This has been a year of trying many new things for us on our homestead. This was our first year raising livestock. We ventured into raising 40 meat chickens, and two little pigs.
Oh the pigs.
We loved the pigs. I think a lot more then we intend to, or wanted to. I even went against everyone's advice and decided to name them. Hamlet and Harold. My husband at one point told me that he liked the pigs better than he liked our dogs. That was a fun thing to hear, knowing that in a couple of months these pigs were going to be in our freezer. One thing we were not expecting was how much personality these pigs would have. They were absolutely hysterical to have around, and they definitely brought a lot of energy to our little homestead.
As someone who grew up in town, raising animals for food was a very new adventure for me, and I wasn’t quite sure how I would handle it. Thankfully we butchered the chickens first, so I think that helped prepare me for the time that was coming to do the pigs.
The day finally arrived, and it was HOT. We didn’t take into account how the time of year would affect the whole butchering process. I can tell you we will not be making that same mistake again. Fall butchering sounds a lot more appealing for next year. Thankfully my father-in-law was a part of the whole process. One of the pigs was going to be his, so he came and helped us butcher both of them.
It took us two full days to complete both pigs, and by the end we were exhausted. We were so glad it was done.
Now came the true test of it all being worth while. The taste test. Let me tell you, there is absolutely no comparison to our pork versus grocery store pork. The first time we tried it, our minds were blown. We couldn’t believe the difference of how much better ours tasted. The first time my in-laws tried it, I got a very enthusiastic phone call from them. We were all in agreement that all of the hard work had been one hundred percent worth it.
Let me say this though, taste wasn’t the only difference I noticed. Chase and I obviously wanted to raise our own pigs for the sake of our health, better taste, and better quality. However, the other difference that made it all worth while was knowing the quality of life that our animals had. I never really thought about the quality of life the animals had when I was buying meat from the grocery store, but when I was responsible for giving our pigs the best life that we could give them, it was very much on the forefront of my mind.
I feel very content knowing that our pigs lived the best life they could have lived, and ultimately fulfilled their purpose.
It’s actually quite a humbling thing to be in charge of a part of God’s creation in such a way, and wanting to steward that to the best of your ability. It gives you an even greater appreciation for the living creatures under your care.
All I can say in closing, is that our first time raising pigs was definitely quite the adventure.
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