Yesterday we planted out 100 cabbages in the cows garden. (There are 100 more in the glasshouse and 100 more to sow). Today fifty pepper plants of different varieties will follow – the peppers are not for the cows, they are for the Farmers Market market.
Roxanne is having trouble adjusting to the high protein pasture diet and has ended up with a runny bottom, (not unusual for Herefords) so she is in the concrete yards on dry food for a few days. The vet is coming to visit today so he will be looking at her horns. Plus look at Lady A (if he has time) and hopefully tell us if she really is pregnant or just in need of a brassiere. I will keep you informed.
This is Molly watching her babies. Above is from her side. The farrowing pen side. Below is from the Point of View of the piglets as they sleep in their creep. You can see the top of their light if you look to the left of the above shot.
Molly lies there for ages – just watching her babies and sharing a little warmth from the light. Every time she gets up she hits her forehead on the bar above her head. The bar keeps her from blocking the piglet entrance but the bar is a new addition to the farrowing pen and she cannot remember it is there.
The piglets were visited by the Pig Lady yesterday (castration day – we had five little boars) and she pronounced them all Little Porkers. They are mucking around with their solid food and drinking water. They really are putting on weight now which is just as well as Poppy looks like being bred and her first farrowing date is May 4th. I will need to wean these babies in ten days, move Molly down the back then bring Poppy in to the farrowing pen.
Molly giving birth a few weeks later than expected put the spanner in the works.
Last time I weaned her last brood at three weeks and they did very well. These ones will get three and a half weeks of mothers milk.
Having said that i will keep watch on Poppy – she may not be as close as I think.
It is 66F/18C as I write and windy.
I hope to cut hay in early May, so I am watching the weather hard looking for a week of sunshine.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
Weather Forecast –
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
51 responses to “100 cabbages”
My you are busy busy! Poor Molly banging her head. But isn’t she a good mother, watching her babies ahhh. ☺
She is a very sweet mother and feeding them much better now.. c
Sounds like you have a lot of balls in the air, juggling as fast as you can! Spring has sprung. The little porker designation? All freezer bound?
All the new piglets are for sale one way or the other – i won’t be keeping any of them.. c
I bet the cabbage planting is hard work. Molly looks so sweet watching her babies like that 🙂
The wind is so bad today that we have had to abandon any idea of planting – a day without gardening is not a very busy day at all!
Wow, that’s a lot of cabbage! I know it keeps well, but how and where do you store it?
I pick what i need as I need it – the rest goes to the cows – I won’t be storing much here – this house is too damp
Molly is being a very good mummy.
She is that! c
Molly looks a bit like a crocodile lieing in wait 🙂 Laura
Ha ha ha ha – so she does!!!
Oh my goodness! Cutting hay in May? That sounds just lovely. We barely have pasture growth. (I very often wonder how the pioneers managed to live in these cold, harsh climates.)
Molly is a pig after my own heart. I could watch the little fatties all day long, too.
Aren’t cabbages wonderful! We have many plantlings waiting in the basement garden for for warmer weather also. All the brassicaceae grow well here and for this I am thankful!
Have a great day Miss C!
I wonder how they survived too – poor things
OH Farmers Market? Did I miss that you are going to grow for market also? 100 cabbages with another 100 to go? Oh I would be in kraut heaven myself! And Kimchi…. chow chow…. If you can’t tell – I like fermented/pickled things. Never met a pickle I didn’t like to be honest.
Molly is just too cute watching her babies in the creep. So happy she is a good mommy.
Jake sends his stuff to the farmers market – i just piggy back.. c
What a beauty is your sweet Roxanne. I hope her runny tummy settles soon.
It is lovely seeing the photos every day of all the new life on the farmy.
She is much better today but with a sore head from the dehorning.. c
That’s a lot of cabbage? Planted for…?
Mainly feed for cows and pigs.. c
mama mia- that is a LOT of cabbages….for sauerkraut?
I don’t make sauerkraut – maybe we can talk John into it .. c
Hope all goes according to plan. But does it ever?
NOPE!!
I love the sight of Molly entranced by her little chubbies…
It is so cool to watch – she stays so still but her eyes are open – watching
Good luck with getting those wee ones far enough along by the time they need to be moved. (Here’s hoping you’ve got more time than expected to make up for lost time.)
I hope so too!
Heads up – someone say cabbage? I love me some cabbage. Of course they do make food ghosts after I eat them but they are so tasty going down! Wish I was closer to visit with you my sweet friend… and of course snort with Sheila. XOXO – Bacon
Yes – that sheila! Snort!