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It’s been a while since we checked in on the mulefoots at their new digs at the farm of Valerie Weihman-Rock and her husband Mike in Argyle, Wisconsin. The Rocks built a round house ten feet in diameter for the pigs’ shelter and Valerie says they’re planning to use the Swedish deep bedding method this winter–laying down three feet of hay or straw, whose hollow tubes hold air and insulate the structure. The Rocks, who are also starting up a grain-milling operation, plan to use organic barley straw, since pigs like to nibble on their bedding. I would too if I could sleep on bacon.
“Everyone skipped supper and ate plain old grass instead. The next day, I had to dump and rinse the food dishes as well as scoop up the food that had gotten on the ground. It was only attracting flies at this point–a dry food, but apparently quite ‘odoriferous’ to everyone involved (unless it was wetted, I could not smell it).” She gave it to the chickens who apparently didn’t think much of it either, but managed to finish it off after a few days.
