New Additions to the Farm

It has been an exciting day on the farm.  My day started at 1:00 am when I had to help my husband unload our new pigs after he got home from work.  We have had two purebred duroc female pigs for several weeks now, but we had been searching all over for a purebred male to breed with them.  We finally found one!  We also got a purebred hampshire to raise for slaughter.  Oh, I am going to have the hardest time doing it.  He is the cutest little thing!  Maybe by then his cuteness will wear off, lol!

We didn't tell the children we were getting them because we wanted it to be a surprise when they saw the pigs for themselves in the pen.  It was hard getting them up and dressed to go to the pig pen first thing this morning without spilling the beans.  Poor Alissa's hair isn't even brushed in the pictures, but I'm sure that will be the last thing we think about when we look back on these photos in the future!

Jake spotted the pigs first. 

(Yep. We had a mishap with the shears! :( )

He was trying to tell Alissa but was having a hard time getting the words out.

She finally saw them!

Too sweet!  I just had to add it.

Here they are!  Otis is the brown duroc.

We were really afraid the females were going to kill the males, especially the little one.  We stayed in the pen with them for a long time to keep the females from hurting them too badly.  Poor Otis has some battle scars.

When new animals arrive all the current residents show up for the welcome!

Our dog Abbey must have run a thousand laps around and around the pen today, slowing down only if the pigs were close enough to sniff and lick!

My sweet Marge was next to say hello.

Henry said hello from the sidelines before joining the pigs in their pen!

I guess Thelma was trying to figure out why the ladies hadn't joined the fun!  Poor Thelma!  I just can't break it to her that the ladies think they are much too sophisticated to enter a pig pen! Heehee!

As the day wore on, we became more comfortable that the girls (Yes.  The female pigs are the girls and the hens are the ladies!  We have way too much time and fun on this farm!) would accept the new additions. 

Later in the afternoon, I heard the chickens going crazy, so I went to see what was going on.  As it turns out, Fern, the outsider hen, was in the favorite nest box and Speckles was ready to lay an egg.  She was fussing causing the other ladies and gentleman to get stirred up.  They sounded more like geese honking than chickens fussing!  Speckles finally gave up on Fern getting off the first nest and settled on the second nest.

But anyway, look what I found when I looked over at the pigs!  I had to ask Alissa to run back to the house to get my camera!  Tell me it is not a sweet sight!

Otis finally let me love on him this evening.  He, so far, is so sweet and gentle.  Little No Name is still scared of me, but I guess it's just as well.  I really don't want to get too attached to him...but he's soooo cute!  ....sigh....   :)

So there you have it!  A day in our life on the farm!  Be assured; there will be many more days to share!

Until next time, be blessed!