Nine ! who guessed NINE!
Charlotte has had her piglets three days early. I was ready though and apparently so was she. First there was one. Then she stood up and walked about, acting confused and unsure of what to do next. The wee piglet made like a wind-up toy and huffed off into the corners wandering about.
After a bit she lay back down and heaved out four more. One was dead and unformed so he must have died some time ago. But the rest came out ready to go. No assembly needed.
Then there was a good long wait while the first ones nursed and her uterus changed tracks. A pigs uturus has two distinct sides so there are no tangles, but only one birth canal. The wait worried me but I had read that the births can take up to three hours, with quite long breaks in between sometimes. 
Then out came three more and then she stopped again. Piglets can be born headfirst or feet first. Both are normal.
I counted eight, they arrived quite clean, with their eyes wide open, shaking their heads, breathing like heavy smokers, wriggling to get moving. Their legs immediately pedal and they are looking for the teat within seconds. It was bedlam getting them all on without having them wander off. They are absolutely quiet. All you hear is this little huff, as they navigate about like tiny off-rail trains with no shut-off switch. I guess they come with their own inbuilt ever-ready battery.
Then the painter man came, right on time, to discuss the colours and schedule to paint The Tiny House. I thought she must be done, it had been an hour now since the last one, so I left them to drink for a while. Charlotte was calm and asleep.
When I returned she had stood up and rolled over to her other side so I went in to count them in case she had rolled on one. I have heard a hundred horror stories of sows rolling over and killing their babies one by one if they are not caged. I had let her even choose her own pen. Not only had she not rolled on one but now there were NINE.
I cannot even begin to figure that out.
In the night I popped in and out a few times and each time she was in a different position and had a line of perfect little babies all suckling. This morning I watched her change positions and she stands and woofs and whines at them until they are all over in one corner, they all gather and stand very still, then she moves right away from where they are and lays back down. This morning as she was herding them away from her bed she accidentally stood on one. It squealed, the first squeal I have heard, it sounded like a cat, she lifted her foot immediately and froze as it darted away. Everyone froze. Then she started to grunt at them again and the piglets slowly backed into for their corner as a group, watching her the whole time and hesitantly Charlotte returned her foot to the floor and huffing more warnings took her quite massive self across about four steps and lay down in a clear spot and they all tumbled back in.
So that solves the question of how a good sow can lie down without killing her babies. She needs room to move away from them. They are so small and so fragile I am in awe of her skills. Lets hope she can keep them from getting under her for a few more days as they learn the ropes. Not every piglet will listen to his Mama. And once she lets her body drop she cannot suddenly stop herself.
Good morning. Charlotte has not eaten anything since she went into labour. Nor has she drunk very much but she seems ok. Possibly this is normal. Maybe as she gains confidence she will. It is all close by. For now she is just focused on feeding her piglets continuously. And keeping them safe.
They are hot tiny wee silky bundles. All the shots above were taken within the first hour of their birth. Amazing really. They do look like Aliens with those big elephant ears.
Ok, I am off out to begin the work of the morning.
You all have a lovely day and I will make sure to take some more miniature pig shots for you for tomorrows post. It is raining again, but nice and warm. I am a bit tired. But the show must go on!
Your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
100 responses to “NINE little teensy weensy piglets..The Aliens Have Landed”
What sweet babies!! I wish I was there to hold them. I need to do some catching up on your blog! Have a lovely Saturday ~ April
What an amazing thing to witness, both the birth and the little dance they all do together when she goes to move! I am constantly in awe of how amazing and instinctual some livestock can be, of course there are those on other side if that coin…they can be just plain infuriating! 😉 enjoy your wee piggies.
Yay!!! I might have said “nine” . . . or maybe “eight.” I don’t remember now. And if I don’t recall, you should not consider my response. 😉
I shared the news here . . .
I borrowed two of your gorgeous photos. (I recall you saying “way back when” that borrowing your photos is OK. If my memory is incorrect, please let me know.)
And as another Charlotte once wrote in her web: FELICITATIONS!
You are absolutely right, I don’t mind at all if you share my photographs. I am flattered. Have a lovely day! c
Well done Charlotte, they little ones are adorable. Celie, you have had a very busy time, so I hope you can relax a bit now.
Super cute piglets! Congrats!
I was amazed at the way Charlottte controlled the babies with her grunts, and surprised at how creatures not even one day old understood and obeyed her. The whole episode is entrancing…
Adorable. The phone should be ringing for the promo of your reality tv show. It’s the best one I’ve watched so far! (Well I don’t really watch them but would if it was you). I did guess 9- it’s just what I imagine all nuzzled up. The photos are precious and so clear. Just darling they are. Well done in letting Mother Nature take her course. x wendy
I am not going to show these to Brian because he will want piglets and as we all know they grow up to be as big as their Mama! What joy and such fun and the nursing not crushing tactics are amazing, I would never have dreamt that such tiny young animals would have such good instincts built in. Isn’t nature amazing? xx to you and Charlotte and the piglets from space
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Is this an example of something being so ugly you gotta think they are cute? I hope proud mamma gets back to full steam soon.
Congratulations on your NINE little piglets!!! A lovely scratch on the head for the Momma and some lovely little rubs on the tummy for each little baby!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
¸.•°❤❤⊱彡
Oh my goodness they are adorable little things, aren’t they??? And what a good mum even if she is a little on the hefty side! 🙂 Gotta share this post because it is so precious!!!!! Congrats to the new mum!
Way to go Charlotte!!!!!!!!!! A Beautiful Lady, and her beautiful Babies. We all know, but some ignore the fact, that Pigs are the smartest animals on the farm!! Thanks for the great photos of Mom and Babes.
There now Spike, you will have your fill of piggie shots for a while now! c
And I thank you for that. There will never be enough photos of pigs. Growing up on a farm, we had hundreds of Herefords, but never any pigs. I wanted them, but Dad did not. I wonder why? My Mother, a city girl, was more interested in her Bridge Club, and seldom went out to the barn, or feeding area. The “Farm” house looked like it belonged in a Suburb of a large city, and the barn and feeding area was typically a real farm. Two worlds, in one. I still wanted pigs! Whenever we go to a Fair, the hog barn is the only barn I visit.
If only you had known about hereford pigs, you could have popped one and told him it was a hereford too! Interesting about your two worlds in one.. I sense a real story there.. c
How exciting! Congratulations Charlotte! And what beautiful little piggies they are!
Cinders, they are absolutely perfect and so tiny!! I was really suprised at how teeny, tiny they were! Well, I guess I have never seen newborn piglets before…so amazing and soooo darling to be sure! Congratulations Queen Charlotte on the birth of your nine, lil princes and princesses!! And to you too C. for raising up Q. Charlotte to be the healthiest and happiest mama she could be! 🙂
Has Auntie Shelia seen them yet??