Last night was not so cold, but late in the night I got it into my head that Sheila, my big Hereford pig, needed a blanket – and you know how these thoughts are, after the initial thought, nothing will turn it away.. not even the promise of sleep.
You see, when I went out last evening, to turn the lights out in the barn and check Kupa (still holding his own), I could see that Sheila had spent a lot of evening time building her bed up high and tidy. She had actually taken mouthfuls of straw (how clever without hands) and plastered them across the gate to cut the draft. She had pulled all her straw in, clearing a good two feet of materials, dragging it into her sleeping area. Pulling it up and up, creating a wondrous bed. She must have spent ages on it while I sat inside in the warm – writing about the cold.
So my torch in hand I found an old sleeping bag that no-one wanted and took it back out to the barn.
Sheila barks when she talks. A low grunting woof. So when I laid the unzipped teal sleeping bag along her body and it drifted onto her head she barked loudly, I pulled it slightly so it came down to her shoulders, she barked a little softer, her body still down but her head rising, but still with a query in her voice. So, I pulled it down even more so it rested across her hips and settled over her belly. Good, Good, she breathed, little woof barks – the tiniest of pig sounds and laying her bead back down – she settled into her bed.( She pushes the straw a good foot deep – trace the elbow to your wrist – that deep – this is a real bed. Remember she is a good 500 pounds this pig – 226 kg (1/4 of a ton), she needs a deep mattress. When she settles, she really settles back down.)
Much later in the night, out of a sheer curiosity that would not allow a deep sleep, I rose and pulling my floor length forest green cotton dressing gown over my tiny pink nightie, I tiptoed out to the mudroom and put on my gumboots without socks, took the little blue plastic torch down from its hook, and followed by three dogs and two cats I crept through the kitchen with it’s shuttered night time what are you doing up light, out the door, across the red floored verandah it’s white posts shining in the moonlight, down the dreaded steps, out over the dying winter lawn and under the broken tree, past the debris of the ruined tree house, along the track under the elms and through the tiny twisted willows, maples, walnuts and oaks of the Fellowship Forest and back to the barn.
Walking on the pads of my feet like the dogs, my breath held in the cold, steam in my lungs, I stepped over the thresh-hold into the barn, shone the light over the gate and down to my dear piggie. My big fat pig. She was still tucked up, under the blanket. Snoring ever so gently. Warm.
I was not snoring, she said. Not raising her head. Her snorts full of mischief. You can tuck me in a bit more.
Grunt, she said. Grunt yourself, I answered. Tucking her in a bit more. My little Honey Suckle. And turning off my torch light I turned, clicking my fingers for the dogs to fall in, we made out way back to the house, silent and slender moon shadow ghosts, the cats flowing like muted flickering old time projector lights, across posts and along gates, following behind us, before us, under the trees, across the lawn, up the steps, through the door, down the hall and back to our own blankets.
It is early morning now. I will go out shortly and see if Sheila has slid out from under the blanket or simply ripped it up and eaten it. She is a pig after all. But all night I slept smiling, knowing that Sheila was warm under her blanket too.
Like me.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
ps the bees were out yesterday for a toilet break and some house keeping.. a good sign.
pss.. this is what happens if I do not heat the animal’s water.
have a lovely day
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
74 responses to “Blankets for Pigs”
Nice pics you have here!
That is a lovely story…….so had she torn up the blanket?
Nope, when I went out early she had been up and was laid back on top of it. I rescued it later and will do it again tonight!.. we will see how long it lasts!.. c
i love that sheila! what a classy gal….
last night, in sub-zero windy wind gusts, i went out to trapper’s house [my rabbit….with a multi-level condo of sorts] and stuffed his wooden sleep-box full of fresh straw and hay. must take care of those who cannot hundle in the house, you know….
I bet dear wee trapper was grateful too.. c
What a cliffhanger: did Sheila awaken with the warm blanket around her or was it indistinguishable from the straw in her bed?
no it was still all in one piece, I will do it again tonight and see if it was a fluke.. c
You’re very noble braving the cold to give a pig a blanket. I eat very little meat, as you know, but I always thought that “pigs in a blanket” were sausages,wrapped in bacon on a cocktail stick…:)
They are and very tasty too!
I love those little sausies, maybe I should change the title of this post! c
Lucky Sheila to have you to tuck her in. Lucky you to have Sheila to take care of, fuss over and coddle. Lucky us, to be able to follow your life (even if some of do think you’re bonkers to venture out in a nightie and cotton dressing gown and bare feet in gumboots IN THE WINTER… Who will cherish your animal family if you catch pneumonia?)
I was very fast and really, last night was not that cold, it will get colder! c
Aye, it’s not officially ‘Winter’ until
December 21st (and not that Mother Nature gives a twist about the date, lol ; ) Environment Canada’s calling for upwards of 8cm of snow on this side of Lake Ontario this week… (That’s closing on 4”, if they’re right:/)
Yes. Winter does not have a calendar. 4 inches – that will be pretty!
You old softy , you…I thought that people with farmys had to be hard , firm, let the animals acclimatise then leave them.not creep out in the wee small hours to give a pig a blanket. Oh how I love your way of doing things, your love of animals and the care you take of them is over whelming. A person like me..that is what I would do…as it is my animals are all inside but everynight they have some milk, then toilet before sleeptime, then half a biscuit. Into bed..a pat on the head…..goodnight Rosie, goodnight Charlie, Goodnight puss cats and goodnight Benji ……….sleep tight and see you tomorrow…
my husband thinks I am nuts……..xxxxxxxxxx,……makes me happy to know thati am not alone
Yes. But only if you have a number of pigs etc. to provide the warmth! Even cattle outside huddle together. I don’t think you are nuts at all!!! I think you are a very kind and loving momma!!! 🙂
very sweet too.. c
Thank you dear friend
Excellent – I bet she loved that 🙂
she thanked me very nicely.. hope you had a lovely outing yesterday.. c
A girl after my own heart! Yesterday I hauled a big straw bale into the chicken hut and broke it up, piling it up against the walls, to keep the drafts out. My hut is made of slotted wood and there are very tiny gaps in between the slats so was worried it was too cold for them. I have read so many articles on line since Erin died yesterday, to see if I am not providing enough warmth for my girls. Some articles say DON’T put heating in the hut, some say do. So I am torn. I am on a fixed budget so electric bills are always worrisome for me, especially in the winter, so I would have to cut a corner somewhere to provide heat for them. Any suggestions from the farmy friends would be helpful!
How about some insulation on the outside! It will keep out the moisture and the cold drafts that the wind blows in. Put plastic underneath the insulation. I use heat lamps that are covered with a wire mesh so that no straw can get in. But insulating would help considerably!
I don’t heat. Way too dangerous even with guards, those feathers fly about and a burning hen house is the most dreadful thing. In the past I have stapled old feed bags along the inside of the walls, but also I take in whole unbroken bales of straw and place them to create an area out of the drafts, when the wind changes I just change their position.. the problem with sheets of insulation is that they will peck at them plus they are so ugly.. having said all that – mine are in a drafty unheated shed with their outside door open all year, I just think she was old honey and ready to finish up. Chickens are pretty tough.. look at my barn chickens! c
Insulation on the outside. Not the inside. Bales of straw work good only the draw mice. Some tyvek would work nicely and not look ghastly. You just staple it up. Keeps the wind out and is easy to put up.
Oh I’m sorry to hear your sweet old gal died.rest in peace, Erin.
Thank You!
Big softie!
Christine
The discarded sleeping bag is just temporary until the goosedown duvet arrives – right? 🙂 Laura
I have so many comforters that I share with my furbabies! 🙂 When it gets warmer I use them to cover my tomatoes etc., if there is a frost!!! 😀 Yes! Kevin says I am always washing and drying something!!!! So I have one of those drying racks down by the fire in the basement!!! 😉
Yep my old Boy has his own fleecy blanket that he gets tucked into too 🙂
Celi, this is why I love you! So tender hearted, yet so very strong. So gentle and kind, yet so very strong. So concerned and loving, yet so very strong. Who could not love you!
What is a farmy without a woman with all of those qualifications? Not a very safe, happy, or good place to be!
Animals know who is good and who isn’t…you have their trust. Ours too!
Love you sweet friend! (((Celi))) Feel the hugs!!!!!
p.s. Please put on a warmer coat and socks next time!!!! 😉
Promise!! c
I will have a smile and a giggle for the whole rest of the day! today I need to build a bed for my crippled sheep (serious cold coming tomorrow) and will tell her all about you and your Sheila. It will make her utter soft little sheep chuckles.
thirteen sheep you made me giggle too!!!! LOL Love it!
Do you put coats on your sheep? I don’t, so i did wonder whether old Mama could do with a coat, though nothing is better that that big wooly one she is wearing now I guess..c
You are so good to all your critters. What a blessing you are to them and they know it.
It’s a visceral thing, making someone snug and cozy. When any of my dogs or cats came in out of the rain or snow I’d wrap a big dry towel around them and sweep them into my arms to cuddle and snuggle and dry them. It probably made me happier than they!
I’m dying to know what you discovered this morning, Celi.
Ton has to go to the shower to have his feet cleaned before coming in at night and i am sure both he and I enjoy the toweling at the end, though the shower on his feet is not his favourite.. Sheila was still sleeping with her blankie this morning, not under it but ON it! so she at least had not ripped it up or thrown it out.. c