The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: sausagesandcash on November 19, 2009, 09:06:47 am

Title: Ground
Post by: sausagesandcash on November 19, 2009, 09:06:47 am
Is everyones ground like a swamp at them moment, or is it just me?
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: dixie on November 19, 2009, 09:08:12 am
Nope mine too ::)  although it upsets me more than the pigs!
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: BadgerFace on November 19, 2009, 09:11:49 am
Not too bad, but we are on the top of a hill and the wind tends to dry the mud. The porkers paddock was getting a bit muddy, so I've moved them into the bark yard - used to be for dieting ponies ! Will be interesting to see how it stands up to porker use  :pig: :pig:
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: JulieS on November 19, 2009, 09:13:59 am
Muddy here too  :(
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: daniellestocks on November 19, 2009, 09:22:49 am
Same here my pigs are just about swimming round there pens
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: HappyHippy on November 19, 2009, 09:24:11 am
We're getting it VERY WET !
Just as well I've no piggies at the minute or I'd be needing armbands for them ::)
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: carl on November 19, 2009, 09:33:24 am
I am having a break from pigs at the moment. As my ground has water running across it at the moment, like a pond at an angle, I am glad to be giving it a rest. I hope to put a layer of sand and wood chips on the really bad bits before i start again. I always end up with piggy soup about 6 inch deep which sucks your wellies in and allows the pigs to mug you before you can escape.
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: dixie on November 19, 2009, 10:19:24 am
Oh yes The 'out of welly experience'!! had one of those already ;D
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Nisbet on November 19, 2009, 10:25:18 am
Yup - tis mighty damp underfoot here too.  The River Teviot is looking a wee bit menacing. Piggies dont seem to be bothered - spending a lot of time snuggled up in their fab pad in the corner of the old walled garden. They are loving the mud - aren't they just the best things?  The geese are having a blast! One of my favourite bits of the day is when I go out in the morning - usually the sheep give out the alert that I'm about - then the geese start in anticipation of their release from their hut which in turn has the piggies up and out of their hidey-holes in a flash.  But the funniest thing is the "conversation" that always goes on in the corner at the fence between the geese and the pigs - who knows what that's all about - they have a right old blether to each other and it makes me laugh everytime - noisy as hell.  Think some sausages for the neighbours down in the cottages might be a good thing to make up for any disturbances. Anyway - think the geese are the least phased by the weather just now - their kind of thing I guess.  You all take care out there. N x
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: doganjo on November 19, 2009, 10:40:47 am
My chooks have developed webbed feet!(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Sad/crying-022.gif)
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Pigtails on November 19, 2009, 10:42:23 am
Is everyones ground like a swamp at them moment, or is it just me?
[/quote

It's not just you, our land is almost constantly under water, all but the few short summer months in the year,
It is hell on earth.
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Snoopy on November 19, 2009, 10:48:09 am
Luckily we have room to bring in our pigs, and they still have access to fresh air and a little concrete yard
if they want to go out.  ( Don't want them getting phneumonia now - or foot rot standing in water all day! )  :o

Good job really, as this weather would wash them straight down the mountain into the lake!!  ::)

Apparently we almost live on an island - within Ireland.  We cannont get to Leitrim Village or Carrick-on-Shannon
because of all the cars abandoned in the floods on the roads.

The rain is promised to stay with us until mid next - week too, so get some arm bands for your pigs sausages.  ;D
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Rosemary on November 19, 2009, 11:33:48 am
Our feed trough for the sheep was floating this morning.
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Stanley on November 19, 2009, 11:34:10 am
Terrible here too,

The mud has turned into a soup and is all gloopy.  Teh pigs dont seem to care at all but I hate it so hoping to move them out the weekend.  I would put them in the stable but its only 10' x 10' and it would drive them crazy!  

Remind me why I keep pigs over winter again.....................
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: smiffy on November 19, 2009, 01:52:16 pm
some pens are bearing up better than others??? some are swampy others relativley ok. Pigs are loving it, its been so dry all summer since the rain they are nose down arse up digging to austrailia i think :o

I hate it, most of our arks have floors so pigs are off the ground, can anyone tell me how they keep the straw dry, i am spending most of the time dragging out wet straw and replacing it, no mean fete in a pig ark, bad back looming!!!! ;D
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: JulieS on November 19, 2009, 02:18:59 pm
It is a constant job keeping the straw dry.  But I pull out the old straw and leave it on the ground outside the ark, which makes a bit of a 'carpet' for the pigs to walk over before getting in the ark.  Seems to keep a bit of the mud out....But by no means all of it! 
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: dixie on November 19, 2009, 03:48:01 pm
smiffy I know what you mean! I have a sow who no matter how much straw I put in the ark she chews it up and fills it with mud ::) the others arent too bad but I am using a lot of straw now!
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: shetlandpaul on November 19, 2009, 03:52:23 pm
mud everywere were drowning in the stuff
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Hilarysmum on November 19, 2009, 04:25:30 pm
We are ok at present, piglets are ankle deep in the worst bits, plenty of dry area though.  Is there a praying smiley?
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: little blue on November 19, 2009, 08:42:06 pm
Lools like the Somme in the pig pen, and the goat & boar pen which we gravelled and slabbed is also a mud bath where the pig roots his corner then walks it all into the shed!
Need to something more to help the muddy chooks, it cant be fun can it?!
The water just isn't getting chance to drain before the next deluge comes...
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Daisys Mum on November 19, 2009, 09:17:50 pm

Wasn't planning on having pigs at this time of year but had to take these two for friend, they are ankle deep in mud in places too, am trying to keep them in quite a small area just now as I had reseeded a lot of the pig pen . Means that I have to lift poo twice a day.Thank goodness for horse poo scoops.Ducks are loving it but hens are quite miserable.
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: BillyBerridge on November 19, 2009, 10:28:51 pm
I think i must be one of the lucky ones! Our ground drains really easily, its full of stones and has a stream at a lover level which seems to sap most of the moisture, we only have on sow that makes mess digging up the fields!
This time last year we were stuck in clay, many a lost welly back over there!
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Hilarysmum on November 20, 2009, 09:51:01 am
many a lost welly back over there

Now there's a thought a centre for single wellies; we may even get a pair eventually. ;D
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Moregin on November 20, 2009, 04:47:42 pm
You could call it 'The George Micheal Center for Single Wellies'.  I am sure it happened to him - well I can remember something about a bog!!! ;)
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: RUSTYME on November 20, 2009, 04:57:04 pm
yes ..  :D.. I don't think it was single WELLIES he was after though ... :o ::) ::) ;D

cheers

Russ

Title: Re: Ground
Post by: Sylvia on November 22, 2009, 03:37:46 pm
We are on clay, though high up and our pig pen was in such a state that we had, for pity, to let the porkers out into a two acre field. Enough, you may say, but no!! They have found a weak spot in the hedge and gone travelling twice in a week!
Thank God for good neighbours, who have taken them in each time. They are off sooner than planned!
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: dysie39 on November 24, 2009, 06:07:55 pm
Im having the same trouble, water water everywhere,
mine also escaped over the weekend , but that was mainly due to a stupid guy letting his 2 g.s.d's scare them,
they went off through the local estate and we now have to pay to get the nice lady who got them into her garden and phoned me, to get her lawn fixed
we have 2 and a half acres I would love to let them loose in it but there will be so many weak spots in the fencing its not worth the trouble,
Im hoping for a couple of hours to spare on sat or Sunday so i can let them out while keeping an eye on them
wish me luck
Title: Re: Ground
Post by: little blue on November 24, 2009, 07:37:55 pm
Good luck... and some electic fencing?!