E&J Berks

07/07/2026

Fresh grass and blue skies

06/26/2026

06/26/2026

Did you know:

Pigs are the 5th most intelligent animals in the world?

These girls know that’s where the fence is supposed to be, they respect it. It’s two strands of cheap wire, there is virtually nothing keeping them from going where ever their snout desires. They learn almost instantly that it’s there and it will shock them, from then on they are aware of it and will remain fenced.

Fun fact:

I’ve been shocked more times by this electric than they have. I’ll forget what I’m doing when I’m working and walk right into it!

06/18/2026

$500, 3rd Parity sow, I have AI’d her twice and she’s come back open. I am confident in her reproductivity but she needs to be bred with a boar, prior to me owning her she’d only been bred via live cover. She is consistently coming into heat at 21 days, she weaned 9 healthy pigs on 04/28. She farrowed 11 live in a free movement pen. She loads and unloads easily, no health issues, she was a heck of a milker and is easy to work around. She’s too good to be sold as a cull sow at the sale barn, she’ll make a nice sow for someone with a boar to breed her.

06/18/2026

Everyone needs a good hog dog, he’s got the dog part down.

06/18/2026

Slow and steady wins the conception race when you’re breeding gilts. With any luck, we will be busy, busy, busy in the barn with these 1st time mommas around the weekend of October 10th.

06/16/2026

Iykyk…

06/15/2026

The joy and fulfillment these sows and pigs have brought me (Elicia) I don’t have the words for. From the excitement during farrowing, the anxiety and worry about helping keep the pigs alive, watching the mommas being absolute milk machines and wean powerhouse litters. All of that culminating with the last of the pigs leaving for their new homes today. It’s both bitter and sweet, I’m so happy all of them are heading off to great new places. Some of them will go on to be harvested to feed families and communities others will be dedicated to raising litters of their own. It’s the cycle of life and it’s beautiful.

The best part is…we’re starting over again in 2 months with more litters and will start breeding our new gilts this week. 💜

06/09/2026

Down pour✔️

Hot as heck✔️

Humidity at a high✔️

Sows at home shovel hay/manure onto electric fence and knock it down✔️

Gilts at Fairview (grandparents) ran through electric fence and buried insulators in mud✔️

Still happy as heck to get to re-string fence and hang fans while standing in knee deep mud, with sweat running off our faces because we’re doing it together and doing for ourselves.