Yesterday started off alright for Charlotte, she had her usual walk, shortened now, but pregnant ladies need their exercise too.
It had begun to get very hot and muggy when I left for lunch with The Old Codger and The Matriarch. So I hung a bigger fan from the rafters of the barn to cool her down some more. Thank you Ron, excellent idea.
But she ignored it and lay down in the doorway. I thought our day would proceed normally but by the time I got home she was panting and frothing at the mouth. Lumbering about swinging her head to and fro like an elephant with heavy ears. All afternoon she was up and down, up and down, gnawing at the doors and grunting at me. Charlotte I was saying what is it. She would grunt using all kinds of sounds, looking me straight in the eye. She paced and cried. The day got hotter, but Poor Char could not settle, she bathed in cold water, stood in cold showers. Up-ended water containers she has never knocked over before.Watched me refill them then did it again. But nothing settled her.
The day just got hotter.
And the clouds gathered pressing the heavy air back down on our heads.
The storm warnings were severe, really severe so in the afternoon I closed up the barn, brought Sheila in from the field and opened a corner of the barn for the big animals to shelter if they chose. The tractor was brought in and containers stowed away. This all contributed to Charlotte’s distress as I had to shrink her living quarters to accommodate the others. And still it got hotter and more humid.
By dinnertime she would not even lie down just stood with her head hanging as I ran a cold wet cloth around her head. Somewhere after midnight with hours of high winds and rolling thunder and lightening like the devils unholy disco itself, the storm violently broke open above our heads and the rain poured down and the temperature dropped. While Ton cowered in the wardrobe with his paws over his ears, Blue and I ran out to check on Charlotte. No need for a torch – by then the lightening was flat white and so close together that is was like a holey blanket of light, the whole sky was lightening, twenty strobes at once. Char was fast asleep. Stretched out to her full length, her belly relaxed again, laid out in her big pen, breathing calmly and deeply,surrounded in cats. Boo and I did a quick silent reverse and tiptoed back out. The cats barely had time to raise their heads. Best to let sleeping pigs lie.
I checked her again at three and she had not moved. Lucky for her we have a few cool days now. Ok, time for work. We got almost half an inch of rain. Just the right amount.
After I have shooed everyone back out of the barn and opened the gates for Charlotte again, fed out and checked my roosting girls I shall weed the grapevines. The chickens will be well fed today, the dandelions are huge in there!
Oh I must tell you quickly before I go. I found another peacock egg in the hay manger when I let the cows in, saving it from Daisy I went out to the chook house with it in my hand, unsure of my plan. The black broody chicken was half in and half out of her box, screaming and squawking and making such a racket. So without any real thought I just popped this big egg into her box, she whisked back in, turned around twice like a dog, sat herself down and with her beak carefully rolled the peacock egg under her breast so it rested on her little chicken feet. She fluffed up her feathers until it was completely covered then she sighed and went silent. And that was that.
Oh the sun has come out! Off I go! Have a lovely day.
Your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
64 responses to “Charlotte has a hot murky day”
Amazing photos of the clouds and heavy sky. Lovely read, as usual.
Waiting with baited breath for the big day. Char is looking fabulous despite her wee faff, understandable really that day looks really oppressive. I am glad she settled, do you think all of the kitties will be vying with the piglets for sleeping spots in char’s shadow? I am coming in late but I say 10 piglets.
Poor Char, those last few days before birth are a right pain. Hang in there, darling pig. 🙂
Poor baby like us being 9 months along in AUG 😦 So glad you she got rest you now I am worried about you all out there these nasty super cells are nuts Where are you again? Please stay safe as you can I know you must check on things but lightening is even worse than 110 Ron said you are lucky with house currant not to die as it usually has you till you die I have seen the power of nature and your photo of storm clouds was amazing in FL you could get hit by lightening 5 miles away Saying prayers for our world’s weather to settle down
I was worried about you all down on the farmy. We were under the worst storm threats they’d forecast in years and I kept checking the maps to see just how far South the storms stretched. Those are some frightening storm clouds in your photos, Celi, and I’m glad every one and thing are fine. Poor Char. I hope she’s doing better in today’s cooler air. Good luck tonight! I hope you’ve got good news for us tomorrow.
I think she is set to wait another day, I will check her late but she seems really settled at the moment.. She has learned to open and shut her back gate so she has been ‘trying out’ the yard, but she keeps coming back inside the barn.. we will see.. c
Good evening Miss C. When are the piglets due? The weather has been rather stormy, or at least consistently wet here as well, but you must have so much on your mind with all those “children” to keep safe and cool. You go about it so gracefully, finding solutions in the instant they are needed, knowing when to intervene and when to let go. Love reading of your daily rounds. Have a great summer.
Morning PS, good to see you, Charlotte is due in 4 days so, not long now!! c
Morning?! 🙂 looking forward to hearing about her little ones.
Anecdotal evidence shows that horses are more likely to colic after sudden pressure changes. Maybe that was bothering poor Char. Our horses tend to get really cranky when the air gets heavy, as if it is our fault! My little hairy mix dog is afraid of loud noises but the thunder doesn’t bother him at all. I had a little terrier years ago that literally tried to climb the walls when it thundered. That was a real joy.
yikes, terriers tearing at walls.. nasty.. poor old fella.. c
This was the first chance I’ve had to pop in today (tonight) and I have been wondering about you. First thing this morning I heard news of the storms I assumed were “over you” and I was very concerned. Those photos are a pretty good indication of a big threat! I look forward to hearing more about the hens caring for the peafowl eggs. I really find that interesting. Of course, I find everything about your farmy interesting! Fingers crossed for poor Charlotte!
As I read about Charlotte’s anguish, and all your loving care, I wondered how other pigs fare in the same circumstances… how sweet of little Blue to keep you company to inspect Charlotte…precious one… It sounded a very dramatic day on the Farmy…
It was miserably hot before that storm indeed! So, so nice today though. 🙂
I could feel the storm building as your post continued. So glad there was relief at last for Charlotte. She must feel so hot on the inside with all those little piggies in there. I wonder if she was feeling the change in atmospheric pressure. Such a delight the way the hen accepted the egg so gracefully.
I marvel at the way you tell every day stories about life on the farmy and make it all so irresistible. It’s like reading a serial mystery in the newspaper, the part of the paper we all run to read first, before news of economic downturns, wars here, wars there, and violence everywhere.
Your storm clouds scare the spittle out of me, as does walking in the lightning storms! But then, I guess you do what you must when the need arises.
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