Can I have him?
“PLeeeeeaaaase.” says BooBoo.
“Can I have him?”
This is the little piglet who I am trying to get to eat a little more. He is so small. He sleeps a bit much and is always bottom of the heap, but seems pretty sprightly when he is up and about. He is very friendly and when I sit in there to observe them all for a while he creeps in under my arm.
But he LOVES Boo, and is always trying to get through the bars to see him.
And you know how BooBoo loves his babies.
Poppy is due to farrow on Thursday. I am not happy about Molly being in there when Poppy farrows – they are neither of them calm about the others presence through the wall. We are only days away from the four week mark. All the piglets except the little one are doing very well. They are getting big. Eating their feed and (in the absence of raw cows milk) I introduced goats milk yesterday which most of them slurped at. Molly is feeding them less and pushing them away more often. Getting a bit tetchy with them.
She is giving me the clues.
If I do wean Molly away this week and bring the little one inside for extra TLC Boo will be thrilled to bits but I am trying to avoid it. I really don’t need the extra work. But we will see. He is awfully sweet and very small. And already trying to schmooze me. Everyone but me wants that piglet inside. 
See how Boo is avoiding eye contact so as not to scare the baby.
I cannot believe this weather – it is just not warming up and we have had so much rain over the last two days. The weather for today is going to be just as mean. The basement pump is working on the flooding again, and the pigs down the back are having a fine time in the muck down there. No planting today I think.
In fact I am going to get out the covers and cover those tomatoes for the week. This wind is not ideal.
Although we have a Southerly-ish wind today the Easterly wind keeps swinging back in for the whole week with a touch of North – until that lets up the weather will stay inclement. And you know how I hate the Easterly. The farrowing pen is on the East side. Poppy’s babies will be born into the cold. Hopefully she is not as sneaky as Molly – giving birth between night checks. (Oh, How I wish I had a security camera in that side of the barn. But there is no wifi out there. And it would be expensive and difficult – I am sure. I toy with the idea every year but it really is beyond my ken.)
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
Weather forecast.
Monday 05/01 50% / 0.03 in
Rain showers along with windy conditions. High near 55F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Monday Night 05/01 40% / 0.03 in
Windy. Rain showers this evening, with overcast skies overnight. Low near 40F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
49 Comments on “Can I have him?”
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thekitchensgarden 
That baby teeny tiny piglet is a special one, there is something extra about that one. BooBoo is just the sweetest dog. Give him a big belly scratch and hug from me!
Boo would adopt them all! 🙂
Does bringing him in mean that you can move Molly and her brood, leaving the way clear for Poppy? Because if you’re worried about Poppy farrowing outside in the cold, then you potentially save the whole of her litter by moving Molly on and bringing the tantony piglet into the house. Probably far too simplistic a view, but I can only see in from the outside, and if Boo Nanny is offering to help….
I agree- great idea!
No, I would never leave a sow to farrow outside – Poppy is already esconsed in the farrowing pen safe and dry and ready to go. Molly is in the rest of the barn with her brood being noisy and bothersome. Her brood will stay where they are but I might move Molly out – thereby weaning her piglets. It is only the little piglet that I might move into the house. It is all organised and works as it is – but would be more comfortable for the sows if they are more separate. That sounds a bit complicated but really it is not – i have two areas and two creeps long set up for this. There is no problem.. c
I knew you’d have it under control. I just worried about tiny piggies getting cold…
you are such a good planner- all will go well !
I like your way of thinking!! And I thank you for introducing the word ‘tantony’ to me—I’d never heard it and enjoyed looking up the origins and meaning of that usage. 😀
Kathryn
Very old English usage, still in common use where I was brought up; many farmhouses could be found with a tantony in front of the fire. Sadly, they were often later found hanging up as bacon, too….
…but then, I mightn’t mind the thought of dying too terribly myself if I thought some of the stalwart and character-full local vultures who keep us company here in Texas could make a good meal or two of me in the event. (And since I can be quite piggy, I might even be good as bacon.) 😉
xo,
Kath
Heehee! Me too, I’d make exceptionally tasty and juicy bacon!
Heehee! Me too! I’d make exceptionally tasty and juicy bacon 🙂
Celie. Would a baby monitor help…. do the sounds change as birthing begins? Easy to know I am an ex city gal.
A baby monitor would be great but I would still need either a very long wire or wifi.. c
We had a baby monitor for my Mom so she could stay home in the addition that was built for her. We would often hear people and infants from houses all around the block, so I don’t think the distance from the house to the barn would be to far for one to work. It certainly would be worth trying. I think people don’t realize that the radio signal is actually strong enough to travel well outside a house. The addition was about 60+ feet from the sidewalk and the closest house in the back well over 200′ away and the ones across the street about the same. The house that had the closest infant was at least 500′ away from the baby monitor we had if that helps gauging the distance one can work.
I forgot about the cable… baby monitors were not available when I had Elly thirty nine years ago.
Would a wifi repeater help with the signal?
That little sprite should be no trouble if Boo is willing to adopt him. It would do them both good. (Spoken from a safe distance to the extra work it would entail! 🙂 )
Let yourself be schmoozed . . . Boo has had a hard time also: allow him his baby for a little while . . .
ha ha – yes – but you do realise that the piglet poops inside? and has to have a house and a toilet area and etc. right? A pet pig is not something you take on just for a little while. c
🙂 !!! The city gal in me does not always see all the complications . . . just hoping a little baby pig will only make a little mess each time ! I guess Boo can do a lot but not toilet train his charge !
I didn’t figure they were easy to toilet train… he does look like he needs some extra help, though.
Nawww Boo is such a Nanny ❤ He will soooo love having his baby in to look after 🙂
l am with those who say yes..inside..but then every animal would be taken in by me as l am too soft and l would not have the extra work…which is how l got 6 dogs and 3 cats..at my age too much
Celi, how far is your barn from your house? I have a foaling camera…a wireless camera with a small television receiver that you are welcome to as I haven’t used it in years. It’s only drawback is if you have to locate it so that the signal goes through too many metal barn walls. Contact me privately if you want it…..driveon@hughes.net. It worked wonderfully when I had mares foaling and needed to check on them throughout the night. It should be back in use 🙂
Jan
Thank you! I have sent you an email.. c
Indeed, it is a slow spring up here as well. Cool and rainy.
typing correction: so the signal DOESN”T go through too many metal barn walls. Doh.
Awww bring the baby in and let Boo enjoy this little piggy! Katechiconi has a great solution!
There are two big areas and two big creeps in the barn – no need to shift the piglets – Poppy is already in her farrowing area all safe and dry. Not to worry. The wee piglet is a separate issue really. c
katechiconi doesn’t have to clean up the poop a million times a day!! I have inside cats, and doing litter trays every day is enough of a chore, without having a not housetrained piglet. Boo can enjoy from afar 🙂
Looks like Boo has picked out his pet. The weather in May seems to more turbulent than other months. Our temps here will change 25 degrees from one day to the next. Still quite cool. I just keep hoping the worst of the storms pass you by. Keeping my fingers crossed for Poppy. Timing is everything.
Squeals with piggy excitement. You know if we were close by, we would gladly take in baby piglet for you for a while. Who can resist a cute little runt? Sending you hogs and snout kisses little guy. XOXO – Bacon
I bet John isn’t in favor of the little one coming inside. 🙂
Actually he is the one who keeps saying Bring it IN. Surprise to me also. c
But if the little one is hand raised in the house will be be accepted back in the group when he’s big enough? Or will it always have to be kept separate until time to be sold? You know best, of course, but by now you have already accumulated quite a few ‘pets’ who have special needs or aren’t contributing to the productive balance of the whole farm yet require your constant time and money. Just a little devil’s advocacy on a Monday morning. Me, I’d take him in in a heartbeat!
Yes, these are the things running through my head too – do i need another pet. And no – they will not take him back nor would I want to put him back into the fattening group.. c
Nature made them cute so that we would defend them. We’re helpless around those proportions. I know I am. Can’t get enough of these piglet pictures. How pathetic is that??
Sentimentality aside, if he comes in now he will have crossed the line and can’t go back if I remember correctly from the last one? Is it possible to separate him and feed him an extra bottle or two during the day but still be with his litter mates? On the other hand there is nothing cuter than seeing Boo and a little piggy inside, I would probably have him inside, decisions,decisions 🙂 Laura
All good ideas – I won’t take him out until I wean them all though – so he gets as much of mothers milk as he can. I am wary though.
Ha! Yes, dear Boo would thrive with a wee one to look after. Problem is, of course, wee ones tend to grow and I can’t imagine what a huge pig in the house would be like. Don’t want to ‘imagine’ and won’t even try… it’s far too scary. Is it possible for Boo to care for his charge outside? Or is it still too cold at night for Boo to be out there a hundred percent of the time? It does appear the two of them are calling each other. It would be ideal, it seems, as long as it’s not IN the house….. lol Watching with great interest. Have a great day! ~ Mame 🙂
Boo refuses to sleep where he cannot see me but we will see how the little one goes. c
Hahaha… Boo must see you and, if he has a charge, he must also see his little one. We’ll just call you Ellie Mae Clampett!
It’s always something on a farm! These are the kinds of things that wake me up in the middle of the night.
Oh me! What a quandary! John wants the ‘little kid’ in? That’s wonderful! Will he help to clean up? Boo and Piggly Wiggly already have an affection for one another – plain as day! Boo’s pal. Special twosome! Piggly just wants the affection he/she didn’t get because of being so small. “Someone to call my own…”.
I’m sure you have thought of every possible facet of this piglet problem. I’m wondering if the woman who took Lurch would take him. We could do a little donating towards his care.
I just love that little piggy, he is so cute. It’s wonderful that Boo loves the little runt too…why can’t humans be so empathic. I can’t wait to meet them, hopefully they won’t be too huge!
Perhaps its better to keep him with his mob but separate him and one other at feed time, but as others have said, within the same pen, to avoid stress. I have introduced pigs back into the mob after forced separation but it takes plenty of time spent in a pen next to the pen, and still causes fights all around and not just for the reintroduced, but generally not long term. But this is still preferable to my mind to creating a pet pig and all the associated work and rehoming problems down the track. I think you said they were castrated so at least you don’t have a problem keeping him as long as is needed to grow out.
The little pig needs to come inside for a bit… Just give in! : )