Don’t Mind Me - Update

Here’s the latest update to my previous post titled, “Don’t Mind Me” - the story about a wandering pig.

So, I posted a Facebook story, to a local Greeneville group, in an effort to locate the owners of this roaming pig. Lo and behold it worked! The owner, an abutting neighbor who resides on 11E (abutter #1), reached out to me via text - success, mystery solved!

I then became the point of contact for the owner and any sighting of said pig reported to me.  So when another abutter (abutter #2), the one who lives on our easement road, would text me to let me know the pig was in her yard or that area, I’d text the owner. A bit convoluted, as the owner was using FB Messenger and the other person was using iPhones Messages, but we made it work.

The below pic was taken about ten days ago and shows the owner, who drove over upon getting my message about its sighting, and spent 30-minutes or so trying to gain the pigs trust and get a rope around him. It worked too. He was able to get a rope around the pigs neck but he underestimated both the circumference of its neck and its overall strength of a lassoed pig. That pig reared back, did a couple crocodile-type “death rolls”, and freed itself, along with its trust 🤣, and off it wobbled -

The pig stayed in this general area. I was contacted half a dozens times or so over the past two weeks and would relay that info onto the owners. Animal control was apparently called and dispatched several times too but they were unable to catch this dude.

A big wire live trap was set using grain, which attracted the pig but he was too smart to go in it, rather flipping the cage to get at the feed.

Anyway, I received a message from the owner (abutter #1) yesterday afternoon to inform me that she was no longer the owner! Seems the other abutter (abutter #2), reached out to the her to inquire about buying the pig from her.

Apparently, the pig took a liking to the 2-year old boy of abutter #2 and would wait at their front door for him to go out and feed him, I kid you not!

The pig was actually quite friendly, not skittish just cautious, so I was not surprised he’d befriended the little boy. Seems abutter #1 had this pig thrown in free with their larger pig purchase, so she paid it forward and gave her ownership of said pig to abutter #2, with her blessing and the relief of no longer having to fuss with and worry about catching him.

The pig now has a name, given to it by the 2-year old, it’s COW!

Cow the pig 🤣 is still loose and abutter #2 is unsure how she plans to get him fenced in, so the saga continues but with a happy ending. You see abutter #1 was planning to have Cow eventually butchered but abutter #2 is planning to keep him as a pet!

Although, the story isn’t over yet, it’s looking like it’s gonna be a happy ending after all!

Don’t Mind Me

This portly pig 🐖 was a visiting and milling about the backyard yesterday afternoon -

I wasn’t too surprised to see it, as a neighbor called me Friday afternoon to ask if we had a pig, because if we did it was loose and down by the gate.

What surprised me was how handsome this porker was! Although, it wouldn’t come to me, it wasn’t bothered by me either nor did it seem scared or skittish. Was more matter-of-fact, acknowledged my presence, then continued waddling on its merry way off towards the pond and front gate.

Here’s a short video I took - “Visiting Potbellied Pig”

I posted “Lost Pig” entry to a local Greeneville FB group I belong to in the hope of locating its owner but nothing yet. Only folks commenting on how cute.

Not sure where it’s moved on to but hopeful it’ll find its way back home.

One Way To Keep Warm

PIG PILE!!!

A Long Overdue Visit For Sure

 Spent Friday in Marshfield visiting my farmer friend.

The weather cooperated, sunny and nippy in the mid to high 40's, but perfect for walking the property and visiting with all the pigs - 

It's funny to watch them all come running when called - SOOEY SOOEY!  Remarkable how they respond and come from all corners of the pen.  The youngsters bouncing and playful, just like little dogs -

They're all so VERY inquisitive, wanting to smell you with their dirt covered snots -

This sow has white eye lashes, something you don't see everyday or ever -

Sooie! Sooie!

The pigs sure do love their grain!

However, they also have a sweet tooth and always jockey for position when the day old bakery items arrive.  I think donuts are their favorites.  Weird, mine too!

Too many to count, oodles!

A Pig's Life

Let's wallow in this mud puddle!

AAHHHHHH!

A Pigs Life...

Nothing better than soaking in a warm puddle on a hot humid day -

Or pig-piling on one another in the cool dirt -

Or some solitude in the shade of your favorite tree - 

This rotund lady above is pregnant an her litter is due in about a week.  Perhaps why she's enjoying some along time while she can...

New Tradition Perhaps?!

I joined my neighbor and a couple friends at the Pot Belly Pub in Mellville Thanksgiving morning.  They were having a special of 16oz shrimp Bloody Mary's along with "pic and shit" (hors d'oeuvres).

My neighbor and friends are Harley riders and this pub is a biker-type bar and one of the places they stop in at when out riding.  So, not only did I experience my first "biker" bar, but also my first (couple) of Bloody Mary's.

Cheers!!

Turkey Bacon

 

Free range no less!

Mmmmm Bacon!

 

The pigs of Marshfield

 

From small to large and young to old, some penned and some not but there is NO questions there are A LOT!

Ah, NUTS!

 

It's June 1st already...

"Over Here Moe"

 

Pay no attention to the man, er the sow, behind the mask I mean ears!

 

This breed of pig is known as an American Landrace.

 

They're known for their super large ears, which ultimately drop to cover their face.  This "little" piggie will be going to market soon!

Pig Pile, Really!

One little, two little, three little piggies, four little, five little, six little piggies, seven little eight little, nine little piggies, ten little and eleven little piggies more...if I counted correctly and by the way, they're NOT "little piggies"!

Maken Bacon

Ah, Spring is in the air here in New England. The warm weather is starting to move in with the snow melting and the woodland creatures beginning to stir. Of course with all this activity comes those amorous feeling, a.k.a. Pepé Le Pew and just in time for Valentines Day.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

There is something unusual in the above photo (taken yesterday). Any ideas?!

Pig Pile, Perhaps

I took advantage of some free time and drove down to my farmer friends place yesterday. I hadn't visited or spoken to him since just before Thanksgiving, so a visit was long overdue.

The weather wasn't too bad;cold and a little windy but bearable and as it turned out I was put to work not long after I arrived moving and stacking bails of hay, which kept us warm. We also had a burning barrel going, so when we'd take a break we would gather around it to keep toasty warm.


Burning barrel -

We used the burning barrel to keep warm but the pigs used a different method. These particular pigs are penned with an enormous pile of compost, which is by design. Pigs are rooting-type animals therefore in their search for tidbits of food they'll root through this pile of compost in short order. This accomplishes a number of things; the pigs are kept busy doing when they enjoy, they're able to find snacks for themselves and the pile of compost is constantly rotated and turned, which aides in the composting process. Also, the composting process keeps the pile itself hot and the pigs take advantage of this and dig themselves in to keep warm.


Steaming compost pile with napping piglets -


The same steaming compost pile with napping piglets, only a close up -

Pig Work

As I mentioned in my earlier post I visited my farmer friend Tim yesterday to lend a hand and help him out with a few things, which is a great break from my desk job. He lives about an 1.5 hour drive away so I don't get down to see him as often as I should or would like.

Anyway, the main task, our goal, was to separate the 8 American Landrace piglets in the above picture from their parents and the other adult pigs and move them to a new pen, which is used for housing and raising the youngsters. Oh, almost forgot to mention, they needed to be castrated first; well 7 of the 8 needed to be the other was a female.

To set the stage these piglets weigh approximately 40 to 60 pounds and are surprisingly strong at this age. They have good size teeth and can bite - their bite is like a dogs, so when they grab hold it's almost impossible to get there jaws opened unless they want to. However, the biggest danger is their parents and the other adults. Once the piglets start screaming, whether due to being grabbed and moved or cut, the adults get riled up and rush to their aid, which is why we move them to a safe location away from the adults.

I won't go into details on the process other than to tell you it takes 2 people and a razor blade; one (me) to grab the piglet by the hind legs, flip him on his back and sit on his belly while maintaining a firm hold of his hind, piston-like, legs. The other person (Tim) is, well, performs the emasculation.

Tim's an old-timer who was raised and taught in the old school ways. 'Fixing' the pigs makes them less aggressive, fattens them up faster and the meat isn't as tough as a boars.

This is a picture of "JackO". He is the big daddy and protector of Tim's pig menagerie.

• Young female hogs who have borne less than two litters are known gilts
• Female hogs who have borne more than two litters are known as sows
• Intact males are known as boars
• Castrated males are known as barrows
• Young hogs of both sexes are known as pigs or piglets

Click here for a List of domestic pig breeds

Piggy, Piggy, Piggy...

Here is a picture of the new piglets that my friend recently purchased. There are over 15 here but I was unable to get an exact count - you try to count them as they're darting in and out, climbing over each other and wrestling for food.

The males have already been 'fixed' and will go to market when they're at the right size. The females will stay and be bred when old enough to replenish the stock.

This is only one of 3 pig pens. The other 2 have adult pig; pigs that are well over 400lbs in size. The females in these pens are used for breeding and the males - except for the one lucky guy that's kept for breeding, will go to market. Many of the sows in these pens have already been bred and are due in early spring.

Me and My Shadow

What do you suppose this pig is thinking about?

update Jun 2006: Little Piggy went to market...