I know people have posts called Wordless Wednesday, and really it is Saturday though we are commenting on Friday, and I am never short of words but sometimes short of photos so it is Photo-less Friday on a Saturday. It all gets so confusing. Poor us living in the past with our pleasantly addled brains.
But Friday was grim. Dark gray all day. Heavy frosted clouds. Cold. Windy. Flurries of snow that went nowhere, not settling, or floating, just falling. I don’t know why it is called a flurry, because there is no flurry of activity at all, just the little snow, like icy air, flying at your face. It is so dry that I am getting electric shocks off everything. Even people. Today there is meant to be more snow, we will see.
But I must rush. Sheila has a date TODAY! With a lovely Berkshire Boar.
The Berkshire breeder is going to put her in a pen in his warm barn between two boars and this should bring her into heat, it will take a few days though, maybe even a week or so, then he will open her gate and let her into the corridor and when she looks like she wants to fraternise he will let the boar out behind her. Then you and I are going to close our eyes and give them some privacy. But he does this often and has a good system. So I am expecting that Sheila will do well. Plus it is only 10 minutes away. And her temporary bedroom will be heated!
And if all goes well we should be able to raise a bunch of Hereford/Berkshire plonkers next summer. They are not an uncommon cross so I have read.
So now, I must go and see if I can get Sheila to go into the trailer. And all the gates are either frozen shut or have snow in the wrong places for the trailer so I am going to have to lead her through the barn and out the feed room door and into the trailer that way. She often follows me about but not through the feed room and never into the trailer, so it should be an interesting exercise! First I will restack the hay to make a corridor for her. If she cannot see anything tempting she will walk past nicely I hope.
She is going to be mad at me!
Have you remembered that Daisy is due to calve in the middle of March? Under two months now. I need to start looking about for a new milking pump.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
56 responses to “Photo-less friday and Sheila has a date.”
I can’t help being worried about Sheila. Just can’t. She seems so content as a maiden aunt. That boar better be gentle with her, that’s all I can say.
well I just met him and he is a whole different kind of animal to the last one. Very friendly. c
The article says that Berkshires are a rare breed. Maybe in the future a sow should find its way to the farmy? I can’t wait to see how the cross will turn out. Good luck, Sheila!
Oh my! A heated bedroom?? You may have trouble getting Sheila back out of there! 🙂
Loading a pig/hog…that is one of the hardest things to do. But maybe Shelia will just hop right in. I always breathe a sigh of relief when that happens…hop right and off you go!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Mmmmm an arranged encounter. The virginal Sheila going to meet her suitors. I can hardly wait to see her piglets. Also Daisy’s calf in March. Spring is the best time of the year at a farmy.
I love this story of Sheila. It has made me smile and I think she is lucky to have you. It seems she will stay warm and cozy during her adventure. You stay warm as well.
Sheila hardly had a chance to fret about her date, which is splendid !
Life certainly moves along ! I am glad you approve of her accommodations as
she is a picky one that one. Time to get excited for Daisy, is Queenie right
behind her ?
Blessings to you all…
Um … you HAVE given her the little talk on birds and bees and all that?
One hopes that his gate is gatecrashing-proof, or the piggy-wigs might have a crashing boar for a father.
A winter date. Now why did I think that spring was the time for mating and coming into heat? I’m puzzled about the timing of this, but no doubt there is a Very Good Reason.
so we can have babies in the warm spring.. if she were to go to the boar in the spring we would have babies in the hot hot weather, that would be cruel, though left to their own devices pigs could technically farrow three times a year.. c
Wow. Sows must be tough mamas.
Ha I am reading this on Sunday morning. Great news about Sheila, my pigs are berkshire crosses, a cross is perfect as a pure bred berkshire will take too long to grow out. Berkshires have nice natures, so you should wind up with some nice piglets. Hope it all goes well and Sheila comes on heat. I bet she will miss you, I would have liked to see the look on the Pig farmers face when you told him he will need to come and tuck her in at beditime!
Sheila you are a beautiful girl! Remember that!!! 🙂 Make them woo you and may the best man win!!! You are going to have lots of fun when those piggies are born! I love them when they are little!!! 😀
I am so glad she is going to be toasty while she is courted and doing the light fandango!!!! LOL
Cold here and expecting some snow showers. Have a great weekend!!! 🙂
((((hugs))))) Hi to the fellowship!
Will you be visiting here at the boar’s farm? Maybe with a treat so she doesn’t forget her mom amidst all that lovemaking.(grin)
yes, she is not too far away so i shall be popping over when the weather is good! Often i hope. i think this may help as well..
Hey; what kind of establishment are you running there, anyway, Miss Celi Is it legal?
Laugh!!.Pimps for pigs!!c
Well that piece of news came about suddenly 🙂 ! Just hope she does not get homesick and that boar appreciates what a quality lady he has to make happy!! Don’t believe the outside temp much comes into it 😉 !
Luckily she is just a ten minute drive down the road, so i can visit.. I don’t know who is worse the pig or ME!
Hmmm ~ may I take the 5th Amendment? [hugs . . .]
Do hope the …er… fraternising goes well!