Sunday found us on the road to buy piglets. We found the farm in a heavy downpour, and slogged through ankle deep water and mud to a surprisingly clean "hut" full of baby pigs. Many were spoken for, denoted by red stripes on their backs. We chose two without stripes, one a female with a deformed ear and a very dog-like personality. She was climbing on us, insistent to come live at Fairwinds Farm. She's a screamer, though, ear splittingly protesting being picked up. The other is a boy, rather unremarkable but seemingly sweet. The mother in the adjoining pen was outraged by the commotion. I was glad she was behind a wall of hot wire, she was one intimidating looking sow, and I dare say bigger than I am.
We brought them home in a veritable monsoon, and got them settled in a little covered enclosure. They seemed pretty copacetic about this but by this morning they were restless, trying to get out. Chris kindly fenced off a small area in the hen yard as a "starter pen." It has a small building stuffed full of hay for them to snuggle in, and room to root in the dirt and graze the tall grass. They seemed quite pleased by this, and were happily exploring the space until something startled them. Then they blasted through the hot wire and in seconds were out racing in the big field.
Chanel, the horse, had taken an almost instantaneous dislike to the piglets, and the thought of baby piggies racing towards her made me very worried for their safety. I grabbed her up and got her halter on, while my husband and daughter miraculously got the pigs corralled back into the hen yard. Several hours of remedial fencing in a very cold rain followed. We finally got them settled and as I type this they are tired piggies full of dinner and sleeping in a pile of clean hay. Oh please, let them stay in!
I will post another photo of this little pig space in a day or two. It will be totally tilled up, you will be amazed.
Earlier in the day my friend Jane came over and trimmed the horses feet. Chanel stood stock still, a very good girl, while her hooves were trimmed and filed.
To end the afternoon we washed, wrapped and froze 10 of the chickens we raised and had processed on Friday. They have been chilling on ice in a huge cooler, and now will provide some wonderful meals in the coming weeks.
So, THAT day off was pretty much consumed by critters. I did get a few hours of writing in, but not much else accomplished.
And tomorrow, back to work! It is a good thing that house work is patient.
We brought them home in a veritable monsoon, and got them settled in a little covered enclosure. They seemed pretty copacetic about this but by this morning they were restless, trying to get out. Chris kindly fenced off a small area in the hen yard as a "starter pen." It has a small building stuffed full of hay for them to snuggle in, and room to root in the dirt and graze the tall grass. They seemed quite pleased by this, and were happily exploring the space until something startled them. Then they blasted through the hot wire and in seconds were out racing in the big field.
Chanel, the horse, had taken an almost instantaneous dislike to the piglets, and the thought of baby piggies racing towards her made me very worried for their safety. I grabbed her up and got her halter on, while my husband and daughter miraculously got the pigs corralled back into the hen yard. Several hours of remedial fencing in a very cold rain followed. We finally got them settled and as I type this they are tired piggies full of dinner and sleeping in a pile of clean hay. Oh please, let them stay in!
I will post another photo of this little pig space in a day or two. It will be totally tilled up, you will be amazed.
Earlier in the day my friend Jane came over and trimmed the horses feet. Chanel stood stock still, a very good girl, while her hooves were trimmed and filed.
To end the afternoon we washed, wrapped and froze 10 of the chickens we raised and had processed on Friday. They have been chilling on ice in a huge cooler, and now will provide some wonderful meals in the coming weeks.
So, THAT day off was pretty much consumed by critters. I did get a few hours of writing in, but not much else accomplished.
And tomorrow, back to work! It is a good thing that house work is patient.
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