When we had just a few mini Jerseys, we were able to utilize all the resulting milk. But as our herd grew, so did the steady supply of milk. Even after learning to make yogurt, butter and even hard cheeses, we still had extra milk. What better to do with all that extra whey, buttermilk and skimmed milk than raise a few happy and well-fed pigs?
Gloucestershire Old Spots were always on our short list of preferred pigs because, goodness… aren’t they adorable? Once we learned that Old Spots were docile, easy to care for, enjoy foraging on pasture and make the most delicious pork, we knew they were the breed for us.
In the fall of 2021, we purchased a registered breeding trio, two gilts and a boarling, through Fawn Crossing Farm in Virginia, sourced from several farms across the southeast. It was a bit of a learning curve but these pigs truly are “beginner pigs”!
We raise our pigs on pasture, in the fresh air and sunshine, rotated regularly throughout the year. Currently we have two pigs – we hope to breed our gilt in early 2025 for spring piglets!
He has a name 💛 Tin Stone Mr. Darcy, which we think suits him perfectly… a handsome hero! Thanks @halfnhalf_cattleco for the suggestion 😘 #mrdarcytheminijersey #minijersey
A little drizzle doesn’t keep this girl from looking lovely – and she’s giving us four gallons a day to boot 💛 She is really surprising us this lactation with how much she’s producing, and how much more relaxed she is in the stanchion ✨ #mabeltheminijersey #minijersey #minimilker
A little weekend refresh for the mini barn 🫧 The girls definitely use it a lot based on the amount of poop we clean out every week, which is a great thing! We love that they’ve made it their little home 🏡 Cricket decided she needed to keep a really close eye on us and, as soon as we were done, she plopped herself down on the fresh straw for a nap 🛌 #crickettheminijersey #minijersey
Back on hay for the winter and these non-lactating girls are they are not too happy about it 🥹 We’ve given them a wide lane to get to the water trough but other than that, the big pasture is off limits until spring 🌱 Hopefully they’ll forgive me someday 🤣 #ettatheminijersey #minijersey
We have sent off their A2 testing and expect to have results in two weeks – if you are interested in either, or know someone who might be, feel free to fill out the inquiry form liked in my bio or message me directly 🍁 #minijersey #demitheminijersey
This little bit is two weeks old and *finally* has a name! Tin Stone Demi Luv named by my friend and mentor, Tim O’Donnell, who blessed me with her dam, Lilibet Luv ❤️
So happy to be at the two week fresh mark with Lilibet, and just one day away for Mabel 🤩 The first two weeks of a cow’s lactation are when metabolic issues are most likely to surface – so getting through that tenuous time is *always* something to celebrate 💛 #lilitheminijersey #mabeltheminijersey #minijersey #familymilkcow
So much to say 💥 Pretty sure the gist of it is that she’s ready to eat – and stat 🍽️ These two are just over 7 months old now, and the barrow weighs close to 275 pounds already! #gloucestershireoldspots #gospigs #pasturedpigs
Stall mucking has become exponentially more pleasant since these two arrived – I’d forgotten just how darn cute this age is 🥰 #minijersey
Joining in on Monday Meet and Greets and starting with our oldest girl, MJF Etta Jane Butters 💛 Etta is almost 13 and had been sold from farm to farm by the time my friend and mentor, Tim, purchased her out of a bad situation three years ago. She came to our farm to stay for a bit and, a year later, joined our farm permanently ⭐️ She gave us Lilibet Luv two years ago and Coltrane one year ago… and she is due with a calf by Rango on January 20th ✨ Etta is sassy and opinionated and we don’t mind one bit – she is a wonderful little milk cow and we can’t get enough of those chubby-on-air genetics 🤩 #ettajanebutters #ettatheminijersey #minijersey #maryjanebutters
When the calves are so cute, it’s hard to get much work done around here 🥰 #minijersey
We feed Mabel right next to the calf stall because she really prefers to hang out there when she’s in the calf pen. Lilibet isn’t quite convinced motherhood is for her, but Mabel is all in ❤️ #mabeltheminijersey #minijersey
We will be offering these two to new homes soon! If you’d like to be considered, please complete the form linked in my bio ❤️ It is a brand new form so, if you’re seriously interested in one of these cuties, even if you’ve completed the form before, please complete it again 🥰 We may also offer one of our cows in milk to a new home – so if your farm is set up and you are seriously looking for a mini Jersey in the next few months, now is the time to get your inquiry form submitted 😍 #minijersey
Oh this girl 🤣 We put her on the halter for the first time yesterday and still aren’t sure if she loved it or hated it 😬 Either way, she is a cutie patootie, even when she’s giving me the side eye (swipe) 🥰 #minijersey #futuremilkcow #milkcowinthemaking #sideeye
Mabel came to us as a wild yearling who had been left on her dam too long and handled too little 😅 She’s made great strides in the almost two years she’s been with us, but her default is to doubt, which can make handling her in high stress situations tricky! Thankfully she seems to have made the transition into her second lactation almost seamlessly – after a few days of some anxiety in the milk parlor, she’s settled down nicely and is already giving over three gallons. She’s such a beautiful cow, we are hopeful she’ll continue to learn to trust more and more as she matures 🥰 #mabeltheminijersey #minijersey #familymilkcow #homedairy