Shots of tiny piglets

Because of the humidity and Molly’s (and my) distress at her slow recovery from the birth of eleven healthy piglets,  I opened the big barn door on the side of her farrowing pen and held my breath.  Usually I don’t let them all out until the piglets are a little older and the yard is a little cleaner.  But Molly had to come out – no sun and no breeze is not conducive to health. The humidity and flies were beating us.  She was just laying in that big pen panting.

She is a very sweet little mother.

And it worked, the tiny piglets began to play, Molly came out,  spilled some water from her bucket and lay down on the damp concrete around her pig bath, the flies dissipated from the barn and the big pig family spent the whole day in their airy shady yard. Though Molly is still not terribly active she is feeding her brood well and they are growing fast and her breathing is returning to normal.  I am giving her aspirin three times a day, she is getting a low fiber diet (lots of fiber increases body temps) and the swelling around her rear end is dropping.  And she is eating to beat the band.

Last night the little pigs were all cuddled up in their little dog kennel just outside the barn door with their mother stretched out behind.  Maybe this is ideal, maybe not, but if I think like a pig I know I cannot change this now.  I have to leave them out there. The yard is piglet proofed. The dogs are watching for intruders.

The little pigs have created their pathways, they are confident and to change them would create confusion and confusion always results in an incident. They are safe and warm and Molly is feeding them outside.  I am not happy with them sleeping outside in the grubby yard when they are so young  but they are pigs and would rather be outside. In a few days I will swap this dog kennel out for a bigger one  but for the moment I must let them be and the weather is forecast for more of the same. Hopefully no stormy weather.

And as we struggle for Molly’s balance the rest of the farm carries on regardless. The cows come in for milking twice a day,   Sheila waits under the cherry tree for a free paddock, Tahlia has left the barn and is wandering the fields with Alex and Txiki, Tahiti is still large but not too close to farrowing thankfully, the cows are grazing the pastures, the gardens are neglected but our dinners are wonderful.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Love celi