Spring is here!--photos

Three of my children jointly own a sow which they bought as a young pig and raised. She just had her second litter this weekend. My son and daughter have been champs in caring for them. Here are some photos.

Christopher

Be careful..... .sometimes the bond gets a little too strong and this kinda thing happens.

These two "house pets" in Vermont belong to some friends of ours.

They even have sweaters for the occasional walk outdoors.

I'll admit that we once had a runt that wasn't going to make it, so we made her a pet, sort've. She got healthy and fattened up eatin stuff the hogs in the pen weren't getting, and I've gotta admit that she thought she was either a dog or part of the family. But time came and we put her back into the pen with the others, and that was a bad thing to do. They didn't take to her at all. We figured must've been the human scent on her. Knowing what we know now, probably would've kept her on as one of the dogs...but she never got an electric blanket, a fireplace, or even in the house. That's one funny picture thats sure to bring back some memories and a chuckle to the family when I show them.

Christopher

She had twelve pigs. One got stepped on, one was weak and died within 24 hours and a third came out several hours after all the others had come out and froze since no one was there to get it under the heat lamp.

Boy, am I glad I didn't follow through on my threat early in the winter. This same sow was out through her 8000 volt fence three times in one week. It was not to go visit the boar, as she was in the pen with the boar. I told my kids that if they didn't solve this, she would be going to town. Well, here is how they fixed it. They took some good leafy alfalfa hay and shook it to make chaff from the leaves. They added this to her feed once a day. I guess that did the trick as she has not been through the fence since.

Anyway, the kids sure are happy. It's nice to see.

Christopher