Yesterday I lost one of Poppy’s piglets. She looked a bit off on Friday evening, stopped eating on Saturday, did not respond to the usual treatments and died yesterday morning.
I don’t know. I take these things hard. She had no symptoms at all. No scours. No vomiting. No cough. But something was happening inside her.
There was a bad smell in the barn for the whole two days she was ailing and after she died the smell went with her. All the others are fine so far, arguing and eating and pushing each other around as usual. Nothing unusual but I will be on high alert for a few days yet.
Lets hope it is not something that will spread. They have a big inside space and a big outside space and everything is kept clean but little pigs die fast.
Ah well. These things always happen on the weekend don’t they. I will talk to the vet about it tomorrow but I have nothing to tell him. She did not even have a temperature.
God said No. One of our low days. But you get that when farming. Today will be better I hope.
We did not get a lot of snow yesterday, though they forecast piles of the stuff, we got off lightly. Last night the temperature rose and everything started dripping. This sounds nice until we look at the forecast and see that everything will freeze again tomorrow. I think I might need my Swedish sprig boots this year – I need to find them and dust them off.
I am very much looking forward to going to Canada for Christmas (if all goes well) and a proper break. I might just sleep the first few days! My arms ache – I think the hay bales are getting heavier this winter!
I am going to go hang out with Sheila.
I hope you have a lovely day.
love celi
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thekitchensgarden 
So sorry to hear this. You just never know with young ones in particular. Sometimes there are no answers, but it’s difficult to accept that. We are getting your snow today. I think I am going to need my ice grippers soon as well!
I was grateful we did not get it all – wheeling the milking pump through snow drifts wold not be fun
I’m so sorry about the piglet…. Have you started packing for Canada, or are you the sort of person who can just fling things in a bag at the last moment? I do love the whole process of deciding what to take, seeing if it’ll fit, taking things out and putting others in. Anticipation of the pleasure of travel, quite as much as the getting there!
Well – now that you mention it – I finished wrapping my little chrissy pressies last night and popped them in the bag. My bag is VERY small so I will be packing the smallest warmest things I own.. c
Poor little piglet. There’s probably no telling what it died of, but it might have eaten something weird or been allergic to something ordinary.
Sheila looks like she’s enjoying life as a cow 😉
I am leaning towards the Eating something Weird causing some kind of internal injuries. It is an old crumbling wooden barn At least she is out of her misery now.. c
Yeah, I bet they eat all sorts of weird things just like children. Maybe something in the mud…
Good point
C, I am so very sorry to hear about the piglet. My heart is still trying to comes to grips with a traumatic loss so feel your loss with you.
Sending much love from SA.
Mandy xoxoxo
Oh no – your cat was so much more terrible.. I hope you start to feel better soon.. c
aww, so sorry.
one of those things – c
I am sorry about Poppy’s piglet. These unexplainable things happen and it really does help to know what happened. It is interesting what you say about the smell during the illness. I have found this too, with ailing animals and even people. When my Dad passed, my Mom said there was a smell for many days – she called it the smell of death. I had taken one of Dad’s t-shirts that still had his cologne on it – one I had given him years ago. When I got to a friend’s house (where I was staying during the funeral) her dogs growled and barked at the shirt, backing off as if it was an intruder. Then when I got back to Oklahoma, I had the same reaction from my own dogs. I thought that was the oddest thing.
Strange about the dogs – I wonder why – dogs do not mind seeing dead animals at all. There must have been something there.. c
I am so sorry to hear about your little piglet. Just when all seemed to be going well. Life likes to throw us curveballs when we least want or need them. Hopefully all be fine until you leave.
And while I am away! John cannot handle emergencies at all so I hope things just puddle along for him. c
Fingers crossed.
Huh, sounds like my John. Sometimes in a crisis the first thing I have to do is look him in the eye and say ‘just breathe’ and ‘lower your voice’. He seems to think that volume will reduce the trauma – ha. As long as I am there it’s not a bad thing as it forces me to breathe.
[D] Sorry to read of this news. C’est la vie. Have a good holiday/vacation!
Yup. I don’t go on holiday for another 10 days so it will be business as usual until then.. c
Isn’t that just the truth about animals and vets hours 😦 Sorry about the little piggy, hope the others remain fit and healthy. Is it too early to enquire about passport, visa etc? Laura
laugh!!! as i scurry off to do another panic check.. c
Sorry about the little one. But a good life no matter it’s length is a good life. And you give all your animals a good life.
We are a team the animals and i – it is a symbiotic relationship.. c
It’s a life-support system. I’m learning from your reports a bit more about our cat’s role in that here at our house. (Your John has his role too. I’m sticking up for him. You can manage a while on your own, John.)
JOhn does not like to be left in charge but he is undergoing his training with gritted teeth knowing that I have to travel or there will be INCIDENTS! c
Very sad to read your latest post. Hope there are no further implications.
All good this morning – very bright and busy – so far so good.. c
oh I am so very very sorry….as you said God said No and He does not deem it necessary to give a reason
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 at 1:42 PM
I am not a church goer, it is just a saying for me but it does make sense in the big scheme of things.
I would suspect an internal bleed out from an unknown injury…..years ago we lost a breed sow to that. For all intents she looked fine, acted as usual – but I walked into the barn one morning and the smell of dead blood hit me like a brick. That night she passed. The vet assured me there was nothing I could have done to change the outcome – but still to this day – the grief of losing her is still there. Funny how we get so attached to our animals…..
This does make a lot of sense actually, old barn, dark stools, and that smell was chemically, very strong. Interesting. Could be you are right.. c
I hope Sheila was able to console you somewhat.
I love Sheila
I am so sorry my friend. How about I send you some giant hogs and snout kisses to a much better day. XOXO – Bacon
P.S. If you want to pass those smooches to my Sheila – please do. She is all woman to me – snorts with piggy laughter
Sheila is such a doll – I was carrying her food and she met me at the gate so i was unable to get through to her, Back Up Sheila I said and signed to her, so with the daintiest of steps she literally walked backwards until I could get in to lay her bowl down . Thank you she grunted then began to eat with most unladylike manners. It always amazes me when she does that – Poppy would have simply ripped the gate off its hinges. c
Well we mind those that love us the most sweet friend. XOXO – Bacon
That’s a shame Celi, poor little thing. Let’s hope it’s just the one. Hug Sheila.
Yes, hope so.. c
So sorry, Celi, truly. We are just coming off of a three-day ice storm. It was supposed to only last one, but it kept refreezing. Lots of tree limbs down all over town. It was when it started warming that they all fell. Hugs and love to you.
Ice is worse than all the others i think – so destructive!.. c
Oh, I am so sorry to hear this news, and what a surprise too! Poppy’s piglets aren’t the tiny ones and I would have thought they were beyond unexplained demises at this point. I suspect that is a real worry then, especially with no build-up to the end. I do hope your vet can shed some light on the mystery.
Well, we got the snow you didn’t get yesterday… somewhere close to six inches. It snowed all day too and long into the night. It was one of those rarely pretty snowfalls, one so quiet and with no wind, just softly falling… endlessly… building up…six inches is a LOT of snow all at one time. But it is quite mild out, hovering around the freezing point yesterday and just above that today, with more snow in the forecast over the next four days, although I don’t know how much. This is early in the season for us to get a big downfall and I am wondering if it’s going to be a record year — you just never know. You may end up travelling to Canada on a snowmobile… heh heh Hope your day brightens up, Ms C! ~ Mame 🙂
Fingers crossed.. c
So sorry. A break will be so nice for you.
I am very much looking forward to it! c
I like how you look at life. God said no. Pragmatic but sad. I hope it’s just the one piglet. I understand about the hay bales being heavier this year. Things get heavier each year for me. I think loss and life can wear on us and them feel a bit heavier. I’ll keep good thoughts for a perfect Christmas journey for you. Traveling during the holidays or any winter day, for that matter, is chancy.
Yes and ALL my favourite travel is in the winter. c
Sorry to hear about the pig, hope you discover what it was.
We might not – but the others are all a box of birds today – so lets hope that is where it ends. c
Very sorry about the loss of the piglet. And yes, these things always happen on weekends. If our cats have to go to the vet, it always happens on a Friday or Saturday. Here’s hoping it was something ingested or that she got into rather than something that can be passed on. Know you are looking forward to your Christmas trip!
I have my little suitcase out but it is fast filling with presents! only a few items of clothing allowed.. c
Winter is always the hardest time for things to happen.
Linda
Yes, especially with the ground frozen solid
I am so so sorry. I thought I’d commented earlier, but I guess it was just an imaginary comment. I carry your post around in my head with me and that’s what happens. Strength, friend.
I do that too – think about what i am saying then wonder where the message went to! c
Sorry about the piglet. An autopsy would be expensive and probably a waste. It could be anything. My dog eats everything and im concerned she’ll puncture her gut. I hope all is calm for your trip.
You dog must be tough! c
awwwso sorry to hear about the little piglet.
Yes – not good
Sad news about piglet, and the not-knowing is hard. One of my chickens died last week…I have only a few, so they’re pets…..she literally fell off her perch in the night! She’d been fine the day before, being her bossy, beautiful bullying obnoxious self, no sign of illness, her comb was bright and upright, was good when I put them to bed, and was gone when I let them out in the morning. No marks or slime on her……sometimes snakes try to eat chickens but can’t swallow them down when they’re big, but they’re suffocated. But there was no sign of anything. A sad mystery…God said no to Brenna too. 😦
Maybe we should change the saying to God said Yes – kind of more positive when discussing one of our animals/birds moving on. I think we will – what do you think?
Yes, we will! Nice idea, because really, God is saying ‘Yes’ I’ll have that nice little one thanks’. 🙂
Sorry for your loss, Celi. My cousin in Wyoming said they were predicted to get 24 inches of snow but ‘only’ got 10, so they are happy, except that snowfall is their water supply. When they don’t get much snow, the forest and land around them is very dry, and dry means fires. I hope Sheila was able to say something to help you feel better. xx
wow – 24 inches is a powerful lot of snow – hope they get more next time.. c
Bugger. They’re a worry. But doing your, our best is enough. Not all is within our control. Very sad, even though the piglet lived well and died where she lived well ♡
Yes you are right – we cannot control everything.. c
10″ for us. That the storm skirted you is good. The loss of one of the piglets is very sad. I hope there will be some answers somehow.
ten inches can make a mess – hope you have dug yourself out ok.. c
Poor little piglet. It sounds like an internal injury of some kind. The losses are always sad.
Yes, but the others are good today so I am not as fretful as I was yesterday.. c
I’m sorry too for the loss of the little tyke. A shock! It’s so hard to accept when you do your best to make them hale and hearty at great personal price (loss of sleep, tremendous effort, going to such extraordinary lengths –I’m remembering The Duke!–and still they slip through our fingers.) It is a lesson in humility I know I have to learn over and over. With no kids, my only reason for pride is the care I gave my animals. O Canada!! I hope you have a wonderful time. I can’t wait to see your son’s rescue dog again!
I’m sorry for the loss of the little piglet. (Wrote a nice long note and it went bye bye .)
Oh dear, I too am sorry for your loss. Such a stomach-turner. You never never get used to it, nor do you ever get used to the shock.
Your lovely message was here all along! And I look forward to seeing the avalanche dogs again too. Cai is the one you remember, who visited here. You have seen him a few times now! c
I dug out my Icebug boots to walk this morning and a good thing I did! We got about 8″ on Sunday but thankfully wasn’t the wet heavy concrete type so not to hard to clean up. Probably my last walk for a few days – highs predicted in the single digits and windchills below zero til Friday when it’s supposed to snow again, sigh.
Hell! I know my icebugs are here somewhere – I must follow your example and track them down
And so sad about Poppy’s little one, one of the hazards of caring for and about your animals I guess. I do like the idea of God saying yes.
Sad news. I know it’s part of farming life, and loss a part of life in general…but in a small way I feel reassured that we feel sadness, so much better than feeling nothing. Stay warm my friend.
I am so sorry to read this. Here is to better times.
Sorry to hear about the piglet Celi .. hope the others will be ok