Post by Mitra on Apr 17, 2008 18:46:59 GMT -5
Sophie and Charlotte went walk-about again today and it took us 4 hours to get them back into their piggy area. My daughters and I are EXHAUSTED and covered in mud. I haven't done so much running since I was the captain of my soccer team 25 years ago!
It was a gorgeous day today, in the 60's! At 3:30p.m. here came both girls down the still snowy trail from the pig area, past the barn to the driveway. When they got to the driveway they stopped briefly to rototill the edge of lawn that is showing. They proceeded to trot all the way down the driveway with me, DD Roshan, and dog Lulu in tow.
Roshan had fallen at school on the tar and skidded. She had road-rash on her elbows and knees, and blood on her skirt and shirt. She had gotten off the bus only to see two pigs walking down the driveway and me in hot pursuit. There was no deterring them from their mission. We have a long driveway and the house can't be seen from the road. They continued until they got to the road. Roshan was tired and very hungry. She fell to pieces when they stood in the road and she started blubbering. She was worried they weren't coming back.
They stood around with us pushing and coaxing and then went all the way across the road to the neighbors property where there is a creek close to the road. The flopped about in the creek and a truck came by and the man rolled down his window and said, "Would you like some help?" I said, "Sure, but I don't think we can convince them to come out of the creek. "
By this time the neighbor whose property they were on, came out to see what was going on and he just laughed and went back into his house. My other neighbors, who the piglets visited when they ran away in the first 24 hours I had them, came out to see what the commotion was. They said, "OMG - are those the red piglets?!" I said, "Yes, give or take 250 pounds!"
When they were done in the creek, they decided on their own to cross the street and trot back down the driveway toward the house. Relief! But there was still three hours of pig herding left!
BTW, pigs can't be herded. We just had to keep them on the property - that was the only goal we had in mind. They went deep into the woods and we had to follow. They were having a grand time. We were not. Both Roshan and I kept stepping in deep snow that went over the tops of our boots. Under the snow was huge ponds of water so we both had boots full of snow and ice water. By then I was ready to start blubbering too. I was also stressed because my older daughter needed to be picked up from Choir practice at 4:45 and it was already after 5:00 p.m. I told Roshan to hold down the fort, not try to herd them but just keep an eye on their whereabouts. By this time they were concentrating all their rototilling efforts on any exposed lawn they could find. I was so glad DH was out of town! He would have gotten pretty angry at their lawn art. I wasn't pleased either but I was just glad they were on the property.
I left and went down the hill to get Shireen. When we got back, she kindly told us to go inside and she'd take over "herding". I told her it wouldn't work but went inside because we needed a break. After a half hour break and feeding Roshan, we both came back out with new resolve. I also had prepared a masterpiece pig bucket with mini bagels, cottage cheese, pullet eggs, excess orange frosting Shireen had made for a cake, and anything else I could find that pigs might think was appetizing.
I went to Sophie and let her put her snout in the bucket....yummmmmmm Sophie......I gave her a mini bagel and her happy grunt made Charlotte run over to see what she had. I popped a mini bagel in her mouth too and let her sniff the contents of the bucket. Then I just started walking to the pig area and they BOTH politely followed! My girls and Lulu walked behind them. For the first time in 4 months, I was able to open their gate which had been buried and frozen in snow and ice. They followed me right in and I emptied the pig bucket into their tub. After they finished eating, they staggered to their shed and fell fast asleep. Their faces were so peaceful and they looked so contented. Roshan got in their with them and laid on top of Sophie and said, "Mom, how can you not love them when they look like this?" It's very easy to love them when they look like that AND they are in their shed. While they snoozed in exhausted bliss, the girls and I fortified the spot they'd gotten out from with palletts and plywood.
I need to set up the electric fence. It is time! I do love those pigs but I am a tired "farm girl". I forgot to mention - both pigs are in heat!
It was a gorgeous day today, in the 60's! At 3:30p.m. here came both girls down the still snowy trail from the pig area, past the barn to the driveway. When they got to the driveway they stopped briefly to rototill the edge of lawn that is showing. They proceeded to trot all the way down the driveway with me, DD Roshan, and dog Lulu in tow.
Roshan had fallen at school on the tar and skidded. She had road-rash on her elbows and knees, and blood on her skirt and shirt. She had gotten off the bus only to see two pigs walking down the driveway and me in hot pursuit. There was no deterring them from their mission. We have a long driveway and the house can't be seen from the road. They continued until they got to the road. Roshan was tired and very hungry. She fell to pieces when they stood in the road and she started blubbering. She was worried they weren't coming back.
They stood around with us pushing and coaxing and then went all the way across the road to the neighbors property where there is a creek close to the road. The flopped about in the creek and a truck came by and the man rolled down his window and said, "Would you like some help?" I said, "Sure, but I don't think we can convince them to come out of the creek. "
By this time the neighbor whose property they were on, came out to see what was going on and he just laughed and went back into his house. My other neighbors, who the piglets visited when they ran away in the first 24 hours I had them, came out to see what the commotion was. They said, "OMG - are those the red piglets?!" I said, "Yes, give or take 250 pounds!"
When they were done in the creek, they decided on their own to cross the street and trot back down the driveway toward the house. Relief! But there was still three hours of pig herding left!
BTW, pigs can't be herded. We just had to keep them on the property - that was the only goal we had in mind. They went deep into the woods and we had to follow. They were having a grand time. We were not. Both Roshan and I kept stepping in deep snow that went over the tops of our boots. Under the snow was huge ponds of water so we both had boots full of snow and ice water. By then I was ready to start blubbering too. I was also stressed because my older daughter needed to be picked up from Choir practice at 4:45 and it was already after 5:00 p.m. I told Roshan to hold down the fort, not try to herd them but just keep an eye on their whereabouts. By this time they were concentrating all their rototilling efforts on any exposed lawn they could find. I was so glad DH was out of town! He would have gotten pretty angry at their lawn art. I wasn't pleased either but I was just glad they were on the property.
I left and went down the hill to get Shireen. When we got back, she kindly told us to go inside and she'd take over "herding". I told her it wouldn't work but went inside because we needed a break. After a half hour break and feeding Roshan, we both came back out with new resolve. I also had prepared a masterpiece pig bucket with mini bagels, cottage cheese, pullet eggs, excess orange frosting Shireen had made for a cake, and anything else I could find that pigs might think was appetizing.
I went to Sophie and let her put her snout in the bucket....yummmmmmm Sophie......I gave her a mini bagel and her happy grunt made Charlotte run over to see what she had. I popped a mini bagel in her mouth too and let her sniff the contents of the bucket. Then I just started walking to the pig area and they BOTH politely followed! My girls and Lulu walked behind them. For the first time in 4 months, I was able to open their gate which had been buried and frozen in snow and ice. They followed me right in and I emptied the pig bucket into their tub. After they finished eating, they staggered to their shed and fell fast asleep. Their faces were so peaceful and they looked so contented. Roshan got in their with them and laid on top of Sophie and said, "Mom, how can you not love them when they look like this?" It's very easy to love them when they look like that AND they are in their shed. While they snoozed in exhausted bliss, the girls and I fortified the spot they'd gotten out from with palletts and plywood.
I need to set up the electric fence. It is time! I do love those pigs but I am a tired "farm girl". I forgot to mention - both pigs are in heat!
The fence is still holding this morning. Roshan and I just got back from doing the chores and both pigs were very happy to see us. They have forgiven us our harsh words and thwacks with the switch.
)These girls really have matured into very polite young ladies. 
HA
Or somebody's taught them to nibble on clothes! Bless who ever taught that to our Fjord gelding, grrr. Poor boy he's collected more pinches to his lips and it's taken months.
