Elizabeth was too stressed for me to take more photos....But in a day or two
I will get some sweet shots!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Blackie (AKA) Elizabeth... The Adventures of OUR PIG!
I can hardly call this an update.....because nothing has changed....meaning Elizabeth has NOT birthed! I can however call this a story worth sharing!!
When the pig farmer, Mr Peter, took our pig to his farm last winter, the plan was he would care for her through the winter, pregnant her and returner her to us. Off we went to Mexico with visions of piglets dancing in our heads!
Upon our return, the first week in March, Mr Peter wanted to return our Pig, Elizabeth right away as she was due to have her piglets. As in the last post you all got to see Elizabeth happily returned to Farmer Papa Mark! The nights were still very very chilly, and when the pig did not have the piglets that weekend, our farmer Mr Peter said that she must have got pregnant during her second cycle, meaning we had at least another four weeks to wait!~ Sooooo Papa decided to bring her from the old barn across the brook, to the old farmhouse right beside our house. He installed a small corral to put the piglets in, with a heating lamp, making it waaaaay easier for he and I to care for them. But is is a tight and a small stall for this big 400lb Mother pig!
The weeks have turned into another month plus....we still have no piglets...Is she even pregnant we ask....Oh Yes indeed she is says farmer Peter....(remember he is a pig farmer...sooooo he knows, Right?) Now it is way warmer, and this poor Mama Pig has been confined in the small stall. Papa decides that he will move her back to the barn, where she can roam and have free range of the outside space.
I need to back up a wee bit. If you have followed our blog, you will know that this pig was raised by Papa. This pig loves Papa a lot, and will follow him around....at least she use too. So the plan was to let her out of the small house stall and she would simply follow Old Papa boy and he would walk her through the meadow, across the brook into the barn...easy peasey.....HA!
I suggested that maybe we should harness a rope around her.... to guide her. No Papa said...A rope would do nothing with 400lb beast like her... we found out later that was true!
So here is Papa, preparing the way for Elizabeth to began the short journey to the barn....(which ended up lasting from 1:30 to 3pm).......
When the pig farmer, Mr Peter, took our pig to his farm last winter, the plan was he would care for her through the winter, pregnant her and returner her to us. Off we went to Mexico with visions of piglets dancing in our heads!
Upon our return, the first week in March, Mr Peter wanted to return our Pig, Elizabeth right away as she was due to have her piglets. As in the last post you all got to see Elizabeth happily returned to Farmer Papa Mark! The nights were still very very chilly, and when the pig did not have the piglets that weekend, our farmer Mr Peter said that she must have got pregnant during her second cycle, meaning we had at least another four weeks to wait!~ Sooooo Papa decided to bring her from the old barn across the brook, to the old farmhouse right beside our house. He installed a small corral to put the piglets in, with a heating lamp, making it waaaaay easier for he and I to care for them. But is is a tight and a small stall for this big 400lb Mother pig!
The weeks have turned into another month plus....we still have no piglets...Is she even pregnant we ask....Oh Yes indeed she is says farmer Peter....(remember he is a pig farmer...sooooo he knows, Right?) Now it is way warmer, and this poor Mama Pig has been confined in the small stall. Papa decides that he will move her back to the barn, where she can roam and have free range of the outside space.
I need to back up a wee bit. If you have followed our blog, you will know that this pig was raised by Papa. This pig loves Papa a lot, and will follow him around....at least she use too. So the plan was to let her out of the small house stall and she would simply follow Old Papa boy and he would walk her through the meadow, across the brook into the barn...easy peasey.....HA!
I suggested that maybe we should harness a rope around her.... to guide her. No Papa said...A rope would do nothing with 400lb beast like her... we found out later that was true!
So here is Papa, preparing the way for Elizabeth to began the short journey to the barn....(which ended up lasting from 1:30 to 3pm).......
PHOTO's of THE RELEASE!
Heading the WRONG WAY, Pig!!
The PIG headed out back!!
Papa tried to redirect her....but she is too darn big.
Way out to the garden ......
Papa somehow gets her back into the yard.
I start to feel kind of smug, because he decides to try MY idea!
As soon as she tied....SHE SITS down!
Papa PULLS and PULLS
She Flops over...like a DEAD pig...
She is fine....Just refusing to try.. yup she is HOG TIED.
I am not feeling Smug anymore....We have a pig on the loose
Papa thinks maybe the rope and a small tug fro the tuck?
NO WAY....She plays dead.
Anyway, she can slip the rope off....she shaped like a cone.
WE NEED HELP!!!
Who better to call then our friend Farmer Peter, the pig farmer!
After a few attempts to corral her....a new plan was needed.
Papa calms her down, and he asks Peter to go get the metal cage
that they transported her in.
The Metal cage and a tractor, and plywood to make a corral,
the pig is captured.
I cannot imagine what Papa is saying inside of his head
while he looks at Elisabeth...But his face look "Pinched"
Lucky for this pig, she is pregnant...Or this would no doubt
be a ride to the buchers!
Mr Arbraham drives the pig to the barn, while Mr Peter
follows ......... What a day!
AND WE STILL HAVE NO PIGLETS...sigh!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Summer 2015 Coming to a Fast End!!
Here we sliding into fall already...WOW. Since this blog is my photo log of our life on the farm, I have several photos to share and post.
I also want to include some super cute photos of Joseph and Corinna and their kids...no not children, but baby goats. They were not able to keep them, in the end, as by laws did not allow a pet goat in their subdivision. Papa and I could not take them as they required bottle feeding a few times a day and we both still work,as employed away from the farm a few days a week.
Papa grew 6 new apple trees, and two big rows of strawberry plants. So next year will offer us a new exciting harvest. However we do have one nice apple! LOL
Weekends are usually full of "whom soever" sleepovers. We love those happy full and yes sometimes tiring days. But one can be tired out doing chores and whatnots...so why not be tired and full of happy joy from the littles one, I say!!
School has begin and everyone except our little Silas is in a program of sorts. He (Silas) is going to have some great one on one time with his mommy, ahhh, alway good food for the heart!
ENJOY!
Aunika builds a bird restaurant
I also want to include some super cute photos of Joseph and Corinna and their kids...no not children, but baby goats. They were not able to keep them, in the end, as by laws did not allow a pet goat in their subdivision. Papa and I could not take them as they required bottle feeding a few times a day and we both still work,as employed away from the farm a few days a week.
Papa grew 6 new apple trees, and two big rows of strawberry plants. So next year will offer us a new exciting harvest. However we do have one nice apple! LOL
Weekends are usually full of "whom soever" sleepovers. We love those happy full and yes sometimes tiring days. But one can be tired out doing chores and whatnots...so why not be tired and full of happy joy from the littles one, I say!!
School has begin and everyone except our little Silas is in a program of sorts. He (Silas) is going to have some great one on one time with his mommy, ahhh, alway good food for the heart!
ENJOY!
Shepard Pa...and his pigs.....
We did put a few preserves away too:
Peaches
And the crap apples from Dan and Vicky's tree
This year I turned it into "Apple Sauce"
to go with our winters pork from Papa's pigs
Yummmmmy
Summer Fun with Grandkiddies
especially when they follow Papa
around...LOL
Nana & Papa walking to the barn!
Sleepovers are the best times ever!! Movies...Popcorn
Aunika builds a bird restaurant
Piercen and Silas have fun on the new outside toy plane.
Hadassah is my barn own! LOL
Caleb relaxes in our hammock
Aunika and Achilles share a sleepover
Piercen diapers his dog and finds it funny
Caleb is about to get his driver license
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