But, never a dull moment here! In between running back and forth to the airport we have been having new litters of pigs. And not just one at a time. No! that would be much too calm and sane. We had been waiting and watching for a sow to farrow, (see Talula below) and when she finally started having her pigs it was a big event. Everyone wanted to go see and celebrate. That lasted for a little while until the initial excitement was over and then it was left to the stalwarts to wait out the long night.
Daddy, of course was there through the night and saved the day. (or night) :) He was standing outside the sow's pen waiting for the next arrival when he got a funny feeling, a prompting to look in the big pen with all the pigs. There he found a young gilt that we didn't even think was ready, giving birth! He got there just as she delivered it and got up to try and kill it! He was able to save the newborn piglet, put it in with the sow's new babies, and move the gilt to another pen where she could be alone. The next pig was born and she tried to kill it also, so he had to be very attentive and snatch them away as she had them before she could kill them. She had 5 in all and the sow accepted them all as her own. Meanwhile, the sow is continuing to have more babies, but she's doing just great and doesn't really need help, which was a good thing since Daddy was pretty busy rescuing the gilt's babies. And did I mention that all this was in the dark? At the lower ranch there aren't even streetlights. He did have a flashlight. ;) All in all, between the timing of the gilt's litter so that the sow could feed them, and the prompting for Daddy to go look in the other pen, we feel rather blessed. Who knew that the Lord likes pigs, and not only that, OUR pigs and us. Go figure! :)
As an after note, the gilt is now being prepared in little white packages to adorn our dining table! The sow is happy with all the babies. I don't really think she ever knew the difference, and if she did, she didn't care. All is well.
But wait! It continues.... Last night Tom was playing some video games with his investigator friend (Jory) and another kid who really needed some attention. (Since there is only one active Priest in the 1st Ward they don't even bother to hold YM, so Tom puts together an activity himself) Anyway, when he was done, he went out to check on another sow that has been getting close but we thought was still several days away. Nope! She had already had 7 pigs right in the middle of the big pen with the other pigs. Tom had to get her out of there and into a farrowing pen that we had already built, but hadn't moved her to yet. Then he had to go round up all her pigs in the dark. They had been born for long enough that they had started to wander. One of them had gotten itself in the feeder and it put up a squeal when Tom got it out. All the other pigs, who had been being really good with the babies by the way, got quite upset with Tom that he made the baby squeal. They all came running to see what was wrong with it and Tom got it, and himself, out of there. Soon he had all the babies with the mother and she settled down to feed her hungry crew and all was calm. Yea Tom! He stayed for awhile longer, until 4 ish, and then came home to try and get some sleep. A good night's work, I'd say. :)
