Piggie Loves
Use your inside voice, Bubba.
Ok Mama.
Pig kisses. Got to love them.
Yesterday I started another ricotta to be made into ricotta salata. I will make as many of these as I can for the winter (they take 90 days to cure) . Creme Fraiche which we eat with EVERYTHING. and another buttermilk because that is what I use to start the creme fraiche. And yoghurt – between the calves and the pigs and ME we are eating a lot of yoghurt lately. The milk and cream go a long way!
Geraldine above and More piglets.. They are growing faster than weeds and that is fast, the weeds around here grow at lightening speed!
They are also getting so tame now. Once I have sterilised my boots (I have a different pair of boots and gloves for every shed during this period plus sterilising baths for the boots, and overalls when I am in with Little, everything is thoroughly cleaned daily, anything that goes close to the calves, equipment, buckets, bottles,the decks and steps that are stood on in boots, plus the kitchen and the sinks and the bottle washers all must be cleaned spotless after every feed or intervention – it has been a huge amount of work ensuring that this did not spread – pigs are so susceptible not to mention my milk cow) Anyway yesterday I put on my pig-house-only gloves and went in to take pictures of piglets. Poppy has never minded. Now she is looking at them as they approach her much abused udder and she says ” You can take them anytime now miss c, I am about ready to go and lay about in the field with Aunty Sheila – you can have them soon.” And her udder is showing signs of wear and tear. Almost time.
The piglets are eating everything I put in there, vegetables, fruit, weeds, branches of trees, corn, sunflower heads and they already fighting over the cows milk. (It is mixed with yoghurt at night and fed to them in the morning). I have not let them into the fields again yet. I need to make sure Little is better, in case the piglets stage an escape and end up across the property and in Little’s Pen. Piglets are shape-shifters, they get through anything so it is safer to leave them in their lock up in the mean time – they have the run of the center of the barn and their outside playground so they still have lots of fun.
Little is standing up and lifting his tail to poo now which is a great advance. (Sorry to be so graphic but the poor fella was such a mess – he had to be washed down numerous times a day – the smell was foul – the flies were feeding on him.) He still has trouble getting up though and wobbles about unable to stand for long but we are getting there, slowly. And he is beginning to smell like a calf. The flies are gone off him for the most part now.
The four in the West Wing Barn are hitting their stride and powering ahead. Getting stronger every day. Mooing and bashing at me.
Yesterday I felt that maybe I was winning and we had a nice drop of rain to brighten up the fields. The rain gave me permission to work in the kitchen for a change – which was nice.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm
celi
42 Comments on “Piggie Loves”
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I’m sure Poppy is telling her piglets the story of Cecilia and the Farmy 🙂
Very good news about Little and the other calves!
Happy for the good (and improving) news about Little. I hope this week is filled with more encouraging developments, and that your days calm a bit. xx
Little’s getting a little better, little by little and day by day. Poor lad, it’s beastly being very, very sick, and if I were in his shoes, I’d want a Celi looking after me, meticulous, careful, tireless and loving. Every day the news about him is a tiny bit better, and I’m hoping it stays that way. Still burning that candle….
Such good news about Little. Still sending those good vibes. xxx
You said the W word… winter! I’m hoping you have a looooong lovely Autumn/Fall before that. Poppy… how could those pics not bring a smile 😊
That W word is forbidden here. Even the A word (or F if you’re American) is unpopular with me: This little poem with a sad photo of our skarty apple tree, is on my blog today.
Leaves are yellowing
early on the apple tree
scatter on the lawn
fallen spirit of Autumn
prematurely lowers mood.
I’m so happy to hear the healthier news from the farmy. Celie, you are a marvel – how much you manage to pack into each day.
love,
ViV
Beautiful, Viv, and so true.
Beautiful poem, it’s exactly what I felt seeing some horse chestnuts the other day – all leaves brown and laying around on the earth. A bit early in the beginning of August I thought… Their fruits have not even ripened until now…
So pleased to hear that everyone is doing better. But I can’t imagine the amount of work you must have washing up…
Oh Celi: was so impressed with all your milk products went to talk to Mr Google about ricotta salata – use fresh ricotta like mad but thought this had to mean something else: well, I sure learned a lesson . . . do you use it more or less like Parmesan? And your description re all the sanitizing sure makes one think of a hospital operating theatres complex . . . what a pile of extra labour! Good luck with it all!!
You make so much go right Celia, my hat is off to you. It isn’t just the hard work. It’s the orchestration, the caring, the humor and the beauty. YOU GO GIRL! Di
Whew! I feel like I check in every day now hoping that the calf-news stays good and the rainy-season does not return! Glad things are going smoothly for you right now.
xoxo!!
Celi, have you ever thought about an electric fence for the pigs? They work great! The pigs learn so quickly their boundaries that you don’t get any Houdinis making great escapes!
Remember the electric fence I had for Charlottes one’s? They ran UNDER IT!! getting zapped each time..pn the way In and Out – did not care at all.. but yes this time I will make it lower so they a re zapped BEFORE they get under it.. c
Geraldine looks wise beyond her weeks 🙂 The other w word is winning which is just great. Laura
Piggies – mischief makers!!! But they are so very cute. Poppy’s getting to have those ‘wise’ eyes that Sheila has always had.
The piglets grow so crazy-fast … as you said, like weeds. Did you clip their sharp little eye teeth at birth? That is something my husband does to help the sow’s udder not get so ravaged. Poppy has been amazing, hasn’t she? Great update on Little!
Hope the little guy is over the hump.
And the piggy pictures are beautiful 🙂
Power on, Little!
Love the picture of Gertude although I keep wanting to call her Gertrudis since a character in the book I am reading has that name.
Good news about the calves!
Has Boo recovered from his infection?
A good news day! May it continue. 🙂
Oh the intimate portraits of Poppy and her piglet are so sweet. And Gerldine is so cute. Best of all, Little is coming round. But what about his eyes? I hope he is beginning to “engage”.
Great news about Little- and those piggies are so dang cute! Enjoy your day!
Yes, please no one mention the F word at this point and don’t even think about saying the W word. We are just settling in and enjoying Summer!! That is such good news about little Little. I’m wondering, do you have to shift him around to different areas of the yard, so he doesn’t stay in the same place where the old germs are, or isn’t that something you have to worry about with scours? Not sure if I’m pronouncing that right. Those piggies are the cutest things I’ve seen in a very long time. Do they let you pick them up for a lap snuggle?
These Pigs are not snuggly .. though kunekune piggies are. .. Tima still tries to get up on my knee.. c
Such positive news today and lovely pictures of your family of animals. Glad you got some kitchen time. That was missed in all of your doctoring I am sure.
Checking in. Love the piggy and Mama shots. All else is well!!!
Sooooo so cute that 2nd pig picture. Pure piggy love, indeed. – I’m so glad that everything’s well at the Farmy. Still hoping for Little though…. I’d like to see a portrait of him again, when he has recovered, loved his forhead with that beautiful white heart on it. He must live…
I am always thrilled when it comes to dairy and all stuff concerning making dairy products. Ricotta salata. The sound of its name alone makes me longing for it. I have not yet seen it in our shops around here. Would you mind taking a photo of one of your last batch? I’d like to know how it looks like (and how you’re using it). And yes, mmmh, I even would like to taste it, too. I’ve read that the “normal” ricotta should be ready after about 20-30 days, but 8 month are a pretty long ripening time and the product must be all different.
It’s a pity I cannot make cheese, I have no cave nor cellar. So bad.
Last week I made some “German Quark” out of buttermilk. I found the recipe on internet, of course. It came out very well. The next day I tried to make ricotta from the whey, following your recipe of June 23/2012, but – surprise – there was nothing left in my whey, hey, just liquid. 🙂 (You posted a photo then, but you called it Monterey Jack cheese…)
I just cure it in the fridge drawer, I made a special cheese cellar but everything went mouldy it is so damp down there.
Sometimes Ricotta comes out from the whey sometimes not – same for me. This one I made with vinegar. c
Ok, thank you very much for your response. Good to know that sometimes the output is just – nothing. Funny. 🙂
She is such a good momma – what a relief!
I know! Weren’t we lucky after all.. c
I remember chasing piglets through the woods as a little girl. My uncle always had one sow (who terrified me!) and a bunch of piglets every year. They were magicians at escaping what seemed like an inescapable pen. The cousins and I would give chase and never, ever catch one. By days end, they’d all be tucked in safe with momma. I never understood how they got out or how they got back in.
Remind me—what are the plans for these piggies? I’ll look back to see if I can find it.
Nevermind. I found that Jake is keeping one of the girls and you shall keep the other. Has your wee girl chosen you yet? They do choose you, you know?
yes and the wee piglet I am keeping has chosen me, she is often at my feet – so sweet.. c
Excellent News!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Gertrude is the cutest little bird I’ve ever seen and I love Poppy’s crinkly eyed smile. I know what you mean about the kune kunes, Percy would like nothing more than to climb in my lap but I’m afraid my thighs would be one mass of bruises! He must content himself with sticking his head between my ankles while I scratch his back.
I was lucky enough to attend the Mother Earth News fair on Saturday. Such a lot of info there. They had a booth with Nesco dehydrators, very interesting. I recall you mentioning you liked the one you had but I can’t recall the brand. What was it again?
Excalibur – I even dehydrate kale it is fantastic sprinkled on everything! c
pigs have lots and lots of piglets I have heard, do you sell them? those pix are cute!
Yes we sell the girls… lovely to see you! c
Oh I so pleased about Little! Yay .. And I just happen to love Creme fraiche
Poppy seems to be enjoying motherhood. Geraldine is a cutie!