I have noticed a lot of farm life centers around breeding and babies. Until living here I really had not really focused many thoughts on it. I just assumed it was a natural part of life which comes easily and effortlessly. Boy have I been "edumacated." I can definitively state I am amazed there are pigs, horses, or any other creatures in the world. Maybe the difficulties which arise are because of breeding practices and domestication..who knows but it isn't an easy task here on the farm to get the 'job done ' sometimes.
My sons and my mother in law have been pitching in with my husband and daughters pig project. I am spitting distance from the farm yard (I don't spit) so while I may try to avoid these tasks like the plague, it isn't as if I can avoid it entirely and be unscathed in the process of all this! Most times I'm in fits of laughter or hysteria, or a mixture of both.
After our own sow was bred this fall I was "put on notice" we have had two other farmers bring their sows (girlie piggies) to our farmyard to breed with our Boar (boy piggy). My husband spent a great deal of time explaining the process, getting a breeding area ready so as to make it easier on me. I listened with wide eyes with no intent in my heart of ever completing this task for "my man" while he is out of town working hard for our family. He must have noticed the glint in my eye, as he stopped mid explanation "It is very important to make sure the sow isn't to small for the boar because we don't want...." then switched gears to " I should get Boo (our son) and mom to do this huh?" BINGO...we have a winner.
The day arrived for the first sow. My son arrived ahead of time...bless him! Farmer 'so and so' unloaded the cutest pig I have ever seen. If a pig could be beautiful, this little gal was. Big brown eyes surrounded by gorgeous eyelashes.Even my mother in law pronounced her a pretty pig. Poor little dear was terrified and things got off to a rocky start, which I will spare you the details as I wish I had been. Lets just say a little more help was required and the lecture of size and breeding compatibility was now understood by this farmers wife. Still through all of it, the kids kept mentioning the beautiful piglets Boarus was going to have with her!
Round two with the next sow went a little better than the previous engagement with only one hitch. Late one night I returned to the homestead with the most awful racket filling the air. I never knew pigs could scream, and believe me it is an awful and LOUD noise! I raced into the house to find the boys throwing on their clothes and mud boots so they could go see what all the ruckus was about. Apparently, she had scratched herself lightly on a piece of wire and was somewhat of a hypochondriac. I was assured she was going to live and things settled down once again. For days after she left, all my kids commented on the ugliness of this particular sow. "Poor little homely girl" my daughter said. I had to laugh, I'm afraid to say my eye for the aesthetically pleasing has rubbed off a bit on these farm kids.
What I'd really like to know is why the breeding schedule ALWAYS lands on the weeks my cowboy is gone? I can tell you one thing, if Ms. Olivia goes into labor when he is gone, he may have to hire a piggy midwife. I really don't want to be up to my elbows in mud and piggy stuff in the cold. So once again the hints of spring are on their way. I'll have more tales to tell.
My sons and my mother in law have been pitching in with my husband and daughters pig project. I am spitting distance from the farm yard (I don't spit) so while I may try to avoid these tasks like the plague, it isn't as if I can avoid it entirely and be unscathed in the process of all this! Most times I'm in fits of laughter or hysteria, or a mixture of both.
After our own sow was bred this fall I was "put on notice" we have had two other farmers bring their sows (girlie piggies) to our farmyard to breed with our Boar (boy piggy). My husband spent a great deal of time explaining the process, getting a breeding area ready so as to make it easier on me. I listened with wide eyes with no intent in my heart of ever completing this task for "my man" while he is out of town working hard for our family. He must have noticed the glint in my eye, as he stopped mid explanation "It is very important to make sure the sow isn't to small for the boar because we don't want...." then switched gears to " I should get Boo (our son) and mom to do this huh?" BINGO...we have a winner.
The day arrived for the first sow. My son arrived ahead of time...bless him! Farmer 'so and so' unloaded the cutest pig I have ever seen. If a pig could be beautiful, this little gal was. Big brown eyes surrounded by gorgeous eyelashes.Even my mother in law pronounced her a pretty pig. Poor little dear was terrified and things got off to a rocky start, which I will spare you the details as I wish I had been. Lets just say a little more help was required and the lecture of size and breeding compatibility was now understood by this farmers wife. Still through all of it, the kids kept mentioning the beautiful piglets Boarus was going to have with her!
Round two with the next sow went a little better than the previous engagement with only one hitch. Late one night I returned to the homestead with the most awful racket filling the air. I never knew pigs could scream, and believe me it is an awful and LOUD noise! I raced into the house to find the boys throwing on their clothes and mud boots so they could go see what all the ruckus was about. Apparently, she had scratched herself lightly on a piece of wire and was somewhat of a hypochondriac. I was assured she was going to live and things settled down once again. For days after she left, all my kids commented on the ugliness of this particular sow. "Poor little homely girl" my daughter said. I had to laugh, I'm afraid to say my eye for the aesthetically pleasing has rubbed off a bit on these farm kids.
What I'd really like to know is why the breeding schedule ALWAYS lands on the weeks my cowboy is gone? I can tell you one thing, if Ms. Olivia goes into labor when he is gone, he may have to hire a piggy midwife. I really don't want to be up to my elbows in mud and piggy stuff in the cold. So once again the hints of spring are on their way. I'll have more tales to tell.
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