E.P.T.?

I was out in the field photographing the new heifer this morning, but Opal wanted me to take a picture of her picking and carrying her harvest of broom straw to her shelter.
Does this mean that she's announcing her expectation of piglets? Or is it simply going to be a cold winter?

Sweet Halvah

Halvah is our new purebred Tamworth sow. She's named after a Middle Eastern dessert which is apt, because she is a sweet girl.
She's bred to one of Garcia's relatives and due with Tamworth/Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets any moment now.
Tamworths are an endangered breed in America. They're used especially for crossing with other breeds because of their ability to have a large weight without a lot of fat.
I think it's time for us to start keeping some of these designer piglets for our own culinary delights!

Tarkheena Piglets

When I saw Becky and Laura carrying girl piglets two at a time from the little pen in which they had captured them over to the bigger pen, my thoughts went to The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, when Aravis a Lasaraleen are being carried in a litter by slaves.
Which reminds me; now is a good time to reread the Chronicles of Narnia.

Brand New Piglet! or: Why I Should Try to be a Submissive Wife

There are two separate and distinct little piglets represented in these three photos.
When our new Gloucestershire Old Spot boar disembarked from the truck and ran to the center of Opal's ten piglets, Danny told me, "Be careful that you don't sell him by mistake this weekend."
I laughed and mocked him for a little while with the idea that I could never mix up the brand new purebred with my own, my precious, mixed breed piglets.
So, the top photo is one of the ten photos I snapped of one of Opal's piglets, thinking it was the new pig.
The bottom two are really and truly the new guy.
He's a "blue group" GOS. The breed is separated into four "color groups" to help keep inbreeding to a minimum.
FYI: it's hard to see well through a camera lens!

Indoor Pigs

Here is one of Opal's sons heading into Laura's room.
We had brought the five boys indoors to castrate them so Opal wouldn't hear and also so Opal wouldn't (hopefully) be able to break through the walls and get us.
Last time, when we castrated her first litter, we had some reservations about the sturdiness of the horse trailer versus Opal's determination to rescue her little boys.
Fortunately for me, a good friend who's experienced in these matters came to do the deed. The little piggies are all doing fine after their operations.

Pork Rub Recipes

I've been disabled by asthma for about two months because I had a reaction to the normal meds, which was worse than the illness itself.
I just remembered that I had once used an excellent cough remedy from the Amish and ordered it from Mountain Meadow Herbs, which I can't figure out how to link you to.
As soon as it arrived, I started feeling better and am now able to get back out on the farm.
I had a nice ride on the mare yesterday after I had spent too long bent over Opal, picking pig mites off of her and drowning them in soapy water.
I had decided to make a concoction of Crisco and pyrethrins to rub the pigs with to not only kill the disgusting adult mites, but also their eggs which are stuck all over the hair shafts.
The feed store didn't have the poison I wanted so I used Crisco alone. It killed the mites on contact and also made the pigs so relaxed they drooled.
They also fought each other and me to be the one getting shorteninged.
In the top photo, Opal is still comatose from having her armpits and groin area instantly relieved from the burrowing little buggers.
I need to buy more Crisco to finish Garcia.
Maybe I'll physically remove the eggs instead of poisoning them.

Seven Little Piggies Sound Asleep

Katie's first litter of piglets is ready to go.
We will miss these little cuties!

My Old Pal Opal

Opal has had a change of heart.
Even before we castrated three of her sons, she got aggressive.
Mostly towards me, but everyone is careful around her.
It's heartbreaking to me that she runs after me barking (pigs bark, I didn't know that till I owned them) and trees me on the porch or in the shed.
Hanging out the laundry is something I do that really sets her off.
Have no fear, I am careful around her.

Here's her family eating vegetables from the freezer cleaning.
She let me pet her when I put this out for her family.

"She Calls us Babe"

Opal continues to be an excellent momma to her seven healthy little ones.
The piglets add very much joy to the farm, and Opal's amazing instincts and cleverness are interesting to observe.
Have piglets. You won't regret it!

Opal's Piglets are Born!

Opal spent the day yesterday building a bower of mint weed to be a soft place for her piglets' birth.
Then as darkness creeped over us, she started pushing.

Her first son was a big boy, breech, and presenting his mother one back leg. I gently pushed his leg back in, grabbed the other leg and straightened them together, and out he plopped! He's calico in color. We dried him, placed him near his momma's belly, and he proceeded to find the best teat and spend from that moment till now, with very few breaks, latched on.

She had three more babies in quick succession, another boy and two girls.

After her fourth piglet, we saw a lot of bright red blood, so we thought the births were over. Not so. She had three more healthy, breech, piglets. Two more boys and one more girl.

Fortunately, Snowflake got it into her head that she's a professional livestock guardian dog, and she took up a post next to Opal's bed to watch over the vulnerable momma and her babies all night.
Three times, Snowflake sounded the alarm for the other dogs to chase a predator while she stayed near the little pig family.
Although we have plenty of coyotes, bobcats, and stray dogs who could gobble up the piglets, these were more likely possums or weasels who wanted a grab-n-go placenta.

This morning Opal wouldn't take time to get up and get herself food and water, so we brought it right to her.
She's an excellent mom, who contrary to what I've heard about pigs, is careful not to roll on or step on her children.
She's totally focused on her babies, but not any different toward us.
I think she's grateful for her dog-friend staying with her.

More Piglet Pictures

Royal Piglet Watch

Opal, like Kate Middleton, is the center of expectant anticipation concerning the birth of her babies. She had to put up with paparazzi harassment while she grabbed a bite to eat in the yard last night.
Poor Opal.
She's working hard this morning to build a new house in which to shelter her brood. She's picking stalks of weeds, carrying them to her building site, and stacking them into a cozy fortress.
It's fascinating and fun to watch her plan and build.

My, What Big Ears You Have!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Here's a happy smiling pig loafing under a tractor to make you smile along with him.

Home Improvement

The landscaping's coming along nicely.

Old Fashioned Pig Art

Dan and I visited the Tractor Supply Company to buy some fencing materials, and we found this gem. It's a reproduction of an old tin sign.

Dan bought it for Katie, who was ecstatic when she saw it.

She's got a thoughtful Daddy.

Piggy in a Puddle

Here are P.C. and Tammy enjoying puddles after the storm.

They free range and live on mostly clover and extra Jersey milk.

They're the type of pig we like to own, easy to manage.

The Porcine Chronicles

Here are the latest additions to Katie's pig operation.
Tammy is the brown pig and P.C. is black and white.
They're Tamworth/Ossabaw crosses.
Last week, Katie got a breeding boar, Garcia, who's a purebred Gloucestershire Old Spot. He's bred to Opal already, and Tammy is destined to grow up to marry him in order to produce many, many sons and daughters full of hybrid vigor.
Since I've found the camera, I'll try to show you more of Katie's pig production.

This Little Piggy

These little piggies have been exhausting!
They escaped last night and ran deep into the dark woods. We thought we'd never see them again.
But then we heard oinking under the window. They were back.
Then they escaped again, from a better pen. This morning the neighbor called with pigs in his goat pen.
They got past us all and ran into the woods again.
But then they came home again.
Now they are hopefully secure in their small pen, built especially for Houdini pigs.

Partial Pigs

Tonight wasn't a good night to get a pretty picture of these two cuties. By the time we got home it was pitch black.
Darn Autumnal Equinox.
But tomorrow is another day, and I promise some pictures of two tiny piglets for you to enjoy.
These are just two of the four pigs that Katie is planning to use in her pig breeding operation. They're just mixed breed piglets from an Amish friend down the road.
One of them is destined to take up residence in Barefoot and Sometimes Pregnant's freezer.
Katie is contemplating using the other one of these ladies as a second breeding sow for her soon to be purchased Gloucestershire Old Spot boar.
Either that or we'll eat her this winter.