RESCUE PIGS
We have lost the wee fellow on the right he died in the night but these are such sweet shots I thought I would share. Please don’t be miserable. And after such a rocky start he needs a proper goodbye. 
Every life no matter how short has value. The little piglet who has died was rescued by one of the Mexican butchers at the Locker, at considerable risk to himself he grabbed the piglet from under the feet of the milling cows.
He was covered in manure. And the umbilical cord site was quite swollen and hard. My pig mentor suspects that he or his cord was stepped on. Maybe contusions or internal bleeding. He had very bad diarrhea too just to complicate matters.
He kept drinking his milk and hugging close to the heater though, so he died warm and full.
This fellow (above ) is very much alive and is a box of birds – he was with his mother right up until the last minute so he was well fed and clean. By last evening we had got his runny movements under control and when I fed him a few minutes ago he drank fast then had playtime with my hands for a while before taking himself off back to his warm bed.
Now I will devise a system for raising a tiny piglet alone. He is still too small for Boo, who is almost too interested. Boo has killed a number of young ‘possums in the last few weeks and the thought of him mistaking this little piglet for a wild animal makes me cautious.
But the little fella needs company and I guess that will be me.
He is still only a few days old though – they were born on Monday night – this is day three – so if he is still going strong in a few more days we can name him.
And in that case I will raise him in the house while he is being fed nights ( this will be for a while) then I will see if he wants to live with Tima and Tane and Wai. They will be warm winter buddies.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I am going to catch 30 minutes more sleep then feed the little tyke again and get going on the chores. We have a few days yet before we can be confident about his survival.
Even though I fed him every two hours through the night and lost the weak one early this morning I feel a lot better myself than this time yesterday morning. The cards are falling where they may. I know the challenges. And today I will get my system back in order.
Have a good day.
Celi
Weather: cooling down.
C
34 Comments on “RESCUE PIGS”
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thekitchensgarden 
Thank you for sharing these pics. Fantastic that you were able to rescue them both and yes the little one died warm and cared for. Hard to believe that the owner of the pregnant sow could be so callous! Karma will provide. Hope the other one survives – certainly had a better start – kisses to the little one xx
Well a short life knowing love and kindness is never to be dismissed. Better you helped it along to the end than in the cow feed lot. Thank you Hispanic gentleman for risking yourself for another wee life. There is still good, very good in this world.
Poor thing – I hope the other one fares better.
Well, I think you now have gained a little piggy cherub looking over your farm, and maybe even his momma too.
If he makes it to the naming stage, maybe Lucky is a possible choice. There was a lot of luck in his survival: An all-too-brief time with his mama and that first important drink, meat workers who gave a damn, you, who could offer knowledgeable and compassionate help, and his own will to live.
Good to know at least one of them is doing fine. I hope he makes it. As for his brother, he was well taken care of till the end, and that’s something.
Thanks for keep us posted 🤗
Your comment about naming the little fellow if he makes it a few more days reminds me of a proverb I learned when I was doing maternal-child health work in Liberia: “Don’t name your child until the measles has passed.” Anyone who thinks vaccines are a tool of the devil hasn’t met a grieving West African mother.
Perspective.
Sorry he died..but thats the way life goes…The other one will keep you busy. Your life is full of adventure..there is always something going on..look at the amount of time,money and effort spent on Wai….l know he is special but he is ..just a pig Ducks.chooks,calves..they all have a special place and you look after them all so well. So should “Lucky” not survive..it wont be through lack of trying….it will just be that the good Lord needs them bacj again for his farmy in heaven
Lucky for Wai he had the Fellowship
– those donations paid for the bulk of his expenses. ( and you were too far away to be donating for Wai so not to worry – I know you are going to fret again- but you are too wonderful a commenter to be fretting).
At the moment I am spending lots of time playing with and feeding this wee tyke so he does not get lonely!
I think I’d be a miserable farmer. I’d be crying and mopping up a runny nose all the time. Or maybe I’d get used to it. Who knows. I still find it all very moving. I love observing it…with all its ups and downs.
Mopping up your runny nose! Sometime your expressions are so delightfully English. You are a woman of the world – picking stuff up as you go along!
Oh thank goodness one is surviving. And yes thank you for sharing such sweet pictures of them both. As you said he needs a proper goodbye. And being warm and safe and well fed—if only for a short time means everything. I’m glad you are feeling better today than yesterday. So many depend on you, Miss C!!
Bless you
The early life of baby animals is just so precarious under the BEST of circumstances. For a little guy tromped on by cattle, his fate was sealed. I do hope the little one continues to grow strong. He is beautiful. He will be a very attractive pig. But as we say at the zoo, we don’t count our tortoises before they hatch. Hopefully this piglet will hatch into strength and resilience.
I like that saying – and yes I hope he continues to thrive too- so far so good this morning!
Thank you for sharing the beautiful photos. As you say, every life, no matter how short has a value and his last moments of his very short life were full of warmth and love. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the other little one and for you too… It’s going to be very hard work. Big hug xx
Yes. But I am a good sleeper- so I make the most of the in between times at night
The world needs more kind hearted people like you. Hope little piggy continues to thrive with your love and care.
I think your other piglets are too big already, but if they were closer in age, will a sow accept an orphan??
You do a wonderful job with all your charges.
Yes- it can be done – certainly if the sow is crated. I don’t crate them though – they are free to wander so it might be more difficult for me having never done it before. But it is definitely something farmers do.
Poor little thing but as everyone else has said at least he was well cared for, but it was not to be. Fingers crossed that his brother goes from strength to strength.
Not only was he warm and fed, but in his short life he had his photo taken and shared so we can all know his wee life counted.
Thank you for being who you are, Ms. C! Thank the worker for caring enough to rescue the little piglet, too! Sweet piggies!
While we can never know what was in the mind, heart or circumstances of the farmer who had his sow butchered knowing she was due to farrow, I hope he doesn’t enjoy a single mouthful of that pork! Thank heavens you are well known to the slaughter house as someone who does care and can be counted on to make every effort when others don’t or won’t.
Oh So CUTE and sorry to hear you lost one of the wee ones. I am a huge lover of piggies 🙂 Take Care
Poor little mite, sad to lose him but warm, fed and cared for means a lot. I hope the stronger piglet keeps improving. They’re such adorable little creatures.
Every life saved is precious. Best of luck.
The Instagram video today is wonderful, the surviving piglet is delightful, and testimony to the good work you do. That the abs guys knew to call you, and did, speaks volumes. The piglets’ experience has been a poignant bittersweet lesson in the importance of maintaining a care factor in one’s life.
lovely sweet poignant photos…..and you are loving and sweet giving such attention to the little babes.
He had a better end than many, poor little thing. But fingers crossed for his brother.
Oh how I love your heart. I have no frame of reference in my life to connect with you and what you do. But I do admire and love people who are passionate and committed to what they do. With what was in the news the past few days, it’s nice to read about ordinary events. Even when those ordinary events are sad, they are real, and cannot be argued about. So your blog is a small island of sanity and reality for me. Thank you.
Sorry to hear that he died Celi.. Hoping that the other little guy is ok
Oh boy…The waterworks are coming just thinking about it… 😥😭 Let the living one survive for me, Celi!!