Pig Wing Farms

01/25/2026

Quail are doing ok. The heat is not plugged in where they are. I poured some hot water over some snow and fresh feed. They are bedded down well with lots of leaves and straw. Although the enclosure is closed in the back and mostly on the sides, it’s open in the front so I put a tarp on them yesterday. That seems to work well for keeping out the brisk weather.

01/25/2026

Maverick is snug as a bug in a rug. For whatever reason he doesn’t ever really bury himself in the haha. I couldn’t even see Iceman this morning. He was fully buried. Maverick is more of a summer guy. He builds the best and deepest wallows I’ve ever seen.

01/25/2026

We can be blessed enough to report zero loss on this farm this morning.

As the snow or frozen ice or whatever this is keeps coming down and will supposedly continue to through the evening we will be diligent with our involvement on the farm with the animals. Right now we can say we’ve got some answered prayers that electric stayed on and our animals are thriving. Iceman might be the best to handle cold weather. I can’t even see him.

01/25/2026

The snow has started to fall here. I was out checking on all the animals one last time before I call it a night and felt the first snowflake on my face. It’s mixed feelings because I’m sure we’re losing power so that means heat lamps for our 3 litters and no water and I’m a girl that can’t sleep unless I’ve showered a few times a day. Then I know how much fun the kids are going to have sledding down the hills on the new property, make snow ice cream and having hot cocoa. I know it’s going to be beautiful. We gave it our all and now we go into enjoy the beauty in the storm mode and keep a watchful eye on the livestock.
We’re sending prayers that everyone stays warm and all our fellow farmers use the skill and knowledge to keep their animals safe and warm. We look forward to seeing everyone’s warm comfort foods, blankets of snow photos, family and animals enjoying the white, cold stuff.

01/25/2026

I have added more and more straw and hay for our crew. We’ve got heat lamps and extension cords in all directions until the power goes out. Once that goes out I will add even more bedding and I will check frequently to ensure the bedding remains dry. I have purposely not added all the bedding they need or may want because I want to ensure no enclosures have any wet areas. If so I can rake out and add more fresh, dry bedding. All day today the Meishans snoozed in their bedding. The poultry flock is riding out this storm all together in the coop with an abundance of dry leaves (like 15 large trash bins full) and a load of fresh straw). We’re as prepared as we can be and we’re rooting for all our neighbors and fellow farmers!

01/24/2026

I’m a BIG believer in free range. I don’t mean tractor raised on your land, I mean let them out. Let them perch in the trees. Let those birds eat the worms, mice, lizards, snakes (YES to snakes), and frogs. I want my birds using less of my feed bill, healthier, and happier. Have a I ever lost a bird, yup. Have I lost several? Nope. Have I lost a bird in a steel coop to a predator? Yup. Have I lost a bird that flew into the wall and broke its neck? Yup. Do I lose more birds cooped or free ranging? About the same number. But today I’m doing what’s best for my birds on my farm. I’m catching all these feral birds and putting them in the coop. I don’t trust my birds are ready for snowmaggedon no matter what they think they are ready for. I have also crowded them a bit because I’ve put them all in 1 coop. I’ve strategically done this for a couple of reasons. I want them to stay warm and I am a little worried about the roof collapsing. Remember, we put temporary shelters up because we knew we were moving into our forever home. So, I ordered one of those aluminum coops (pure garbage) off Amazon and popped it up in a day. I have several tarps on it to help insulate, but with the weight of the snow I would imagine we will have issues. Mr. Pig Wing reinforced with lumber so I’m hoping we’re good. These birds will be hanging close to their buddies and they will be out breaking up the snow in no time.

I’ve added an abundance of straw and leaves we raked up to their coop.

The fun thing was in catching them all I found a few nests of frozen eggs. I promise my birds never stop laying, they just hide them all over and I’m not good at hide and go seek.
*there were a couple more egg nests, but I didn’t get a photo. All frozen and cracked. They were fed them back.

01/24/2026

Mr. Pig Wing has a different idea of emergency food than I do. I will happily go on a diet if SHTF and we run out of food (which would be a LONG time).
I did actually eat pickled pigs feet as a kid. I basically ate what my dad ate which is why the list of unique things I’ve eaten is long. These days I am less adventurous.
Sadly I won’t be dining on pickled pigs feet and I can’t see our farm offering them anytime soon. I promise, you don’t want my skills for this one.

01/24/2026

Here’s the finished photo of the quick pig fort. I had to be grateful that I was a bit of a tomboy building forts with my brother in the woods when designing this one.

Here’s the layers:
Hay inside kennel
Kennel
Straw around kennel
Wood and one of my hog boards
Tarp
More straw
Plastic greenhouse panel
Wood
The wood started as something to weight down the greenhouse panel and then it turned into my Ivy’s fort.

This isn’t a permanent shelter. That comes as soon as the storm blows over and we get her to the new house. This will do for the storm. What we had as protection for her from rain/wind/sun really wasn’t going to cut it for a storm of this magnitude, but I’m feeling confident her fort will keep her cozy. We have so much more hay and straw we will keep adding. We will ensure it all stays dry. As long as we have electric she will also have a heat lamp. She likely has the best winter coat out of all of my Meishan pigs. She’s a healthy girl and well fed and we will plan to maintain that. I don’t think anyone will be calling me for building advice anytime soon, but I’m a big proud of the layers in her fort.
I also have this engineered where the weight of the snow will not collapse the kennel. Everyone wish Ivy luck! We will keep you updated good or bad on her fort.

*it’s not pretty. We will aim for pretty after the storm passes. This go around we wanted warmth and to keep her dry

01/24/2026

When you leave the farm truck door open and one of your American Bresse hens decides she wants to take driving courses. Little does she know I learned to drive in a pasture and I’m not the best one to teach those lessons.

01/23/2026

Snowmaggedon we’re ready for you! I will be out with the animals multiple times a day. No animal on our farm with go without shelter, as much warmth as we can give them, food, or water. We’ve got this! My nose might run and my tears might freeze, but I’m as prepared as I can possibly be.

01/23/2026

I keep an arsenal of supplies for the humans and the animals. Electrolytes are always around. I use them when I travel with Meishan pigs or for baby poultry and so forth. They say salt water doesn’t freeze. Electrolytes usually have NaCl in them. This brand does. So, I’ve added electrolytes to all animal waterers with 2 purposes in mind:

Hopefully won’t freeze, but I HIGHLY doubt it’s enough NaCl to make it not freeze.

My animals are likely going to sleep more and get up to eat and drink less. Every drink they do take will have a little electrolytes.

How much will this help? Likely extremely minimal. Did I work any extra or spend extra money for this? Nope. Took me all of 60 seconds to add it to 8 pig waterers of 55 & 65 gal and 5 seconds extra to add it to the poultry water. I already had it so no extra cost there. I’m team why not. It won’t hurt anything and can only help. Would I go out and buy this just for this occasion, probably not.

Buy Farnam Elite Electrolytes Horse Supplement, 5.38 lb. at Tractor Supply Co. Great Customer Service.