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Animals at Mount Vernon
Modern visitors to Mount Vernon can see many of the same animals who lived here in the 18th century.
Of all the farm animals that now call Mount Vernon home, none is rarer than the Ossabaw Island hog. Over a period of two decades, George Washington's estate has become the mainland's hub for raising the heritage breed, which originally hails from a small island off the coast of Georgia.
The demand for Ossabaw Island hogs is growing, as more historic sites, zoos, and historyminded farmers want to expand their livestock to include more exotic breeds.
At the same time, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has forbidden the further shipment of hogs ashore due to exposure to disease. So when Bermuda, once the home to thousands of native hogs, needed to jump start its population, Don Bixby of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy called upon Mount Vernon to start a new colony.
In all likelihood, Washington would be pleased to share the gene pool of his hogs, which were an extremely important source of protein on his 18th century plantation.
Unlike today's mammoth hog operations, which typically cram hundreds of animals into small spaces, Washington allowed his hogs to remain feral for most of the year--they ran free in the 4,000-plus acres of Mount Vernon woodlands. According to Alan and Donna Fusonie, authors of George Washington, Pioneer Farmer, the swine foraged for tasty treasures from spring to fall.
Natural food was plentiful and the hogs weren't picky--they usually tipped the scales at nearly 140 pounds when they were gathered in the autumn and penned for fattening even more.
Washington gradually slaughtered the animals and attempted to use the swine to best advantage--ham, bacon, salted pork, scrapple, sausage, chitterlings and lard all made it to kitchens across the Mount Vernon estate.
According to Washington's records for December 1785, 128 hogs were slaughtered, which produced some 17,000 pounds of pork. About 500 pounds each were distributed to Thomas Green, the chief carpenter, and Thomas Bishop, one of Washington's oldest servants, and several overseers received smaller shares. More than 15,000 pounds remained for Washington and his family and guests, the slave force of about 300, and what Washington referred to as "the poor who are distressed for it."
But it probably frustrated Washington that he never knew exactly how many hogs he owned, because a certain number were always "running in the woods" over all five of his connected farms, mostly scratching for acorns.
Washington's operation grew more sophisticated as time passed. In 1792, he directed his farm manager to construct closed pens. Typically on the forefront of animal husbandry, Washington noted that the hogs should be housed in structures with plank floors, a roof, fresh water and sturdy feeding troughs.
In most years, Washington only slaughtered fully mature hogs, allowing younger animals to continue to run free.