Ellen J. Pettibone had her pig babies today.  Thankfully, my WWOOF'r/farm manager was here to rescue two of them.  Since I bred her to a "traditional" Asian Heirloom Hog, I knew they'd be small, but MAN are they SMALL!!!  Since the boar was so much smaller, he evidently didn't fertilize both horns of the uterus.  So, we only had just a few to begin with and now just two.  IN THE HOUSE.  BOTTLE BABIES AGAIN!!!  AAAARGH!!!  Hopefully, we can train them to a pan very quickly.  They are both gilts, but I don't plan on keeping either of them and plan to process Ellen sometime soon.  At 300#+, it's going to be interesting.  I like processing the smaller hogs.  Much easier to do... 

No, they aren't dead.  They are sleeping.  Mini piggers.  I put a standard-sized Sharpie next to them so you could see the scale.  Yeah, I could raise standard-sized hogs, but where's the fun in that?  Besides, these little piggers tend to be very frugal...  Not as much meat, sure, but who needs 200# of meat at a time anyway?  I certainly don't...

Just an hour before the unveiling...  Beached whale anyone?  Yeah.  Tail is kinked, ligaments are soft and ready, harpoons are at hand...

AND after.  A buck and a doe!  One to keep and one to sell/process.  These are full Oberhasli.  They'll get darker when they have enough of everything from MayBelle.  The buck ALREADY has horns.  Yes.  He.  Does.

MayBelle is full Oberhasli, but the white spot on her head is just a bit too large.  Her teats are too plump to milk easily and she's a total Queen when it comes to bossing around the herd.  My kinda gal, I guess... 

Takedown starts in 5-4-3-2-1....  GO!!!  Sarge vs. Floppy Igamo da cat.  It was a draw, btw.

Pretty scrawny.  She was born a few days early, on March 4th.  If you notice, her left leg is slightly bent.  I believe a function of not enough calcium.  I'm supplementing her and we'll see how she gets along.  She's a pretty little thing though...  The back legs are also a bit "rubbery" yet.  We'll see how she progresses.  Right now she's very bouncy and eating well. 

The chickens are very happy to have warmer weather...  Wow.  Never realized you could have red-eye in chickens!  You are seeing one Barred Rock, two Americanas and I think two Golden Comets.  If not, you can ask them.  *shrug*

She freshened with a buck and a doe!  I PROMISE I'll post pics asap!!! 

Snowy's preemie doe is improving greatly and is now out in the barn with a "hot house" concoction of a large tub and a warehouse light shroud.  Yes.  She is.  Pics to follow.
 
I had some amusement today.  I've purchased the following recently at a local pharmacy that tracks purchases (all for the goats' usage, I swear):  enemas, calcium supplement with magnesium, vitamin E gelcaps, vitamin C tablets, selenium tablets, calcium carbonate, staph pain-free spray, candy bars and a bottled water.  *silence*  I wonder what that computer's going to offer me in the way of coupons...

Moving on.  I had another EXCITING discovery!!!  BOTH hives have LIVE BEES IN THEM!!!!  WOOT!  I've not been able to get any guard bees out for quite some time - even in that warmer weather we had before these 70° F temps...  While these temps are unusual for March here in Indiana?  I'll take them.  The bees coming out of the hive aren't many (which means the hives are probably very weak), but they are ALIVE!!!!  BWAH HA HA HA....

...sorry, no sleep and too many carbs & coffee...

My roommate/WOOFr's dad came and pruned 9 fruit trees last Saturday, so that's a large chunk of the pruning that needed done.  I plan to chip the smaller branches and have smoking wood for the hogs that need to go into the freezer. 

Hope you are all having a sunny, warm, glorious day!
   

My dad always called it "the most progressive day of the year!"  March.  Forth.  *marching in place and then going forth, marching*  Yeah.  Well.  Mom died 20 years ago on this date and now I have a new doeling (much nicer connotation).  I've decided her name is Sally Forth. 

Sally?

Forth?

*ahem*  She was preemie by probably 3-4 days and we had to do some extra work to keep her going.  Very fine hair, very small, but growing nicely.  SnowBelle/Snowy is also stabilizing from the trauma and is doing fine.  I was going to send her for meat as she freshened (gave birth) with zero udder.  But now, several days later on her actual due date?  She has an udder. 

Small teats, small udder, but promising.  I'll keep her and her daughter.  Pics to follow soon! 

No new updates on the Standardbred mare, but she's putting on some weight SLOWLY and is looking much much better.  Enough better she TROTTED on her own!  Woo Hoo! 

My WWOOFr's dad is at the farm pruning the fruit trees (YEAH!), I left a humongous chicken in the crockpot for him, there's fresh milk, goat cheese, vegetables, basmati rice and fruits available in the freezers, fridge and shelves.  He's a little concerned about not doing the job I want, but it'll be fine.  Trees grow back if they're cut too severely (and they needed it!) and we can chip up the limbs for BBQ wood.  Apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry.  Yum. 

Have a wonderful Friday!  Off to the "local" smallstock and stuff sale tonite with the WWOOFr's dad.  Should be interesting.   

No pics in this post - just a quick update.   The mare we re-named Raven:  the white marks on the "hinny's" neck I believed might be freeze brand and not bites?  I finally shaved it down last weekend and it IS a freezebrand.  6FD19 is her brand. 

I believe I'm tracked this down that she's a coming 4 year old - April 2012 - (I glanced at her teeth shortly after she came to the farm and guessed no more than 5-7 years old) Standardbred from up in Northern Indiana.  Don't know what's happened to this sad, odd-standing baby girl.  She may have "wobbles" - a disorder that is caused by pinched nerves that can't be repaired readily.  She may never be saddle-safe or drive-safe.  If not, and she starts acting in pain (which is what happens when you add weight to an already stressed skeleton), I will euthanize her. 

She actually walks to me puts her head in my hands and sighs.  Poor poor little girl.  What the Hell caused her to end up at my farm in her horrible, rundown condition? 

I believe I've traced her original owner/breeder and am attempting to find out a little more about her.

Also, Maris the LaMancha freshened with a ROCK HARD udder - indicative of CAE (caprine arthritic-encephalitis) and should be removed from the breeding program.  So, off she and her HUGE son (whom we renamed Dougie MacGregor) go for the meat buyer.  Sad but a reality of dealing with sale-barn goats.  We take her tonight along with the Oberhasli buck I can't use anymore.  Hopefully we'll get decent money for both - goat is selling for ~$1lb live weight.  I would butcher them for meat use, but my freezers are still full and I have pigs to butcher.