Before I even fed him yesterday Wai had decided he was moving house. For the last few days I had opened the gate between him and Tima and Tane the Kune Kune couple and the kune kune had come across chatting and complaining but Wai had decided he had no time for that kind of pig and was leaving the barn to find other more comfortable and secluded quarters. 
The work on his new house was far advanced by the time I realised what he was up to. 
My first clue was seeing him trudge across the field with a mouthful of long weeds: just like a sow building a nest I thought then realised he was preparing himself a nice big dry bed in the old hut. He had chosen an old tin hut that no one but roosters had used for years.
I brought him flakes of straw and he grabbed each one jamming them into the Nor’West corner where the wind was coming from. Once he ran out of the straw I had carried in, he made several trips back to the barn himself and actually began to steal the straw bed from below Tima herself. Squeaking the whole time. He has a very high pitched determined squeal when he is up to no good. 
TonTon tried to go in and see what was going on but the little pig shrieked at him in fury and Ton took off. 
Later in the afternoon after a full day of building he crept into his bed, wriggled under the straw and went to sleep. Did you notice how his bottom is a bit crooked – his tail no longer in the middle. A result of his injuries. 
I bought a full bale of straw from the barn and closed off one side of the hut so his straw did not drift back out into the field – keeping his mattress intact. I was not thanked – rather I was told to Bugger Off. He has never been a particularly friendly pig. Honest, he calls it. 
Tima did not come close to the new condo in the back of the corridor paddock. She speaks pig and knows better.
Perspectve is everything.
WaiWai does not like other pigs and is not fond of humans either. And he has made up his mind to move out. My next task is to insulate his house somehow. It has holes in it and is not even rainproof. I wonder if he will stay out here when the real winter cold hits. We will no doubt find out soon. 
Fair enough.
Sleep well little grouchy friend.
Love celi
Monday 10/16 10% / 0 in
Sunny skies. High 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night 10/16 0% / 0 in
Clear. Low 43F. Winds light and variable.
Sun
7:05 am 6:10 pm
Moon
Waning Crescent, 8% visible 3:38 am 4:56 pm
The Kitchen's Garden 
72 responses to “WAIWAI MOVES HOUSE”
I love your blog posts. I have never raised pigs and reading about yours is so interesting. Love your photos too. I hope you have a wonderful day.
I hope you have a wonderful day too!!
You make me smile or laugh every day with the antics of this band of crazy characters. Love the photos of each one. Sad that Wai has not been able to make a friend. Such a lonely life without them. Good luck finding a way to insulate against the weather on that tin shed. I’m sure you’ll think of something. You are quite ingenious.
I bet I go to all that trouble then he will decide to go and live in the chook house or something
🙂 Ornery pig. But that’s what kept him alive and getting better.
This is hysterical. I love Wai’s exploits–he is my kind of pig. The best!
He is a character !
Oh my! As others have said, let’s hope Waiwai doesn’t decide to occupy the sunroom next! he just may! I wonder, too, what he will think of his new estate come the true cold days of winter. I’m sure you will come up with something ingenious to help make him more comfortable – where there is a will, there is a WaiWai!
He will be eyeing up the glass house!
I wonder if you could cut styrofoam insulation board to size, then cover that with a tarp?? Pigs are very determined blokes.
I think you do a very nice job of letting your readers know about the animals and how they think and even why they think like they do. Only someone close to the land and the animals, who keeps their ears and eyes and heart wide open can do so…speak to and about the animals.
The longer I work alone the closer I get to the animals. I feel myself going down
Hmm… Not sure if I’d categorise that as “going down” necessarily; )
The honeymoon that never really was is truly over I guess! This is just so funny. He knew you would go along with him, too.
He is a tough pig this one
Wai Wai is quite stubborn and willful, but in a “i’m gonna live, so I’m gonna do what i wanna do”! How are his wounds? Have they healed completely?
Not quite. Those three stubborn areas. Very itchy and he keeps scratching and peeling them open!
Each critter is such an individual! Might your hay man have any leftover bales, not food quality, even had gotten wet– he might give you to haul away? I’ve used those to anchor tarps and then the bale adds to the windbreak/insulation as well as holding the tarp solidly to the ground. Too, silicone caulk? could spotfill those nail holes if the house is sturdy enough for you to climb on. In between everything else you are prepping for winter, that is!
Both excellent ideas- especially the caulk!
I quite like Wai’s attitude. We all feel that way sometimes. Hopefully he will become more social but you still have to love him. Would a big tarp and more straw bales work? A pig yurt?
“If a pig does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, whether measured or far away.” –Thoreau (more or less)
Maybe he’ll be like a teenager…moving out because independence sounds “cool” but after a while realising that home comforts are better and he’ll gradually move back in again with the family!
So I’m guessing the fairytale three little pigs building their house of straw to protect themselves from the wolf had its basis in fact… if Wai goes looking for sticks, that’s ok but bricks, well, that might be a problem!
pure and simply…Wai Wai has a mind of his own! and we all love him in spite of his grumpiness….I’d be the same if I’d been
through what he endured.
im so happy to read this i could cry ! im so proud of you and waiwai !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for filling our lives full of hope thru these months , what you 2 have done fills us all with possibilities when confronted with serious dilemmas. what a strong woman and a tuff little bugger 🙂