Itty Bitty Future Bacon Makers

We bought a couple of young gilts (unbred female pigs) this weekend. Unlike most of their predecessors on our farm they are not being raised to eat but rather for breeding. We have a building that we use for storage (i.e. junk) right now but it is perfect for a small hog operation, a low building with concrete floors, set up with electricity, a heater, windows for ventilation and a faucet for water right inside. The darker piglet is a Berkshire, a fairly uncommon breed known for their higher quality meat compared to the traditional industrialized factory farmed breeds. The lighter girl is a cross between a Berkshire and a Yorkshire, a more common production breed that you would likely see in 4-H shows. Our older gilt (a Hampshire) is at another farm being bred by a Berkshire cross boar. Hopefully this can be another source of revenue as hogs are generally considered to be a very efficient animal for converting feed into muscle rapidly. Besides, how cute are those piglets?!