We are farmers, so this story may not be for anyone who doesn’t want to hear about farm animals. However, these animals are treated so, so nice and I think that needs to be said. We are a small homestead farm. So small amounts of a lot of things. Animals get names and treats. They’re pet often and are super used to young kids, and pets and people. It’s as nice of a farm set up, in the terms of treatment of animals that are yes, eventually eaten, goes.
So here goes nothing!
My husband, Sam, is a very stoic person.
He’s very “calm”.
He's very introverted.
He's very intelligent.
Sam's cool, yada yada yada......
I need everyone to know this before the story starts though!
In any situation he is usually as calm as can be. Cool as a cucumber if you will.
We are farmers in the beautiful state of Vermont. My family has a strong history of being Vermont dairy farmers. So, it was a dream of mine to farm, and that’s exactly what we did.
When you have dairy cows, and are making cheeses and butter and yogurt, etc. you end up with a lot of extra waste and whey to toss out and we had thought about getting pigs but had absolutely no experience with swine. I don’t even know if I had ever physically touched or pet a pig before we got them. But another farmer trying to thin his herd, made us a great deal and CUT TO us bringing home 900lb older than usual pink sow, whom we named Patricia. Patty Pig.
Isn't she beautiful?!
We made her a great space, really took to loving Patricia. All the pigs enjoyed all the food we gave them. Patty was HUGE and very, very nice. Not all pigs are. We really felt like we could figure this all out. How easy pig farming is, right?! Wrong.
A month after we brought them home and 2 days after Christmas. So it’s full on Vermont winter. Snow everywhere. I have an 8 month old baby inside. I get a phone call from my husband just SCREAMING. Like a full on cartoon AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!
I panic, he’s out doing barn chores in the dark, in the snow, with my old as can be dog. I immediately think he’s been cornered in the barn by a mountain lion or something. Sam is ALWAYS CALM.
I ask quickly, “WHAT HAPPENED?!” I tried to get him to talk to me and he’s just AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! Finally, he SCREAMS “YOU’VE GOT TO GET OUT HERE, THERE ARE PIGLETS EVERYWHERE!!!!!!” So Patty Pig was apparently pregnant. We had no idea! There was 13 surprise piglets in the barn.
I can hear them squealing in the background! He is having a full blown panic attack. Apparently he called my mother on accident before he called me, also screaming. So she calls me in a panic right after he does, because Sam, my husband, does not act like this ever! So my parents and my sister are in the car on their way to our house! My mother in law and brother in law, who was still here from the holidays come straight over to watch the kids.
I make it out to the barn with my mom, dad, and sister. My dad jumps right in the pen.
There are indeed, piglets everywhere.
She had given birth to 13 piglets
Then, there were piglets, that had wandered around and somehow got themselves stuck in a wall!
So my dad and my husband are at one end of this pig. Who is about the size of a VW bug. Trying to get piglets out of a wall. My sister and I are at the other end catching some last minute piglets coming out.
We ended up having to pull apart part of the wall, or cut part of the wall away to get the little buggers out of there. Without upsetting the mama pig! It all ended up being fine in the end. In fact, it’s become a beloved family story.
The piglets were absolutely fine. They were spoiled to the nines, as was their mom.
I kept one of the piglets, an all brown Diva named Petunia. We still have her! We didn’t necessarily want to be thrust into the world of pigs so hard, but we were! You either dip a toe in the pool and ease yourself in or cannon ball.
Here we are! We still have pigs!
Warmly,
Shannon Hart
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