But first.. what is wrong with this picture. Yes! Do you see it, too? It is not often that we have a steer grazing in the drive. And a dog paying no attention AT ALL. 
He had broken out of his pen (well we all know who his mother is!) and eaten the afternoons hay.. that is everyones hay for the afternoon, then he tried to get the lids off the feed bins, then wandered out the door to see what he could see. 
He was gently escorted back, following his bucket, obeying his call (every animal has a different call for just these occasions) and popped into the field with the big fellas aka Queenie and Hairy. He has officially grown out of his own special enclosure and can live with hairy and Queenie now.
And now we need to have a talk about Charlotte. You know that I have two girl piggies. Purebred Herefords. They are called the Shush Sisters. They are very sweet and very noisy and always hungry. Their names are Charlotte and Sheila. It is time to breed Charlotte. She is the big and robust. And we are hoping she will throw lots of gilts (girls) so we can sell them. The males will be raised on milk and eggs and go into the freezers of all the families we are feeding. This is one of the reasons I am pleased that Daisy is milking so strongly. Hopefully we can earn enough cash to keep everyone in hay and organic grains next year. It is a sustainable farm after all.
My beautiful high school student, who has pigs of her own, came to visit the Shush Sisters and we discussed the pros and cons of AI (Artificial Insemination). The biggest Con is that in a small group it is harder to tell if they are in heat. We have to order the semen and it only has a two day shelf life plus the nearest source is a day away. Well, you see my problem. The usual thing to look for (other than some physical changes in the rear that does not always happen and pigs jumping on pigs that does not always happen, when there are only two) is that the pig will stand still while you press on her lower back. This means she is in standing heat. And ready to be bred. 
“Oh you mean like this?” I said, and sat on Charlotte’s back. Demonstrating that the Shush Sisters are so tame that they will stand anytime for anyone. Charlotte never moved an inch. She just stood looking at the girl, quite clearly saying, in pig speak, “I have to do this all the time, she has problems standing up by herself. She is a leaner. We think it is an affection thing. Humour her. Try to be nice.”
“Oh”, my alarmingly pretty high school student mentor said. ” Hmm.” she twitched her mouth sideways exactly like her mother does. “Maybe we should find her a boar. She thought for a minute. “But I don’t know where you can find a Hereford Boar.”
“I do” I said and so later I called the Swineherd . He was thrilled to bits. And we take Charlotte to his place on Tuesday afternoon. I don’t even want to think about it.
Charlotte, wipe your chin honey. No need to look quite so excited.
One of my homeschool children said to me the other day. Don’t you ever wipe their noses?
Good morning. I have three days to train Charlotte to get into the trailer. Then I have to work out how to get her into the trailer withOUT Sheila. I will have to have a think.
We found some windows at the junkyard yesterday but not the ones Our John wants. The recycled glasshouse will be attached to the house, like a lean-to, with a floor of piped hot water using the wood stove to heat it, eventually, though this is another project in itself. I have collected most of the materials but it is those roof panels of glass that are proving difficult.
But I chose the barn beam columns for the center of the Coupe (they are huge and wonderful) and found a lovely floor, in fact two beautiful old tongue and groove floors we will lay. There are huge pieces of oak for shelves and benches and piles of cedar for the trim. My next task is to find another man to make all the trim for the Kiwi Builder and finish all this timber I have found. This is why many people do not use recycled timbers, there is a lot of work involved in getting it ready. But thats OK. I like work. I can pull out nails and sand stuff.
Such excitement.
Have a lovely day.
celi
c
Progress and forward movement on every part of the farmy. No wonder your energy is always at such a high level; you don’t take a moment to realize how tired you actually must be.
I am not tired.. I am not nearly as tired as I was when I was teaching.. but I do feel like a juggler sometimes! c
Oh Charlotte. Well, good luck. It does seem to make the most sense and is natural. Hopefully Sheila won’t have too much separation anxiety. Good luck trailer training and have a glorious weekend!
Sheila has lots of friends, I am thinking of putting her out with Hairy in the day time, those two get on pretty well! And she can hang out with me in the barn.. c
Progress on every level: planting, building breeding. You live in one great bucket of non stop energy!
And the bucket keeps getting bigger! c
Hope he buys her dinner first. She’s a classy girl, after all.
Exactly, maybe we should put in an order, what do you think.. maybe a nice italian dinner.. c
You may have to look away….?
I will drop her off and she will stay a while, just to be sure.. c
Good.
Poor Charlotte! I’m just going to try not to think about it. I’m sure when Charlotte comes back to the farmy and informs Sheila all about her little “trip”, Sheila won’t be jealous at all and will be thankful she stayed behind.
Horrible thought isn’t it.. ah well, as kristy says it is the natural way.. c
have a happy Tuesday Charlotte .come home with a smile on your chinny,chin, chin!
Morning Whiplash! hope you are going to have a lovely weekend.. c
I hope you do too
Well, Charlotte, all can think to say is mind your manners and be a good little piggy.
Mandy xo
We will see, she is a big girl our Charlotte and likes to get her own way! c
Wouldn’t it help to take both Piggies but only cover Charlotte. Does Charlotte stay over or is this an afternoon jaunt? Laura
No this will be a few weeks at least I would say… Sheila will stay home with me – as far away from the boar as humanly possible.. c
I’m sure that Charlotte will find it more entertaining than AI – good luck
Morning Mad! .. c
We only had two breeding sows and it wasn’t difficult to spot the physical signs of being ‘ready’, so to speak, but yes, it’s quite a small window of opportunity! How come you’re not letting Sheila have a romantic interlude with the boar?
Christine
I am not ready to have two sows breeding, i have never done any of this before remember, I have never even seen the signs, let alone the delivery and all that other stuff, so i am starting slow.. slow and small is a better idea.. c
Remember James Bond (Sean Connery of course!) when he came out of the water in a wet suit, peeled it off and he was in a pristine tuxedo underneath? Newborn piglets are a bit like that; out they pop in their wee sack and as they wriggle towards the teat, it all peels back, revealing a pristine piglet underneath! No licking of babies by mum required! You’ll love it!
Christine
Wot she said. Why not take both? Teaching Charlotte to go into the trailer is a doddle if pigs are anything like horses: put the trailer in their pen, and put their food in the trailer for a week (3 days in your case) .I’m sure the boar can cope with two beautiful shushes!
I love this post (have stolen the cockerel and the cat pic: watch this space.)
What you need for the wood prep is my Jock. He’s pining for a project and would do a superb job.
Your handwarmers will be in the post on Monday (see pic on today’s 6-word-Saturday) The cold weather will probably be over by the time they arrive!
I am going to back the trailer up to the door and feed them in there. These girls learn very fast. I am not taking two as we are only a little farm, I do not have room for that many piglets. I would LOVE to have jock out here to do this glasshouse. John has lots of ideas but he is not a builder.. Thank you so much for the handwarmers! I still needed them this morning and I am sure this cold will hang about long enough for me to use them. Thank you viv. have a lovely day.. c
Oh but he is – he built our previous house, and has restored many others. He can be stone-mason, joiner/cum/cabinetmaker, as well as embroiderer! and anything else you can think up. He made most of our furniture that you see in my photos!
That man has such talent.. Another reason to wish you were just down the road!.. c
Cockerel and cat chat here: http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/extras-for-saturday/
Did you get a different car?
Mitch that is the builders car honey. We still have the cooking-oil car! c
I have given this pigs coming into season thing some thought because, as you know, I want to breed my pig Baby. I have yet to find a Boar (I want a black one so that the piglets are black and don’t get burnt in our fierce sun) and I have no idea when Baby is on heat, same problems as you (too tame for the back thing, no sign of changes at the rear) so I am thinking that the sow must have to go to the boar for some time, at least til she comes into season?
You know about Boar Taint right? I only ask cos I didn’t and I found myself having to send my boys to the butcher very quickly and all together which can be expensive and hard on the freezer. The boys will mature very quickly, especially around breeding females, and if they mature sexually the meat will taste odd and smell bad when its cooked, so bad you won’t be able to sell it nor want to eat it. So you will either have to desex all the boys when they are little or house them away from the breeding sows and plan on sending them off to the butcher all at once at less than 5 months.
I just saw a fantastic Kiwi movie called “Boy”, I expect you know it but if not you must see it. It made me laugh out loud and cry and I was on the edge of my seat all through it. I think this movie may have to go into my all time top ten, that’s how good it is.
Boy is awesome, I have it here actually.. Yes I do know about boar taint and it is worse in some breeds than in others. My girl will help me Do the boys, when they are tiny, so ghastly, but I am going to tag one and leave him whole, they go before 5 months here anyway as I don’t keep them into the winter. Then we will see what the difference is. Castrating them does put them back so I would rather not. Many countries don’t bother at all, as the taint is a bit of a myth, it is more of a gamey taste, just like wild pig. I know a guy who does not castrate his locker pigs at all. So I will run my own little experiment.. c
Yep I know what you mean about it all being a bit of a myth, however my butcher said they wouldn’t take them if they had taint. Also I have read that the smell of the meat cooking also affects women far more than men and it is the smell that puts you off eating it. My two boys went at five months and were fine too but my customers buy cuts not an entire pig for the freezer so I would have trouble getting rid of a whole lot of boys in one go. I look forward to seeing how your experiment goes.
Well, with Charlotte visiting, instead of the boar coming to your house, you will get to miss the LOUD SQUEALS….oh….don’t go there…just don’t….cover your ears…pretend you didn’t read this.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
covering ears as we speak, oh, covering eyes now!!! c
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I’m sure if there had been a problem with that bull that TonTon would have told you all about it! Good luck Charlotte!
Wow… taking the pig to the boar… she might hate you when you go to fetch her… I don’t even want to think what she is going to think of you afterwards…. mind you if every time you get in the vehicle and she comes running up wanting to go with… you might have a better idea…
OH NO, don’t say that! It would be awful if she hates me, i hope she will be glad to see me! c
My former step-father kept pigs, and the AI process never, EVER, went as smoothly has he hoped or planned. (Of course, he did have other limitations, but that’s a post for another day.) Anywhoo, you make me look forward so fondly to when I can have my own place in the country with some space. I can pull nails and sand stuff, too, and I’ve never been afraid of hard work!
then the kids can have a Hairy AND a Sheila and a Daisy! c
Yep. The kids are looking forward to it. Danica has a sketchbook-full of little farmy configurations and outbuildings. Shelton is in charge of the hay. =D
Remind him to pop over when we do the hay making, it is everyones favourite time on the farmy, well one of them anyway.. !
I cannot believe that Ton didn’t come get you when the Bobby got out! Napping on the job, there!
The pig will be just fine – she’ll just do What Pigs Do. Poor Shiela – I hope she doesn’t get too lonely!
I discussed this with my beautiful pig girl and she said because sheila is so tame she should be ok, She can come out every day with me .. and the others, it will only be night time that she will be alone and then she has sheep right through the gate.. so we will just have to spend extra time with her.. c
So funny – wipe their noses. I love that. Greetings to all for lovely day!
Send a candle with Charlotte too !! Romance….
It seems there is always something to keep you
on your toes and using your problem solving skills !!
Your brain will stay sharp and you will always have
such adventures on the farmy !!
Morning nanster! I certainly have to stay in gear! c
and you ROCK….
Watching and reading about life on The Farmy is better than any reality television show – better than Coronation Street. Will Celi find the perfect windows for her John? Will Charlotte fall in love next week and produce many girl babies? Will Queenie and Hairy accept their new pen-mate? V.
oh you have a way with words!! I have always said it was like a soap opera around here! c
So long as you don’t pull out your own nails…
Love the reading today – lots to visualize.
Excuse me, but does TonTon look like a working dog? Oh wait. Well, you know posing for photos is quite important.
apparently I was mistaken too!! c
Don’t nobody say a bad word about TonTon!
we all have our favourites!! c
Wipe their noses! Kids are so cute. I hope Charlotte enjoys her stay.
The building project sounds wonderful, nothing more heavenly than loitering in scrap yards finding gorgeous stuff that will make a gorgeous place even better.
I hope Charlotte will forgive you and doesn’t sulk when she comes home – like my dogs did if we ever dared put them in kennels……
Good news about all that beautiful recycled wood!
There is no way I can better Belocchio’s sentiments and words so shan’t even try! Just one thought from a very ignorant semi-urban gal: why do so many think Charlotte won’t enjoy her trip away: she may come home smug as anything
?
Exactly as the matriarch says, she will only stand for him if she wants to.. pigs are slippery creatures after all! c
That Bobby! Bad enough he got loose but to eat everyone’s afternoon hay? Bad Bobby Blanc!!
I don’t think you have to talk so much ABOUT Charlotte as you may need to talk TO Charlotte. I certainly hope you’re not going to rely upon her to learn of these things out behind the barn. About the only difference I can think of between talking to Charlotte or to a daughter is that when you tell Charlotte, “Men are pigs,” you won’t be exaggerating.
You are hilarious.. we have been having a few chats .. but like all girls she think she knows it all.. c
I have childhood memories of watching a reluctant, though in-season, mare being held for the stallion. Good luck to Charlotte but, as The M says, perhaps pigs slip away more easily.
I love the photo of the rooster and the cat. It’s purrfect.
Maybe Charlotte will like her date with the boar. (I’m wondering why you don’t like the idea; have you talked to Charlotte about it?). What fun finding the tongue-in-groove floor. I nailed one myself once, using secret nailing, where none of the nail heads show. I’m very fond of tongue-in-groove (but it needs good insulation because the cracks do open up over time).
Hope you sort out the pig problems – I read this stuff with disbelief thinking how can anyone volunteer for these problems. I have to say that Shush sisters are cool, but I’m not too keen on the freezer threat for all males. You sound like Queen Herod;-)
I know farm life is hard, but your existence is so much more in tune with nature, the seasons – and just “life” at its’ essence. Enjoy reading it all – and following along with the construction decisions and observations.
I love that TonTon always seems more concerned about his photo being taken. =D Love it!
Ah she has a date for Valentine’s Day!
Pasture is low in lysine (an amino acid – building block of proteins) and calories so we supplement with dairy including whey, milk, cream, butter, yogurt and cheese. On pure pasture pigs grow a couple of months slower and are leaner – we’ve raised three experimental groups just on pasture and it is do-able. With the addition of dairy to provide lysine and calories they grow faster, about the same speed that pigs do on grain or commercial hog feeds – roughly six months to finish in the warm season and slightly longer in the cold months. Both pasture/hay (~90% of the their diet) and dairy (~7%) are freely available to the pigs at all times. In the winter we replace the pasture with hay – storing summer for the winter. The remaining ~3% of the pig’s diet consists of pumpkins, beets, turnips, kale, apples, sunflowers and other vegetables we grow as well as a little bit of boiled barley from a local brew pub and occasional treats of bread from a local bakery. Recently we’ve sometimes gotten vegetables and fruit from local stores. This is not a fixed day-to-day regime but varies with the season and availability, changing over time. Variety is the spice of life. To learn more about what we feed our animals see these articles . See these links to learn more about raising pigs on pasture , feeding hay , managed rotational grazing and alternative feeds .