Growing your own food is a major part of becoming self sufficient. But unless you are vegetarian, animals as food will have to be part of the plan. We have plans of having our land provide all of our food, fruit and nut trees, a large garden for vegetables, a dairy critter, chickens for eggs and meat, and a few other meat critters like cow, pig, rabbits, sheep, and maybe goat. A wonderful goal but it will take some time and a lot of work to reach. Since we are starting from scratch this year and have lots of land that needs lots of work, we are starting with a garden, chickens, bees, and pigs.
Why pigs? Pigs are wonderful workers on the homestead. They can clear undergrowth to maintain a forest or make it easier for you to get in and cut the bigger stuff down. Pigs root by shoving their noses in the ground and digging up roots and bugs to eat, this action makes tilling the ground a job that pigs excel at. Just by having pigs on the ground they are fertilizing it for you, ahem poop ahem. Pig are also living disposals, any garden waste (leaves, weeds, excess produce you have no hope of eating/freezing/canning yourself) or food scraps and leftovers can go to the pigs. We are going to be selling some of our pigs so there are a few rules on what they can eat. Here, pigs for sale can not have meat or any food that has been served (plate scrapings). If you're just interested in keeping them for yourself they can have anything you're willing to feed them.
I mentioned that we are starting from scratch, aka we have zero infrastructure for our homestead. Our house was build in the middle of an old unused horse pasture that the forest had started to take back. None of the land was ready for a garden or animals. No shelter or any of the fences were left, so like I said, scratch, but that is half the fun right?!
Since we want to raise our pigs on pasture with rotational grazing and use them for clearing land, our shelter needs to be mobile. We found a source of free pallets at a local roofing store and with some screws, a few 2x4's, and some OSB we made a mobile pig shelter. Watch use build and a list of materials and a quick "how we did it" guide will be posted below.
6 framing angles 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 x 4-5/8 inch
2 2x4x12
3 2x4x8
2 sheets of OSB
5 lb box of 3 inch deck screws
#10 washers
Important! Every screw needs to be placed in the frame, or the stronger inside board, of the pallet. Check screw placement for every point otherwise the structure won't be strong and may break apart.
When assembling the structure make sure that the tops, or fully covered side, of the pallets are facing inwards. This gives a more solid wall to help prevent escape or injury.
To cut the wings off the pallets, trim the over hanging ends of the top and bottom boards.
Use 6 nail plates to connect two pallets together lengthwise. Place the plates on the top, middle, and bottom of the pallets on both sides. Secure the plates with deck screws making sure that they are in the pallet's frame. Repeat 2 more times to make the remaining walls.
Center the 2x4x12 on a wall section's long edge and attach with deck screws into the pallet frame. Repeat for the other 2x4. These sections become the side walls and the 2x4s act as skis.
On the wall with the skis (now called the sides), Take 4 framing angles and secure them to the ends, one each on the top and bottom, with deck screws and washers. Secure the framing angles so that the flat part is flush and pointing away from the edge of the pallet. Repeat for the other side with only two framing angles. One of the sides will be next to the opening so no need for excess hardware.
Place the back wall on the inside of the framing angle and attach with deck screws and washers, making sure the top of the structure is flush. Because the side walls are lifted by the skis, the back wall needs to be lifted slightly to make the tops flush. Scrap wood, rocks, or your foot work well until everything is secured. See the picture below.
The structure should now be a giant U. Take the 2x4x8's and secure them across the front and middle of the structure on top of the two side walls. Trim the excess off the 2x4 and save for later. This completes the square.
For the front wall pallet, Using the same lifting method for the back wall, attach the last pallet to the side with the framing angles. Use more deck screws to secure the front pallet to the overhead 2x4.
Almost done! The last thing to do us secure the roof, the two OSB boards, to the structure. Set the two boards on top of the structure, lining up the seam with the center line from front to back. There will be some overhang from front to back; pull the excess overhang towards the front to make a sun shade. Secure the OSB to the top of the structure using more deck screws starting with the corners.
Originally we drilled a hole in the front upright post to thread the rope through for the tractor to pull, but we found the it was not a structurally secure. We now tie the rope around the corner and tuck the excess in the side pocket on the structure.
There it is! One cozy home big enough for our piggies and hopefully sound enough to last several years.
Not bad for free pallets.
Why pigs? Pigs are wonderful workers on the homestead. They can clear undergrowth to maintain a forest or make it easier for you to get in and cut the bigger stuff down. Pigs root by shoving their noses in the ground and digging up roots and bugs to eat, this action makes tilling the ground a job that pigs excel at. Just by having pigs on the ground they are fertilizing it for you, ahem poop ahem. Pig are also living disposals, any garden waste (leaves, weeds, excess produce you have no hope of eating/freezing/canning yourself) or food scraps and leftovers can go to the pigs. We are going to be selling some of our pigs so there are a few rules on what they can eat. Here, pigs for sale can not have meat or any food that has been served (plate scrapings). If you're just interested in keeping them for yourself they can have anything you're willing to feed them.
I mentioned that we are starting from scratch, aka we have zero infrastructure for our homestead. Our house was build in the middle of an old unused horse pasture that the forest had started to take back. None of the land was ready for a garden or animals. No shelter or any of the fences were left, so like I said, scratch, but that is half the fun right?!
Since we want to raise our pigs on pasture with rotational grazing and use them for clearing land, our shelter needs to be mobile. We found a source of free pallets at a local roofing store and with some screws, a few 2x4's, and some OSB we made a mobile pig shelter. Watch use build and a list of materials and a quick "how we did it" guide will be posted below.
7 pallets approximately 4x3 with the "wings" cut off
1 pallet to act as a door
18 nail plates 3-1/8 x 7 inch6 framing angles 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 x 4-5/8 inch
2 2x4x12
3 2x4x8
2 sheets of OSB
5 lb box of 3 inch deck screws
#10 washers
Important! Every screw needs to be placed in the frame, or the stronger inside board, of the pallet. Check screw placement for every point otherwise the structure won't be strong and may break apart.
When assembling the structure make sure that the tops, or fully covered side, of the pallets are facing inwards. This gives a more solid wall to help prevent escape or injury.
To cut the wings off the pallets, trim the over hanging ends of the top and bottom boards.
Use 6 nail plates to connect two pallets together lengthwise. Place the plates on the top, middle, and bottom of the pallets on both sides. Secure the plates with deck screws making sure that they are in the pallet's frame. Repeat 2 more times to make the remaining walls.
Center the 2x4x12 on a wall section's long edge and attach with deck screws into the pallet frame. Repeat for the other 2x4. These sections become the side walls and the 2x4s act as skis.
On the wall with the skis (now called the sides), Take 4 framing angles and secure them to the ends, one each on the top and bottom, with deck screws and washers. Secure the framing angles so that the flat part is flush and pointing away from the edge of the pallet. Repeat for the other side with only two framing angles. One of the sides will be next to the opening so no need for excess hardware.
Place the back wall on the inside of the framing angle and attach with deck screws and washers, making sure the top of the structure is flush. Because the side walls are lifted by the skis, the back wall needs to be lifted slightly to make the tops flush. Scrap wood, rocks, or your foot work well until everything is secured. See the picture below.
The structure should now be a giant U. Take the 2x4x8's and secure them across the front and middle of the structure on top of the two side walls. Trim the excess off the 2x4 and save for later. This completes the square.
For the front wall pallet, Using the same lifting method for the back wall, attach the last pallet to the side with the framing angles. Use more deck screws to secure the front pallet to the overhead 2x4.
Almost done! The last thing to do us secure the roof, the two OSB boards, to the structure. Set the two boards on top of the structure, lining up the seam with the center line from front to back. There will be some overhang from front to back; pull the excess overhang towards the front to make a sun shade. Secure the OSB to the top of the structure using more deck screws starting with the corners.
Originally we drilled a hole in the front upright post to thread the rope through for the tractor to pull, but we found the it was not a structurally secure. We now tie the rope around the corner and tuck the excess in the side pocket on the structure.
There it is! One cozy home big enough for our piggies and hopefully sound enough to last several years.
Not bad for free pallets.
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