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”
So glad the storm passed and that Charlotte got some much needed rest!!! Poor baby! Love that you relocated the egg! You are a genius!!!
It was quite funny how the chook scooped the egg into its rightful place whether it was hers or not. I am not even sure how long ago it was laid so it may not be viable at all but it will keep her quiet.. she hates it when i steal her eggs each day.. c
I bet she does—you big meanie! 🙂
Life is tough when you are a fat clucky chicken.. c
What a kerfuffle for poor old Charlotte – and for you, too. I hope the birthday lunch went well.
we went out for chinese at his favourite restaurant and it was lovely.. c
I remember feeling quite like Charlotte when I was pregnant in the summer heat. Glad she was able to settle in and that the weather cooled off for her. Also glad the storms weren’t as violent as they predicted. I was quite nervous watching from afar.
It looked to me like it was going to hit chicago too, we will have to check with chgjohn and ask him how bad it was, luckily the really bad wind did not eventuate.. c
When I saw your heading change late my last night I wondered whether the photos came from just then. They did . . . Well, I would have been like TonTon, I’m afraid! Useless and in the nearest cupboard!! And we can’t blame Charlotte for her shenanigans methinks: heavy already and that weather heavy thing pushing her further down; thank God sleep relaxed her . . . Three- four days: hope the little ones arrive on a calm, mild day!!
I just opened the gate and she took herself out into the outdoor pen that i have been keeping for when the piglets are born .. usually we just walk thorough to a field but she has decided to lay oout there for a rest, the wind is lovely and cool this morningso i don’t blame her.. not that i could move her even if i wanted to.. c
Glad it will cool off a bit for you. We’ve been up since 4 this morning because of thunder. Doesn’t bother me, but Gus is terrified.
Dogs hate thunder, it surprises me that Blue is not affected by it at all which is nice.. c.
No wonder Char is looking at you like that her pregnancy is your fault… were wives blame their husbands as things near .. she sees you as the cause… you took her to visit…
yes well, she is right there!! c
Would barometric pressure changes, along with the heat and the pregnancy, have contributed to Charlotte’s discomfort? I think I’ve heard that once or twice about barometric changes. That stormy sky scares me, just scares me. Great shots. Again.
It certainly affects humans, often babies are born in storms.. c
Dramatic photos. So glad we don’t get weather like that.
The weather out here is just amazing.. huge skies! c
Whoa! Looks like you had a wild storm Celi! Just love the storm shots!!! We are waiting on some wet weather down here. Although I cannot complain about it, as we have had lovely rain all week, and gorgeous Bull Shoals Lake right down the road is full. So much different from last year! Thank goodness! xo
We did have a wild night, did your pig get this upset towards the end? Did she nest? I need to pick your brains.. c
Our pigs are doing great! We have our two big mamas, Roxy and Bernie and five piglets all running together now. We trained the piglets to the electric fence and they do respect it. It only took a few days! The piglets are growing like crazy as we have a connection to gallons of goats milk daily. They LOVE it!!! Charlotte is probably checking out the best spots now to have her babies. I bet she already knows where she will have them. Pigs are smart! 🙂
it sounds like charlotte must be very sensitive to barometric pressure. i sympathize with that poor girl. she needs to have those piglets!
She thinks so too!! c
I wonder if pigs get Braxton-Hicks contractions? Or maybe it was just the storm that kept her unsettled. Those were some pretty serious clouds! I see Kupa found himself a shady spot, great shot.
I did wonder the am thing, her tummy was so tight, but she is all relaxed again this morning and glad to be back free ranging again. ! c
Poor Charlotte. I remember feeling like that once of a day! Love your new header – my kind of colours.
Christine
The sight of that weather brewing makes me want to dive under the bed and stay there, or find a hole and pull it in after me.
It passed thankfully, all better now! c
I fretted as I read this entire post. Whew!
when i set eggs at random times, i use pencil to write date on each egg
that way i can tell if they are past the hatch date
do not use pen, the ink will not let egg develop