Autumn Leaf Farm: Pigs

Showing posts with label Pigs. Show all posts

July 1, 2012

A lame Pig

Well i certainly had one of my first animal farming scare. Our pig now weighs about 120 pounds, he is growing like crazy. On Monday of last week, we noticed that he couldn't get up very well, and when he did, he just laid back down. It seemed that his back legs were hurting him. Jason called the vet, the vet said it could be that he over-heated and we should take his temperature. The vet said that if it was over 103, then he is pretty sick. I, never raising farm animals before, had a hard time not getting too worried about him. Jason stayed calm and clear, saying we would take his temp, and if it was high, we would just have to kill him now and get about 50 pounds of meat. We wouldn't want to give him antibiotics or pay an astronomical amount for a farm vet to come out here. We want to raise a pig that produces healthy meat for us, clear of hormones and antibiotics.

So, i came to grips with it. If i am going to be a farmer, life and death are very real and expose themselves more often than i have ever been used to. I put on a brave face, with the comfort of knowing that hubs would know if we needed to put him to rest now.

Jason did the dirty work, taking their temps. You have to do a rectal exam to get their temperature. But i'll tell you, that man of mine, his a keeper. He made jokes and kept the mood light while i sat back and worried. After taking both of their temps, our pig was only 102 which i guess is normal. So that was a relief that he wasn't sick on the inside. We determined that he must have just pulled a muscle in his back leg, and he would come out of it in a few days. He could get himself around the pen still, so he could have plenty of water and food.

In just two days he was much better. He was running all over the place and back to his normal, crazy self. It was such a relief, but also a good lesson for me. These animals are here to feed our family, they are not our pets, and there lies a big difference. I'm glad that i had this little glimpse of reality before the fall comes. I also know that each year we do this, it will become normal and easier for me. My hope is that when we have kids, it will be part of their raising, and they will also think of it as normal. They will know where our food comes from and that it lived a very happy life while it was here with us.

June 6, 2012

Meet our Pigs!

Three weeks ago these beaut's arrived.

Born in Pennsylvania, landing in New England.

There were twelve to choose from, Kate chose the pink sow. I chose the only spotted hog.

They are funny and make us laugh, a lot. Watching hubs run after them and play with them cracks me up. We are learning a lot with our first pig venture together. They have a great home here at the farm, amble space to roam, warm hay to keep them snug at night, and treats a few times a week. They love strawberries & watermelon. They love to have their backs scratched. The male loves to rough-house, the female loves to get snuggled.

At first, i couldn't imagine these guys ever leaving us. But i know that is inevitable. We bought them to feed our family home-grown food. This is my first experience, and i'm feeling more & more comfortable with it everyday. I decided to stop taking my camera out to their pen, to treat them more like farm animals, and less like pets. I'm sure there will be a few more pictures to share in the fall, but for now that method is helping me be detached. I know the day they leave us might be hard, but i will be so grateful for this homegrown pork all year long. Pork that lived a very happy life, antibiotic free and totally nourishing for us.