Poor Poppy.
We finished the electric fence. She and Manu came walking out. Poppy (the Hereford Sow) touched the fence and squealed with fright, ran to the other side and got hit again, balked, backed up then headed for a corner that was made with hog panels, not electrified of course, backed into it and refused to come back out again.
Manu strolled out got smacked by the fence then he wandered over to the other side got hit again, cursed a piggie curse, then went about the business of grazing. No problems.
Poor Poppy stood in her safe corner with her head down and growled at me and refused point blank to move from there. I tried food and everything. She was there for ages – I thought she would screw up the courage but she stood with her eyes closed and would not budge.
In the end we took OFF the panel she was leaning on (pulling out hook nails that were firmly embedded in the posts with much human cursing) and released her back to her concrete pad. She rushed straight for her wallow and sunk down into the mud up to her chin and stayed there.
That evening (last night) I opened the gate to the field and let them out again. Manu wandered straight out – no problem – but Poppy refused point blank to walk through where the gateway. I was holding strawberries trying to coax her through but no dice. Monsters out there.
Poor Poppy.
Love c
The Kitchen's Garden 
27 responses to “Late in the Day”
Poor Poppy – amazing that she wouldn’t come out for strawberries too!
Exactly.. c
awww Poor Poppy indeed.
Poor Poppy. Maybe tomorrow….
Oh dear, poor Poppy!
Poor poor Poppy. Electric fences can just be extra hard on some of us. I remember as a child of about 8 helping my father put up electric fencing . He turned the power on and wanted to see if it was working so he had me take pliers to clamp on it and it shocked me. He knew it would and I remember him laughing. It has been decades ago and that experience makes me leery even today when dealing with electricity in any form. I wish I could give Poppy a hug ( and piggies are not even my favorites). Hopefully tomorrow the world will not seem so hostile.
That is a TERRIBLE story – your Dad! Poor Joan! c
She learned her lesson. It’s not safe out there!!
😥 poor little piggy
There are no electric fences in my life, but I had the same sort of day. Grunt!
I think Manu’s example might eventually lure her out. Not even for strawberries, poor girl. It’s hard to adjust to completely new experiences; sounds as if Manu’s come up against them before, but if she’s never experienced them, it’s like some invisible power zapping her randomly from a malevolent universe. Food and Manu’s charms may win eventually.
Manu has never seen an electric fence either. I think it is a personality thing – he is such a bruiser. c
And probably less emotional than Miss Poppy, who is such an extrovert.
Poppy would have taken it quite personally that she could not run under everything.. poor wee girl.. c
Poor Poppy! Life’s tough. She’ll get over it. Watching Manu and his relaxed attitude should encourage her. Poor baby!
Ah poor wee girl. Such a shock, and not willing to chance her arm (or sensitive snout) again. I’m sure she will figure it out…eventually!
Poor Poppy, perhaps somebody should tell her it will be even worse if she touches it wet straight from the wallow. 🙂 Laura
I don’t blame Poppy, I don’t like getting zapped either. It has happened accidently a couple times and it’s not pleasant. I think she’ll eventually work it out that she can go where Manu does and not get zapped, might take awhile though. I’m sure she is trying to figure out what that nasty thing was. Poor Poppy.
Oh poor Poppy and poor Joan! That’s terrible! 😦
The day home turned into a not-so-nice-a-place for Poppy . . . do not ‘blame’ her an iota’! And had absolutely no idea that pigs would even like strawberries! Hope piggie memories not all that long 🙂 !