Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[blueriver]

Don .. Tip #11 Flask of your favorite antifreeze

 

[Western]

Jim, I built a parking roof:laughing: last summer. You dont know how convenient they are until you do it. We have had them before, but moved here and just worked on other things along with survival.

Bird, I dont like the sound of the ice in the parking lot. I was hoping the lots where clear since I have one of those "can you do it yesterday" jobs in Haltom City, so I scheduled it for tomorrow night :shocked:

 

[Bird]

Dennis, if it's been out in the sun, the ice has probably melted and the water may have even dried, but if cars have been parking there providing shade, that might be another matter. The ice melted off nearly all of my own driveway today.

 

[blueriver]

My hogs hit the scale at 246 lb average !!!

 

[Bird]

My hogs hit the scale at 246 lb average !!!

I've wondered what, in this day and age, is considered to be the best weight and/or age for hogs being butchered. The first hog I ever showed was a Berkshire barrow that I showed in the Fat Stock Show in Ardmore and he tipped the scales at an even 300 pounds which was the maximum weight allowed in the heavy weight class in 1948-49; another pound and we'd have been disqualified before we started. He took the blue ribbon in the heavy weight class for the county and for the 7 counties, and I got the Showmanship ribbon, but a lighter weight hog won the Grand Champion ribbon and back then it seems the ideal weight for butchering was 120 to less than 200 pounds.

 

[foreman Etexas]

On GAC check out Highway Cowboys,that's around the house,I know ole Cody and know of the Champions,all good folks.

 

[TomSeller]

And even more scary is that the FDA is going to allow chickens to be imported from China. Last I heard, this past summer, FDA has given approval. What many don't realize, is that, some already are imported from China, and still called "product of USA". If it is hatched here, it can then be sent to China for grow out and processing, then frozen and shipped back here as USA product. At least one of the "major names" in your supermarket do that.

Also, since arsenic is considered an element, and not a drug, producers of poultry use it to add weight gain, and the levels are not regulated, as an antibiotic would be. You should see some of the levels of arsenic found in chickens, bought at your local grocer, and sent to independent labs for testing. And yes, some growers are worse than others. Pilgrim's Pride used to be free of added stuff, such as that, but since Bo Pilgrim died, I have not seen how things are changing there, other than the name on the package.

As blueriver said, chickens are a whole 'nother story. If you think eating chicken is healthier, you might be surprised, unless you raise your own. And if you buy eggs at the grocer, and get some that come from chickens fed organic scratch and free roaming, when you crack one of each and put them in the skillet side by side, you can see a HUGE difference. There is as much difference in taste too, as between raw milk and the stuff you buy in the stores that is called milk.

There is no definition to "Natural". I am aware of that. From the PM I rec'd, I think blueriver and I are talking the same language, and meanings/understandings. I do laugh at the items in grocery stores called "all natural". That doesn't always mean healthy. After all, my dogs' poop is all natural, but I sure wouldn't want to eat it!

Cross off chickens from the grocery list. We can't even grow chickens in the USA? Someone can hatch them here, ship them to china to grow out and ship back and beat our cost? The deck is stacked. Good grief.

 

[blueriver]

Bird ... I've got a customer in Houston won't take anything over 200 lbs ... Ideally for him 175lbs

 

[pacerron]

Bird ... I've got a customer in Houston won't take anything over 200 lbs ... Ideally for him 175lbs

We realize you are in a niche market with your Berkshires, but wonder if the recent overall hog market bloat has effected the
price negatively you get for yours?
The average market weight overall recently was real high, about 280 pounds, due to plenty of corn and other fall factors. I expect the price of consumer pork in the retail markets to go down significantly soon. Probably higher fat content, maybe less water injection.

 

[blueriver]

We realize you are in a niche market with your Berkshires, but wonder if the recent overall hog market bloat has effected the price negatively you get for yours? The average market weight overall recently was real high, about 280 pounds, due to plenty of corn and other fall factors. I expect the price of consumer pork in the retail markets to go down significantly soon. Probably higher fat content, maybe less water injection.

Actually your right about the 280 lbs the market was low and from what I read the producer was holding them longer to try and get a better price .. Thus the larger hogs.

Futures for May June and July are stronger than they have been for yrs .. Could be looking at record highs. The PEV has killed a lot of newborns therefore the numbers for the future fat hogs are down ... Corn prices have dropped as well as milo and wheat .. Producers are thinking let's feed cheap grain to the hogs we have... Feeder pigs are high because there simply are not the number of feeder pigs available because of PEV

 

[blueriver]

I also raise Hampshire Bluebutts Yorkshire and Landrace .. Recently added Red Wattles

 

[jinman]

Alvord Schools are again closed today. I have my last chemo treatment this morning, so we are taking my grandson with us. He and his grandma will go shopping at Sam's Club while I take my "drip buffet."

Do I dare bring up the "C-word"? I did all my Christmas shopping online yesterday except for one gift card I am picking up today. It's impossible to get folks to tell me what they need/want, so I just give them Amazon cards and let them shop for themselves. I'm not lazy, but I absolutely hate buying something that somebody doesn't need. Everyone is happy with the Amazon cards and I am too.:thumbsup: At least this year, my wife and I both gave each other hints, so that is gonna work good.

Blueriver, I suspect somebody in Muenster is gonna be might busy for awhile with your hogs. This is sure a great time to do that. If they run out of cooler space, they can just hang them outside or open the door.

 

[Western]

WOOT Last one Jim!!!! Good luck for the last trip to the "Buffet":thumbsup:

Most of the schools here in Wise and Parker counties are starting late, but warm temps now through tonight, so roads should clear of remaining ice patches.

 

[Bird]

I absolutely hate buying something that somebody doesn't need.

I remember hearing many, many years ago that Christmas is when you buy something you'd love to have to give to someone who has absolutely no use for it.:laughing:

 

[bindian]

I raised Hampshire and Suffolk wethers and rabbit fryers for FFA projects. One Hamp took second place and sold for $625 at the FFA buyer's auction.

Never ate one of my lambs, but my kids remember when I still raised rabbits and butchered them myself! I love fried rabbit better than chicken. I think I just might start raising them again. My mouth is watering already.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bird]

Brandi, in the late 40s my Dad worked for Auto Electric, a chain of auto parts stores. When my first hog and I took 2 blue ribbons and the showmanship ribbon, the owner of Auto Electric was going to be out of town so he told his bookkeeper (didn't have accountants in those days:laughing to go to the auction and buy my hog. The bookkeeper (who was also a close friend of Dad's) asked how high he could bid. The boss said, "I don't care if you have to go to 50 cents a pound." Of course in those days 50 cents a pound for a live animal was ridiculous. So the bookkeeper did bid up to 50 cents, but the owner of the local Ford dealership, Sam P. Hale, bid 51 cents and bought the hog. Dad's boss later asked the bookkeeper what he had to pay for that hog, and when he found out he hadn't bought it because the bid went over 50 cents, he wasn't mad, but said, "I meant for you to buy it for whatever you had to pay. I just said 50 cents because I didn't expect it to go that high." But anyway, I got $153 for that hog and turned around and bought a good registered brood sow for $50 and went into the hog raising business.

My youngest brother raised rabbits when he was in the FFA in high school, but I never raised any myself until the Fall of 1995, when I bought a buck and 3 does (New Zealand Whites). And it wasn't long until I had 15 cages and raised over 300 of them.:laughing: I had grown up eating wild cottontails, swamp rabbits, and jack rabbits, but hadn't eaten any rabbit for many years until then. But I sure ate a bunch of those I raised. I don't understand why every grocery store in the country doesn't have them among the meats they sell.

 

[pacerron]

Brandi, in the late 40s my Dad worked for Auto Electric, a chain of auto parts stores. When my first hog and I took 2 blue ribbons and the showmanship ribbon, the owner of Auto Electric was going to be out of town so he told his bookkeeper (didn't have accountants in those days:laughing to go to the auction and buy my hog. The bookkeeper (who was also a close friend of Dad's) asked how high he could bid. The boss said, "I don't care if you have to go to 50 cents a pound." Of course in those days 50 cents a pound for a live animal was ridiculous. So the bookkeeper did bid up to 50 cents, but the owner of the local Ford dealership, Sam P. Hale, bid 51 cents and bought the hog. Dad's boss later asked the bookkeeper what he had to pay for that hog, and when he found out he hadn't bought it because the bid went over 50 cents, he wasn't mad, but said, "I meant for you to buy it for whatever you had to pay. I just said 50 cents because I didn't expect it to go that high." But anyway, I got $153 for that hog and turned around and bought a good registered brood sow for $50 and went into the hog raising business.

My youngest brother raised rabbits when he was in the FFA in high school, but I never raised any myself until the Fall of 1995, when I bought a buck and 3 does (New Zealand Whites). And it wasn't long until I had 15 cages and raised over 300 of them.:laughing: I had grown up eating wild cottontails, swamp rabbits, and jack rabbits, but hadn't eaten any rabbit for many years until then. But I sure ate a bunch of those I raised. I don't understand why every grocery store in the country doesn't have them among the meats they sell.

Bird,
Remember what hogs were fed in the old days
Maybe that's the taste difference FG was talking about..

 

[Bird]

Bird,
Remember what hogs were fed in the old days
Maybe that's the taste difference FG was talking about..

I don't remember what was in the "mash" that we mixed with milk and/or water for slop. But then corn was a popular feed, and in my own case, I bought "day old" bread from the local bakery. I'm not sure right now, but I think I paid 3 cents a loaf or package, but maybe it was 4 cents. I bought 100 loaves at a time. It was the stuff they'd picked up from the grocery stores; didn't have thrift shops back then. And since it was the same price for a loaf of bread, a cake, a package of donuts, or a pie, the hogs didn't get everything I bought.:laughing:

But there was never any antibiotics or any other drugs or vaccinations.

 

[jinman]

WOOT Last one Jim!!!! Good luck for the last trip to the "Buffet":thumbsup:

Most of the schools here in Wise and Parker counties are starting late, but warm temps now through tonight, so roads should clear of remaining ice patches.

Well. . . perhaps I spoke a bit to quickly. This was the end of the first course of chemo. My doctor showed me that the 2nd course will start in Jan and run half-way through March. That's what I initially thought, but my schedule showed this as the last treatment. Unfortunately it was the last treatment of the first course. I don't know why I say "unfortunately." If it's gonna make me better and send my cancer into remission, then bring it on. This is getting a bit deep for this thread, so I'll drop the rest of my discussion to my "1 in 100 thread."

 

[two_bit_score]

I don't remember what was in the "mash" that we mixed with milk and/or water for slop. But then corn was a popular feed, and in my own case, I bought "day old" bread from the local bakery. I'm not sure right now, but I think I paid 3 cents a loaf or package, but maybe it was 4 cents. I bought 100 loaves at a time. It was the stuff they'd picked up from the grocery stores; didn't have thrift shops back then. And since it was the same price for a loaf of bread, a cake, a package of donuts, or a pie, the hogs didn't get everything I bought.:laughing:

But there was never any antibiotics or any other drugs or vaccinations.

What did you do with the hogs that got sick? Or that just never happened?