Pink 2.0 and his siblings have been officially weaned from their mother, Sarah, though they don’t seem to miss her much.
On Monday – three weeks off the sow’s milk – Pink 2.0 frantically nudged his way between the other pigs to get to the grain Carole Soule poured into their trough. They each eat about 2 pounds of the Blue Seal pellets per day, she says.
Even with that much food, Soule said their growth is slowing a little bit. Pink 2.0 only gained 10 pounds in the last two weeks (as opposed to the 17 pounds he put on the two weeks before). He should gain only about 5 pounds per week from here on out.
Slower growth will make for better meat, Soule says.
“If you feed them too much, they get fatty,” she says.
Though his intake may be limited, Pink 2.0 loves to eat. He trotted around the trough Monday, using his snout to plow underneath the belly of a sibling pig to get at the food. With a mild squeal, he flipped the other pig right over.
As all the pigs snorted and crunched on the pellets, Soule slowly moved the trough further and further into the larger adjacent paddock, coaxing them to step into the new area.
Pink 2.0 and his siblings will spend whole days roaming, rooting and burying themselves in the mud there.
And, of course, they’ll be looking for anything else to eat.
“It’s a great way to clear land without a bulldozer,” said Soule.
Age: 10 weeks
Weight: 60 pounds
Cost at this point:
Previous cost ($149.25) + bedding + piglet feed = $172
(This article is part of an ongoing, six-month project by Ag & Eats blogger and Monitor staffer Elodie Reed, who is documenting “Pink 2.0” to see how locally raised pork is cared for, processed and eventually consumed. Have questions or Ag & Eats news tips, events or recipes? Reed can be reached at
369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)