After such a long time waiting to have piglets I am still waiting. Do you remember trying to breed Sheila to no avail (she does not like man pigs preferring her own company) in fact as you will remember she did serious damage to a very expensive prize boar and was quite cut up herself in the fight) then we got Poppy who was a runt, nursing her back to health. And now she is pregnant and I am creeping up to her pen like a commando to peek in and see if anything is haappening- more often than not she is snoring, or bashing up her water barrel, or eating like there is no tomorrow wondering why she could not have had these extra rations all along. After all this time we have finally arrived at the day. The day the little piglet calculator tells us Poppy’s piglets should appear.
While we waited yesterday Sheila and I went for a walk down by the creek. 
Through the asparagus patch.
I mean she really is a big pig and for the summer she lives on forage and kitchen scraps and a little grain on the lean days.
She spent some time hiding behind her tiny tree. Then steaming off in some random direction. Sheila is allowed to come for walks along the creek with me because when I call her she Always comes back. Trusting your pig is a wonderful thing. I love this pig.
Of course when she hides behind tiny trees I pretend I cannot see her. Life is more fun when you join in.
In the evenings now I open the chicken caravan doors and let them roam for a while. They come when I call them in for dinner. Though my sometimes my bad roosters try to steal my dinner away.
Poppy was dripping milk yesterday evening. I have been up and down checking her through the night – she slept- dawn is a popular birthing time so I will run across in my wild nightie right now, to check her, before I begin my early morning writing for the day.
I hope you have a lovely day. If anything happens I will report it in the Lounge of Comments and on my Facebook page. I am terrified. They will be such tiny babies and she is such an excite-able Mama. The plan is to keep well away and not cause any undue excitement.
I hope you have a lovely day.
love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “The last day before today”
Yep everything crossed here too 😀 x
If only you could milk pigs and try making pig cheese… 😉
They do in Tuscany…. Well, a few people do but not many!
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/raresttuscancheese.asp
Ha ha – I think that was an April Fool, though I’m sure someone must have tried it in the past. They do milk horses in Mongolia and use the milk to make cheese and alcohol.
Aha! Oh dear, I’m easily fooled. 😀
Yes, I’ve read about Mongolian mare’s milk, which they ferment. I must say…drinking fermented milk does not appeal much to me!
imagine that milking machine!
I’m sending positive energy your way ALL DAY LONG!! 🙂
“Trust your pig” … words to live by.
I’m looking forward to seeing photos of the little piglets when they finally arrive! 🙂
Let me guess…9 piglets early on the 4th!
I love that Sheila comes when you call her. She is truly enormous, especially in relation to Ton… And that tree. Well we are all rooting for Poppy and for healthy little tykes. We will all be checking in and out.
The excitement builds, 8 healthy piglets born today into tomorrow !! 3rd and 4th !!!
In the night? I will have to stay up!
I’m sending gentle easy vibes for Poppy. Wow, Sheila is a big pig, beautiful, definitely not fat, healthy. I showed the picture of her with Boo to my husband and he said are you sure she’s not photoshopped, she looks like a hippo, ha ha. No just a big girl. 🙂
I say 7 piglets on the 4th.
Robin🐥
She has ballooned in the last week.. though i have upped her feed now we are in the last week – she needs lots of good milk
Crossing fingers here
Nervous excitement here!
I love it when animals think they are invisible because they’re under or behind things. Sheila…what a character! Fingers crossed for all smooth sailing for Poppy and her litter. I’m going for 7 on the 5th…7-5-15.
This is too exciting C. I’ll be hopping back and forth to the computer all day to check on Poppy! And I learned another new thing today in the lounge…Porcine Cheese! Who Knew! My vote is 5 on the 4th!
like everyone else- I am on tenter hooks waiting….I am guessing today sometime and 6 babies….
I could hardly see Sheila behind her tiny tree 😉 Fingers crossed for Poppy. PS. Big Man is home & doing oh so much better x
Thank goodness, nothing like a little home cooking.. give him our love!! hope the sun is shining.. c
She might be a very big girl, but she looks completely content. Lucky girl. >