Jurassic Pig and Other Farm Tales

Sneaking up on pigs whilst they rest in their shelter

Those pigs!  After we brought them home, it was days before I even saw them 'cuz they kept hiding in the thick growth of their fenced-in pen.  I felt like one of the visitors to Jurassic Park.  Remember when the vehicles stopped in front of the T-Rex cage and it was nowhere to be seen?  Even after the sacrificial goat was proffered, it refused to reveal itself . . . just like our pigs!!  I literally had to sneak up on them to get a few decent shots and then they ran off when they heard the "ding" of the camera.  Those crazy pigs!  

Fleeing pigs . . . 

In contrast, the turkeys come over and "talk" when they see us humans.  Aren't they getting uglier with each passing day? 

Turkeys

Even the egg-laying chickens are brazen.  We added more egg-layers to the group and there's a bit of a turf war going on, with each party avoiding the other (I think the newer hens are scared of the older ones and rightly so, as the older gals are killers--ever see a chicken pecked to death?). 

Older egg-layer strutting 'bout the big pen

I think the resulting stress has put a damper on egg production 'cuz the ol' girls have stopped laying . . . me thinks chicken stew is gonna be on the menu soon if there continues to be no eggs. 

New egg-layer deciding if it's safe to venture out . . . 

As for the meat birds . . . I have never met an animal so stunned in all my life.  Part of me feels sorry for them 'cuz we humans have messed them up by breeding in traits (such as large breasts) that prevent movement--they literally have a hard time walking.

Meat birds in movable pens

And what's a farm without a garden?  The veggie garden has seen the biggest change.  With full-time work and family chores,  I seldom have a chance to get in there.  However, my FIL has done an awesome job caring for the plants.

Potatoes, peppers and celery

For the most part, everything is looking lush and green.  Looking forward to the harvest come end of August . . . .

Corn, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and beets

Later,
;)

The Wild Wilderness

Wildlife proliferates in abundance in and around our little abode on the hill.

Demanding Pig

First off, let me catch you up on pig progress: she's getting bigger.  And our little porker is quite the digger.  She's got her little yard dug up in no time--which is what ya want a pig to do.  No tractors needed.  And she's become rather spoiled.  Every time someone comes over for a visit she expects a treat--some lettuce, fresh corn on the cob or an apple. 

Happy as a pig in . . . 

We've got more baby chicks too.  While our freezer is full of lovely plump chickens, we thought we'd share with the rest of the community.  My BIL had requests galore; lots of friends, and friends of friends wanted to buy some.  So most of the new batch of 80 chicks are spoken for.

More Baby Chicks

The seven laying hens are doing well too.  Did I mention they're vicious killers?  There used to be eight of them, but one of them showed weakness and got pecked to death--no word of a lie!  And let's not talk about the two or three meat chickens that suffered a similar fate.  However, I have no qualms tellin' you 'bout the poor frog that innocently--and quite accidentally--hopped into the chicken yard.  One lucky hen snatched it up lickety-split and ran off to a corner.  The others noticed and promptly gave chase.  Talk about battle royale!  One hen finally swiped it out of the beak of the first hen.  She ran off the other way.  The rest were in hot pursuit.  Another chicken got hold of the frog and there was a short tug of war until the frog got split in two!  Well, suffice to say that two hens had a feast while the rest picked at the leftovers.

The Egg Layers Hanging Out Under their Shelter

And did I introduce the latest member of the family?  Meet Sindal.  Isn't she cute?  She's got the funniest "meow"--reminds me of a monkey.

Cat in Motion

She had a good home, but started urinating all over it.  So BIL kindly offered to take her in on the condition she become an outside cat.  Thus far, she has relished in the role of guard cat.  The squirrels and chipmunks have stayed away.  And many a mole and frog have been offered as gifts to the various family members residing in the farmhouse.  But I think the most shocking sight was to find an injured chipmunk hauling himself to the treeline.  I felt bad for the little critter, but if he ever got into the house, he'd mess up the wiring and insulation worse than any mouse ever could . . . 

Sindal Hears a Squirrel

And even the in-house cat is still earning her keep.  Good ol' Patches was found running in circles upon my bed one night.  My kids thought that perhaps she was chasing a bird in the room.  When we turned on the light, we found it was not a bird.  It was a bat!  Thankfully the bat had decided to "rest" on the curtains giving the cat a chance to finally pounce upon her prey.  Go Patches go!  It was a challenge to grab the bat from the cat's mouth--which incidentally was still alive!

Patches, Mistress of the House

Yup, lots of wildlife.  Never a dull moment on the farm.