Help Comes
And it is Good.
The day before yesterday I roared through the day getting ready for the new woofer plus working with the rescue piglets every few hours. The five are still alive but one is very low and there are two who still are unable to get up to their feet. If they fall down they lie where they fell and wait for me to come. I raise them up – walk them round their race track a few times until they pee then across to the feeder and they drink vigorously for ages, then fall off like ticks and I put them back to bed.
No-one has heard of such a thing. I keep thinking they will get stronger and walk alone but so far – not. So we will see. I think they were down for too long at the beginning and the balance thing in their brains did not gel.But they are a week old now and pretty fun to work with. 
Nick and I worked as fast as we could yesterday fixing broken fences from the great pig break out on Sunday. The plonkers are big now and if they put their minds to it they can do some damage. The eleven will be trained to an electric fence but I still like to have the exterior fences permanent.
Molly’s Eleven are doing well and she is feeling better again – limp gone.
Yesterday at siesta time I worked on selling Talia and one other. I aim to sell at least two of the cows and as many of the pigs as possible. I cannot take this many cows through the winter, that was never in the plan – that would be way more hay than I can grow. Not sustainable. It looks like it may be Naomi. She would definitely be a nice house cow for someone.
If I get a little extra cash I can put it towards my trip to Europe this winter
. I can take as much stress as can be thrown at me as long as I know I can get away in the winters. So I have decided to go back and see some of my old friends and some new ones in London and France and maybe Italy – we will see.
Tons more to do today as Nick and I work our way through a rather comprehensive list as well as the general chores. Then throw in the rescue piglets and it is still very busy for us both. But I feel much more able to cope now that I have a capable young man at my side.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
39 Comments on “Help Comes”
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Poor little piglets – maybe they need to be licked back to life by Nanny Boo…
I hope your plans come to fruition and you make it to London in the winter 🙂
Good news
five alive! you need a superhero t-shirt –
I ♡ plans.
I’m glad Molly’s better, she has a lively little soccer team to keep her on the go. I was just thinking… Is it possible that Tahiti’s poor babies are a little premature? It sounds like premie behaviour, certain faculties not fully developed when they were born. And do I remember right that you weren’t entirely sure when she was due? If it is the case, then only time will fix the walking and standing issue, and you’re giving them the best care they can hope for right now.
And welcome Nick, Miss Celi’s Right Hand Man 🙂
Is it very expensive to get the blood of one of the troubled piglets tested? Could it be a mineral deficiency in all of them which is showing strongly in the three really poor doers?
Thank the Gods for good wwoofers 🙂 Naomi has grown into a beautiful heifer. Laura
YEA!!!! I’m glad Nick is there! You needed some extra hands…..
I am from a different country and have always lived in a city (hence my fascination with this blog). So, excuse my ignorance. Can someone tell me what or who a woofer is? I googled it and it only throws out audio stuff.
Google WWOOF-USA 🙂
Thanks much. Very interesting. Learned something new today.
Thank you Kathy!! c
So happy that Nick has arrived and know there will now be time to breathe! And super excited about the travel plans for the winter!!! That is what a miss most of all here on our small farm, being able to travel!!!! xo
Little rescue piggy are fighting for life with your help. You lift my spirits because through all of it you find the positive on your great farm. So glad you’re going to Europe! Fingers crossed for the little pigs.
Nick arrived in the “nick” of time! So glad you have an extra hand to help out. Chin up, my friend. Winter plans are a lovely thing to focus on right now.
Winter hols: London? Lovely. Hope to meet up.
YES! Absolutely- I would love to..In my plan already actually though a very fluid plan at the moment. c
Winter is a long way off so lots of time yet.
Holiday plans are what keep many people going. You are amazing g with the piggies.
oh gosh Cecilia, I get exhausted!! just reading about all your adventures on the land and with your beloved animals. I so do hope that the remaining piggies will come through. For your planned trip to Europe!! – I wish you well – we too are already planning our (hopefully) next overseas trip. It is fun, is it not!? 🙂 🙂 🙂
I LOVE the planning stage as much as I love the doing..Yes! c
I’m so glad you have some help. The Piglet Crisis of 2016 can now be managed easier, I hope.
Off topic Question – I have a friend in Toronto who wants to buy ethically sourced meat. Either direct from the farmer or from a butcher who got it directly from the farmer. Is there a website or list or something that you are aware of that she can check for that sort of thing in her area?
Hmm- there is a list i think – I came across it once but that was from the USA.. Let us know what she turns up – it is a great idea..c
There are two websites that have the information your friend is looking for: Eatwild.com and animalwelfareapproved.org. They each have locator tools for finding products/farms in your area.
Thank You!
Good that Nick is capable!! Help makes all the difference. A lovely trip this winter would be ideal.
At one point we had a cow give birth to a mentally challenged calf. Since this was a very special cow and the calf was very expensive we worked with the little mite. I had to teach her how to eat, how to swallow, how to stand…we picked her up every two hours until her legs and her brain worked together, then I showed her how to walk, one step at a time…until she could do so on her own. She was a very sweet and loving cow so our son decided she would be a perfect 4-H project.
Everything was a process…it didn’t come easy, but when it came there was huge joy in her eyes and in OURS! The fair came and she went with our son to show…the end result she took Grand Champion! Also best in show…lots of work.
Although she was never bred she lived a very nice life for a very long time.
Linda
Interesting.Yes this is what we are doing – walking them round and round – here’s hoping..v
Fingers crossed!!!
I’m glad your new helper is working out. Ohh Europe in the winter lovely. 😀
A big part of the fun in traveling for me is in the anticipation and planning. Great to look forward to!
Dearest Celi, I am very hopeful for the little week piggies. The advice from the fellowship sounds good. I am especially interested in Boo licking the piglets back to health. Does he do this? Might it be possible? I am so happy you have Nick to help you. Makes all the difference in the world doesn’t it? As usual I send you lots of love, Your Gayle
There are another 11 piglets wandering about outside that Boo is NOT allowed to touch so i think it is unwise to let him lick the wee animals – anyway pigs do not lick each other or groom themselves or anything like that and I am fairly sure he would frighten them to death..c
So glad that Nick has arrived and ready to pull his weight. Extra willing hands make all the difference. Keeping fingers, knees and toes crossed for the five little piglets and Happy planning for your winter trip to Europe.
You my dear deserve that holiday! I have my fingers crossed for those piglets .. Hugs
Yes, half the fun of the getting is the waiting… and planning, of course! That is so with just about anything, it seems. Wish I had some wisdom to pass along for your ‘five alive’ but, alas, am a city mouse and really haven’t a clue but sounds like you’re progressing with them as it is. It’s good news to hear of your woofer after this recent stress. Your calves grow up so fast, don’t they. Beautiful Naomi looks like a full-grown mama already! Good luck with your sales efforts.
Hope you have a lovely day too. ~ Mame 🙂
you are such a good nanny…..glad you have help!
From comments read some readers are strangers to term ‘wwoofer’ – and yes, you DO need two ‘w’s – it is an acronym for ‘willing workers for organic farms’ and seems to be a worldwide organization by now: at least I found a lot of information for both Australia and Estonia, where it began in 2007. So happy plans are afoot for a winter holiday in Europe . . . at least I hope ‘arctic vortexes’ will not dare to push their noses there!!! Hope you do make it to Italy . . . .
Love that first cow pic!