Madeline’s pigs are still at large. They do go sleep in their port-a-hut, for naps during the day and also at night. Generally they can be found hanging out with the cattle, but once in a while they venture up into our yard. Ava does her best to keep them under control. She’s learning to be helpful with her herding, despite us not really knowing how to teach her. Matt & Olivia worked on re-doing all of our pig shelters this weekend, but the weather didn’t cooperate for them to finish up. Hopefully they’ll get Madeline’s pigs contained yet this week.
On a sad note, yesterday afternoon Matt found another one of Madeline’s gilts dead. Just laying in their port-a-hut where they sleep. We have no idea what happened to her. She hadn’t shown signs of illness. She doesn’t have any obvious marks or injuries. It should be warm enough, and they should be big enough, that they wouldn’t pile.
I do know that I’m getting mighty tired of things dying around here. Matt attributes it to our abysmal lack of facilities. I still think this farm is cursed. Okay, not really. But maybe.
That’s too bad – they look really healthy. I like your herd dog – and at least you have space for them to roam. Hope you have good luck with the rest of them!!Kris
Its just great to see someone raising pigs outdoors. I grew up on a hog farm and you’re jogging my memories of farrowing time, squealing baby pigs, and lugging a heavy wooden panel as we sorted gilts and barrows. Ah, the good old days.Thank you for visiting my blog. Maybe I aleady mentioned that I’m always tickled to find fellow rural Iowa bloggers. It looks like you’ve been blogging for much longer than I have. I will enjoy the link to Mountain Dweller….thank you! May you have no more gilts die…..but, isn’t that the way it goes with livestock…..anything can happen.
Kris & jeannelle – thanks! I’m fretting tonight about a cow in labor. Seems like she’s taking too long. If we lose a calf now, it might just put me over the edge!
Sorry for your loss of yet another critter. You all have been through alot. Poor piglet.But on a good note…..Way to go, Ava! Here piggy, piggy!
I’m sorry about the pig. My friend has been having bad luck on her farm this year too.
With things dying, i know the heart-break of things dying around you, no matter what you do. But at this time of the year, animals have had a long winter with reduced quality feed from what they would normally get while out, and possibly some mineral imbalances too (a different one every year just to make things hard for you).Expect some mortality, maybe about 3%, but in a bad year it could easily be 10%. It will get better once the grass starts to grow