permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

At 12:32 PM 11/20/02 -0700, you wrote:

> > Even well
> > adapted hogs should be OK if they can get into well bedded areas sheltered
> > from wind , might want to look for Hereford hogs, this was a well adapted
> > Northern pasture breed.
>
> The remark was that hogs tear up their houses;
> I spoke with a Kentucky hog farmer who gave me this reipe for hog houses:

They tear up incorrectly designed and or built houses.  You point out 
correctly that they would tear up bales, you bet!  They will nest in darn 
near any kind of bramble or hedge given the opportunity.  Hence the 
suggestion to give them a bale or stack of some kind and stand back.  There 
is very interesting husbandry being practiced with deep litter of straw in 
buildings, the animals really like to root and dig, keeping the litter 
relatively dry by stirring it up.

> Take your brushhog to a swath of your canebrake (Arundinaria gigantea
> bamboo) then gather up the chopped mess and rototill it into some wet clay.
> Build with the mix. "Makes good hog houses, and those hogs are tough on
> their houses"
>
> -Rick

Kind of super cob?  I suppose that could work.  Natural shelter is still 
simpler IMO, though you do take a hit on extra feed required for more 
exposed animals.
M

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Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM