The new batch of piglets have arrived. They are so fat! Brian the breeder parked in the hay field and they handed the piglets over the fence one by one. Express delivery!
There was one very tiny runt baby that he threw in for free. Freebee spent the whole afternoon lying IN the feed-bowl eating. You can see him in the background there. He is a rather jolly wee fellow.
They are quite soft and chubby from their high corn indoor no exercise diet but that will be easy to correct. Although Brian the Breeder does raise them differently from me he always produces solidly built, sweet-natured, healthy, easy going animals that adapt well to a vegetarian diet and being Herefords they are easy to train.
Molly’s Eight are well on their way and drinking standing up now. Once they get to this stage they really start to put on weight.
I meant to tell you that as the Thistle Eaters munch through a patch of thistles I will shift their whole pen then sow oats into the area they turned so they can return to the same patch after six weeks. I expect it will take a few go rounds to really dent the thistles. 
Del is wondering what they are eating that she is not eating. Even though it was hellish windy again yesterday she was calm and relaxed which is good. 
The two angus calves are above. Lovely animals. One is a heifer you will remember. So she needs to go into the breeding program in a few months.
Today I hope we can work on the fences on the West Side. I need to block these cows off this winter area so it can recover. They have a lot of respect for my electric fences so it is not too difficult.
Abundant sunshiny day today! Hope you have a great day too!
C
The Kitchen's Garden 
19 responses to “THE THISTLE EATERS”
Behind the ducks in the first image, is that a yellow fire hydrant?
Hi Jim, yes that is an old fire hydrant. Isn’t it lovely – though looking a bit wonky – I need to fix that! I use them to keep the hoses out of the gardens as I water.
It sounds as if Freebee has the right idea: stay close to the source of food, expend minimal effort, and eat constantly! He’ll catch up with the others in no time if he keeps that up. Your pig fencing is looking very robust and professional these days, probably just as well with those little hellions about.
Oh dear, l can see Freebee is going to become my new favourite to follow.
Celi, where did you get the big blue shelter for the piglets? It looks like it could be a shelter for all kinds of farm animals!
It is a commercial fish pond. I found it in one of the cribs and cut a hole in it for the piglets a few years ago. Maybe Craig’s list?
Love the piggies! 😀
They are in for a change of lifestyle! They will love it, out in the fresh air.
Now for the calves and the ducklings. Laura
Yes- and meat chickens- I need to get busy and order them.
I laughed to read the ‘new patch of piglets’ only to see ducks.
Always a step to the side!
there is always something going on in your farmy! Freebee is a great name!
They look like happy pigs …and the fields are looking green again.
Really green aye!!
Lots of animals this summer! 🙂
I so enjoy seeing your photos of the farm. I miss the farm sometimes.
Having gotten my sweat-damp coveralls a little too close to the electric fencing more than once, I can totally empathise with those poor cows with their lovely salty-wet noses…
Bring on the Grubbing Crews (damned thistles!; )
I did not know that they ate thistles. One of the main problems with thistles is that almost no one wants to eat them. As they move in, everyone keeps their distance until someone goes in and grubs them out. Only goat eat them, but there are none here. Goats are crazy, and even eat seedlings of Mexican fan palm and Canary Island date palm that grow on the embankments of the freeways in Los Angeles. I thought that putting up the fences would be more work than it was work, but it is easier than grubbing out palms, and those goats actually eat them dead to the ground!