PIGLET PICTURES AS WINTER DESCENDS

PIglets in a second but first I was watching the blowing snow through the green of the glasshouse as I watered the plants being grown for summer consumption. It is an interesting lesson in the juxtaposition of seasons.  Spring piglets in the barn. Snow in the fields. 

Side by side spring and winter struggle for dominance this year.

And winter keeps winning.

Poppys seven babies are still poddling along.

These shots were taken under their red light with me in the straw outside their creep door. They are a very friendly group. I think because of my constant presence in their first twelve hours.

We are going to have a lot of pictures of snouts with this litter.  They do not stand back at all.  In fact, despite the cold, they have begun to play and are often underfoot.  They have two more high-risk days. By Day Four I begin to relax a little. We are now entering Day Three.

Something like 70% of piglet losses are in the first 24 hours so their chances are already much better.  But there are two that seem smaller. I am staying clear except for that morning clean up time.  Keeping an eye on the monitor. Poppy is very relaxed which is good and she is feeding them about every hour. They are still running out to drink then peeling off and immediately returning to the warm creep when they are finished. So the chances are they will catch up.  But it is possible that the littlist ones are feeding less because of the cold. I am not sure. But they are all feeding often so that is a good thing.

I have to deal with one problem though – that is with Poppy sticking her head right through the baby door, effectively blocking them in. She is trying to get her face under their heat lamp. Then she will call them to come out for a drink and they have to climb over her fbarking ace and squeeze out the little gap left in the door to get to her udder.

Seeing her get out is quite the dangerous comedy as she has to wriggle and clamor about like a trapped seal squirming backwards before she can lift her head up and out.  Somehow she has forced some movement in that bar in front of their doorway, the one I had John build specifically to combat this problem. Somehow she is giving herself an extra inch or so of play in the bar.  I will work on it today.

The piglets grow fast – they should double their weight in the first week or so, which means that I have to find a way to stop this today.  But as problems go this one is half fixed because I can identify it.  Once a problem is seen clearly in all it’s components it is easier to create a solution.

The day has dawned already at the forecast high, which does not bode well for today. The next 48 hours will be very cold for piglets and people. I am glad they have two days of growing, literally under their belts.

I used my phone to capture these images.  I am going to clean Camera House today and charge him up. I need more clarity.

I hope you have a lovely day.

celi

Friday 04/06 0% / 0 in
Cloudy and becoming windy. High 37F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph.

Friday Night 04/06 0% / 0 in
Partly cloudy skies. Near record low temperatures. Low 19F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.

Sun
6:28 am 7:23 pm

Moon
Waning Gibbous, 67% visible 12:40 am 10:34 am