That much closer to combining...

We are almost ready to get into the field to start combining for this year.  At Papa Weaver's Pork, we feed our pigs all feed that we can grow, with the exception of buying local soybean meal because the soybeans that we grow can't be fed to our pigs without being processed first.  However, all the corn that we grow does go into our pig feed!  We are a little late getting our corn out of the field this year- due to my pumpkin patch pretty much taking over the month of October and trying to get fields worked to plant winter wheat, trying to get the combine ready to go has been a slow process.  Last year was my first year taking over some of the combine driving for my dad- I'm pretty excited to get back in the combine this year to harvest the corn!  Hopefully the rain will hold off some so that we can put the final touches on getting the combine ready and in the field this afternoon.

Dad was out delivering sausage this morning.  He gets up super early on Tuesday mornings to deliver pork to Capital Meats in Landover Maryland and then takes whole pigs to Huntsman Specialty Game in Springfield.  He then stopped by Fredericksburg to take care of a few more deliveries, and then made his way back home.  When he is gone my brother and I are completely in charge of the farm.  When I'm home, I'm the one in charge of the breeding stock, the mom pigs (sows) and the nurseries- where the baby pigs are.  Feeding in the morning normally takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to take care of two barns.  It's important that I go through and check all of our pigs to make sure that no one is sick, and there's nothing wrong in the barns.

This week is a breeding week, which means that we have to find sows that are in heat, and then breed them to the boars.  We always have boars on the farm, but sometimes we breed using A.I., or artificial insemination.  A.I. is a great way for us to get new genetics on the farm without having to buy expensive new boars.  It's a great way for us to be able to update our breeding stock, because on average sows only live until they are about 5 years old.

Time for me to head out and make a few pork deliveries, and then hopefully head on out to the combine!