the barn and it should help them to get used to loading fairly quickly.
Thank you very much for the tips, they will come in handy - Mike
Mike, You sure explained well. QUESTION: When pigs are taken to Sturgis, does the packing facility separate your pigs from others, i.e. no hormones/antibiotics? Because, you have a special product which I'm guessing must be labeled that way at the retail level. Does it work that way? --- [PS: We have local pig farmers where I am in NH growing naturally and selling processed meat to chain-store-grocers at a local level. But, and I'll have to look, I don't know how our NH local meat is inspected.] --- Thanks...
We have to get ours inspected to sell individual cuts. Our pigs are kept separate as well. It would be interesting to know how its done in other states. Thanks - Mike
Thanks for sharing as always mike. I'M sure it is hard in a way to take them to slaughter but as you said God says we are the stewards over the animals. Wish I lived closer would love to have some of that fresh thick cut bacon or spare ribs and pork shoulder to barbecue. Yummy to my tummy LOL.I thought you did a great job on the building of the shoot never building one before. YOu might want to take some 2x6's to frame the cut out of the side of the barn for strength and let them over hang a couple of inches to give you something to reattach the cut out to. Wish I lived closer or had time to come out for a couple of weeks I would rewire trailers that need it and im sure several other odd jobs I could take care of you. Have a great and God Bless!!!
haha, I could use some help somedays thats for sure. Thanks for the tips, they really do help. :) - Mike
Hey Mike, Just wondering if you use electric fences and rotational grazing?
You should allow your pigs to range on pasture Mike.
You should have put some strips of wood down for them so they would not slip going up the ramp. 1 inch buy a half inch strip and then tacit it to the floor just an idea for the next time.
Those are the runners I talked about at the end of the video, we will be attaching them so the pigs have traction. Thanks for watching- Mike
Our Wyoming Life I guess that's what makes a good video when you watch it to the end LOL I analyze things and then I have them on my mind and then I thought I should say something but then you already talked about it at the end of your video. I guess that's the farmer in me. have a great morning
Poor babys 😥😥😥😥😥
I love bacon ! Thank you.
Thank you for watching - Mike
You sure you haven't done this before looks like it should work as long as the bottom particle board doesn't give.
I've never built a ramp for pigs before but it should hold, its 3/4 inch thick and it has a support in the middle as well. Thanks Clark - Mike
The pigs have names? We have 3 yard chickens in the city. I couldn't bring myself to name them but they remain as "the girls" or the "the ladies"
The girls name them everytime they see them. Of course keeping them straight is hard so they get new names often. Thanks - Mike
You could have used wire fence on sides making it lighter.
nice slide lol
Hey Mike, Any update on the peacock?
I think I'm going to try to sneak one in this weeks newsletter. You can sign up on our website www.ourwyominglife.com. Thank you :) - Mike
GOOD CONTENT! I always hope someday I can buy a fishing ranch. I will miss my pigs as well if I gonna sell them....
Awesome, thank you very much - Mike
What is the name of the highway that runs in front of your ranch? I want to see if I could find your ranch on google maps satellite view.
hey Scott, feel free to email me and I can help you out. Thanks - Mike
suzy the saw and jeff the boar will be on some plate as bacon ....
Very nice, thanks for watching - Mike
At least you can say that they had one bad day in there life’s and it they don’t know it.
Very true, thanks Denis - Mike
❤️🐖🐄
Hey mike good idea with the shoot. I have 2 suggestions, first you could have used tin roofing for sides and maybe even on top as well to get a few years out of that particle board floor and the tin would reduce the weight and number 2 maybe some wood slats on the floor of the shoot so they don't slip and slide trying to get up the shoot. Yes I'm sure your busy this time of year, but was just some suggestions from the outside looking in. Take care mike
Thank you very much, hopefully this spring we are going to rework the pig area. I would like to build a permanent loading ramp as well as some better stalls for them as well. Thanks - Mike
What's the live weight of those hogs?
In part 2 we weighed them, they all were between 250-320 lbs. Thanks for watching - Mike
Our Wyoming Life Perfect butcher weight
Hi Mike Erin California
Let’s see the Right To Repair video✅🙌🏼
Thank you very much , we are planning on one. Probably when we start getting tractors ready. We are still trying to get someone from John Deere to maybe join us as well - Mike
😥😥😥
lets see.. what can go wrong??..:)
Ya never know, pigs have a mind of their own. Thats for sure. Thanks Martin - Mike
When is Jeff coming back
Hey
Dudes of war hi bb
Do you make money feeding them everyday ?
USDA inspections feed etc ? Any money in it ?
Looking at the numbers really quickly, each pig will eat about 800 lbs of food, costing about 300$ per pig. Processing can get expensive and cost anywhere from 600-800 per animal. Thanks for watching - Mike
PUT SOMETHING DOWN FOR TRACTION. WAFFER BOARD HAS A SLICK SIDE .
You got it! - Mike
I bought two little dry doe goats for meat last summer. Then I named them. Big mistake.
It can be tough, you just always have to remember their true purpose. Thanks Jeanette - Mike
Their true purpose seems to have morphed into consuming quantities of goat food, pooping it out, and attacking all and sundry with their cute little horns. Sort of like the lazy brother-in-law in the spare bedroom, but with cloven hooves.
Hahaha. Now that's funny!
Hey u do a lot of unnecessary stuff,..still u are doing a great job
Say goodbye to the pigs now but say hello to the bacon later! LOL! That is definitely a hard thing to do but it would be even harder if you were butchering yourself.
For sure, I'm not sure I could do it. Thanks Jerry - Mike
Don't do it! Cute little things. Let them stay forever.
I wish we could. Thanks for watching - Mike
I heard they were loaded into a truck, and they were going to be slaughter for lungs
I hate to be "that guy" but on this one I can't help myself. Please do not call OSB, Particle board. two completely different products and a huge difference between them. If someone wants to copy your design and they order Partical board they will be hugely dissapointed.
Hey that guy lol. Good catch. :). I'm not a builder so I'm glad I have people to set me straight. You are right. I should be better about calling it what it really is. We are lucky I didn't just call them flat wood things lol. Thanks David -Mike
BACON....
mmmmmmmmm
Great pen you made your 🐖. They are pretty . I will love all that fat meat. That I will always Eat.
you cant haul pigs in cattle trailers, my family has raised pigs for over 80 years and I've witnessed pigs come off cattle trailers and fall over and die because the cattle trailers don't allow ventilation to the bottom of the trailer where the pigs are, please get a suitable trailer and don't do this again, thanks
Our trailer has a forward facing vent you can open to allow airflow through the trailer, never had a problem with it. I will have to look into the issue you describe as I havent ran into it before. Thank you and thanks for watching - Mike
We hauled hogs with stock trailers for years; in the heat, in the cold. Never once had a problem. Simply water them down when it's hot. We shipped at least 30 to the packer every two weeks for decades. I'm sorry for Michael's sad luck!
I don't see how you make money? 8lbs of food a day? I just don't see the money.
We have a video about the business of pigs and breaks it down. Thanks - Mike
Why come you dont breed the pigs? Keep a girl and a boy..
We buy our weaner pigs for 50$ apiece from a breeder, we cant afford to keep a sow and a boar for that price. Plus the timing works out, the pigs leave when we are getting ready to start calving and we wont get piglets until after calving. One less thing to worry about. Thanks Sara - Mike
Our Wyoming Life Oh Okay, now i see... i 💛 your channel.
Animal Cruelty for profits!
I think I was somewhere around 6 or 7 when 'Bessie' my pet pig went to market. She sure was good eating!
As the kids get a bit older they will get to take a more active role as well. They already know how it works and I'm sure they will get to know it even better. Thanks - Mike