Yesterday I put Tima and Tane in a little field together. I loaded Tane into his travelling crate and John helped me carry him across, (Life is so much easier on the one day a week that he is home – if you can find him awake of course!) I am not so sure Tane will follow me yet, we are still bonding so I thought it best to carry him. Tane will be brought up differently from Tima.
Tane is a boar, he will get big, and when a female is in heat he will get bolshy, he will have tusks. We cannot have a boar wandering about the house in a bad mood. He will not have the free rein that Tima has. So he will know his boundaries – and those mean never in the house. Though it still amazes me how friendly this breed of pig is. He has known me only a few days but already he is trying to crawl up into my lap.
There is lots of grass in the little field and Tane immediately started to munch – he had not enjoyed being locked up in the purgatory house. The next few nights are reasonably warm so they can sleep out there in their snug little out-house and hopefully bond.
TonTon is doing a bit of bonding as well. There were a few spats and a bit of whining but all in all Tima and Tane got along very well and even shared their dinner of pumpkin and melon. I was pleased to see that Tane did not back down when Tima got hissy at him. This bodes well for breeding later on. I hope to sell their piglets and make a little money for the sustainable farm. Self sufficiency is all very well until you have to pay the rates. Then the piper must be paid.
And it is better for Tima to have another pig with her. The winter is hard for a pig alone – as Sheila will tell you.
I was working on the childrens book yesterday evening and John was making dinner when I heard him call out- there is a pig on the porch!. Well you and I know this is not news, but John is seldom home. So I went out expecting to see Tima ..
and found Poppy with her head in the bucket of pears that were due to be sliced and dehydrated today.
Through the screen and then the double glazed door Poppy looks a little scary, but that is just pear juice dripping from her jaws.
She had bashed at that gate, we were talking about the other day, until the chain came off. (It is now tied up with baling twine.) and rushed to the porch – as they do. Her Heat is on the wane now. She will be back to placid and smiley Poppy soon. She is a good size this pig. I am pleased with her. She eats a powerful amount of grass and clover. I learnt my lesson about fat pigs. Less grain the better.
Speaking of fat pigs – Yesterday evening I got the pitchfork to push all the summer straw closer to Sheila’s bed (while Poppy was out in the field and we had a quiet moment together) and Sheila shambled over and quickly re-arranged herself the lay down in the middle of the straw and asked me to cover her up, (it is a gentle grunting sound – the asking- she watches me, combined with the sounds and an interesting wriggle – just like last winter), so I heaped the straw around her and she said thank you and closed her eyes and sighed. I love that pig. I MUST get onto her christmas calender too. Soon I will have to start buying feed. Winter is coming and the grass will freeze. Sheila’s calender is how she earns her way on the farm as you know. She is already one of the oldest pigs in Illinois.
I forgot to tell you that we took Queenie to stay with her bull-friend, It was very late at night on Friday as Our John was held up at work. So she was decanted into a field with a couple of heifers and the young bull. Everyone was very interested in each other. The fields are a lot harder over there so she may even lose a little weight during her stay which will not hurt her at all. She has been in a good paddock that one.
Camera House and I will visit Queenie sometime this week so you can see where she is. The Fencer has very tidy fields. A nice place. She will be there at least 24 days – so she is there for two cycles. It is all about breeding at this time of year. Sometimes I miss Daisy something awful. Other times I can manage The Missing. Today I just miss her.
Work to do today. I wish you were here.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
60 responses to “Tima and Tane”
Celi, all this matchmaking has me feeling broody. Maybe if I fly over you could find me a Toy Boy! 😉
Fingers, knees and toes crossed that all the mating is successful and profitable!
It is that time of year..!..morning grannymar
Piggies are rather cute – and so smart with a sense of humor Can’t feeling kindly to them. Personality plus…but tusks will make it hard to cuddle!
yes, the tusks will be new.. and kind of intertesting.. I hope.. c
I was thinking of Daisy myself yesterday and missing her. So glad the pair of piggies is working out so far. My copy of your book arrived on Saturday! Looking forward to the next “letters” book and awaiting instructions.
yes darling. i am almost set to go, editing the childrens book today and then hopefully tomorrow after noon i will make the email list and get in touch.. WISH I had a PA sometimes.. c
Laughed out loud too at the face on Poppie. And I miss Daisy and Hairy and Mama and I’m gonna miss Marcel as we saw him from day one and I miss Big Dog. Not to mention the cats who have vanished. You have suffered sooo many losses. I love the photo of Ton with Tane–twins they are.
The part about Poppy and the pears made me laugh robustly! I wish I was there with you too… I would be helping you with chores and falling in love with all of the farmy critters. I understand about missing Daisy. I still miss little Willow… and I’m afraid something has happened to Dancer. She has been missing nearly a week. My heart just sinks each time I must deal with death and loss. We do our best, don’t we?
It is how our lives are if we allow ourselves to love animals, or humans for that matter. We will always be missing someone. Our hearts will always be sinking. Wild animals are out of our hands.. even more so. You cannot lock them up in the vegetable garden like i do with my pigs.. c
I just realized ( I ‘m a slow learner ) that Tima looks like the orphaned wild boars my brother raised. Poopy knows what she likes and goes for it.
Oooo, I hate to ask but are you breeding the Kunes for meat or for pets? I understand they are best for both 🙂
Daisy and the other Farmy cast who have left the stage, remain in our hearts. Some days are just missing days…
Those who remain though carry on being stars… oh dear, the face of that happy, pear juice dripping Poppy 🙂
I love reading about your life since it is so different than mine (I am a teacher in the burbs) and love sharing photos of your beautiful animals with my kiddos!
Oh thank you for sharing them with the kids in school.. let me know if i can get you any of the images in high res.. I was a teacher too and miss the classroom terribly.
Cheeky Poppy and it’s good to hear the piggies are already snuggling!
Sugar: Tane keeping Tima warm already!! Would love to cuddle them both 🙂 !! But bad Poppy-girl: those pears were worth coin: you get fed quite enough . . . behave!!!! Sorry that it is the end of the sheep era but do understand there are limits . . . .
yes .. I just cannot look after them as well as i should .. we will have too many cows and pigs next year.. Hopefully.. c
Keeping all ten fingers and toes crossed 🙂 ! It tw’ill happen Milady and all our cheering will help 😉 !!
I do love those satisfied pig sighs. Makes you feel like you’re doing something right, eh? Rosie pig was a barrow but grew tusks. Being that he was a house pig and that one was kind of snaggly I had them cut off. He had a nice nap in the back room at the vet’s place, I had a long wait til he woke up tuskless. So glad you are ready for the ‘boy behavior’, so many people aren’t (with almost any animal) and that can be terrible for the boy in question. Witness those misguided souls who think it’s a good thing to keep a stallion a stallion, until somebody gets hurt. I envy you the piglets in the future, I fear I’d never sell a one so I’ll enjoy it vicariously through you!
Forgot, I believe in the missing is the honoring of the missed. My friend and I were talking about those we lost and she asked if she was odd or did I, too, sometimes expect to see them when I turned around. I said of course I do, sometimes I even talk to them, it’s a way of keeping them close in our hearts. Sometimes it hurts more than others but like Dr. Seuss said, don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened.
Dr Seuss was a very clever fellow.. c
I was just thinking about Daisy….love Tane and will look forward to seeing what tusks look like..I have been spending time writing for the new book. It will be magnificent with all of the wisdom of the fellowship !! Hugs all around ! Nanster
Poor Ton, I love his stance–looking at Poppy the Pig on the Porch–and nothing he can do about that crazy girl. Tima’s fella is awfully cute!
I love that picture, too. It looks like he has a note for the teacher in his mouth, “Please excuse Poppy from her pen today as she has pears to eat.”
Exactly!