The new building finished!!

The new hog barn was finished on the 1oth of August!  As of this writing, it is officially filled with bred gilts and sows that started to farrow on the 17th of August.  Now that’s cutting it close!    This building was built using mostly  recycled materials.  The only materials purchased new were the roof tin, sheet metal screws, ring shanks, the 2 x4’s, 2 x 6’s, electrical wire and lights.  The water lines are also new.   Building with used materials is a challenge but it saves a ton of money.  I figure it was worth it.   Photos below are not exactly in any particular order.   May 26 to August 10th, see below.

Digging in the water lines.

Bella’s favorite saying from the movie EVER AFTER……. “I’m only here for the food”.

The next photo was taken the very last night we were officially done.  What a relief!!   I’m so proud of them all!  Especially my most handsome and hardworking husband, Fred.  I love him so much.  He came home from work every day, dropped off his lunch box and headed straight out to work on the building.  Unless………..there was feed to grind.  Anyhow, the kids definitely take after their father and my own mom will attest to that!  Enough said.

The work crew happy to see the job through.

The girls gave each of the first 16 bred gilts a good scrubbing before they were moved into the new building for farrowing.  This job took an entire day, minus morning and night chores. 

The next building was started yesterday, Saturday.  Fred and Mario sunk all of the posts for the new Commodity shed.   This shed will be 72′ by 36′ mono-slope building too and will be constructed from recycled materials.  While everyone came in for lunch, the sheep, like naughty children, helped themselves to the corn and sweet potato tops!  I can relate to all the stories in the Bible about sheep!  Fred said there will be plenty left for grinding for corn bread, the only reason we grew it.  He also said the sweet potato greens will grow back.  I can actually believe that since we have received almost 8 inches of rain in the last two weeks.

Fred and Mario started the new building yesterday and finished all of the posts.

 Yesterday we froze the sweet corn and I am totally glad that job is over. A big thank you goes out to Peter and Frenchy who grew the sweet corn patch this year!!  Thank God that  job is done for another year!

The sheep were happy to help clean the mess.

 I am looking forward to next weekend,  fun camping with my youngest two and Frenchy’s family.   We managed a short camping trip a couple of weeks ago at Big Stone Lake while Fred held the fort.  Life is short so I want to make sure we have some fun even as work is such a big part of our lives.  Life is good by golly; pass the s’mores please.