Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The Outside Course!

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
PIGLETS!!!! (pictures)
Topic Started: Mar 13 2008, 08:59 AM (672 Views)
bronson
Member Avatar
Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
<3 :wub: AWWWWWWWWW! I want one!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Fenway
Member Avatar
Guiding your way to Candy Mountain, since 1873.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
bronson
Mar 13 2008, 03:40 PM
<3 :wub: AWWWWWWWWW! I want one!

Me too. We should steal them and save them from their freezer fates.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
thetoothpick&oliveshow
Member Avatar
Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Adorable.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
bronson
Member Avatar
Off visiting Candy Cave, be right back.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Fenway
Mar 13 2008, 04:49 PM
bronson
Mar 13 2008, 03:40 PM
<3  :wub: AWWWWWWWWW!  I want one!

Me too. We should steal them and save them from their freezer fates.

Ha! Yes!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stephjm
Member Avatar
It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Oh so cute!! They are so adorable until they get big and ugly! :lol:

And I'm with Jilli - I will eat meat as long as it is "anonymous." :P
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LostFarmer
Magical Leopluridon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Some of you have read this on the other bb but for those that missed it and think pigs are cute.

About 4:30 yesterday I am in the office meeting with a client. Lost child #2 (Cool calls from home. The conversation went something like this:
LC#2 - Dad, Sunshine (the 600 lb mother pig) is stuck and she is not happy.
LF – How is she stuck?
LC#2 – She is stuck in the baby pig area. (Knowing that the sow was to farrow, I built an area a little over 2 feet wide by 6 feet long. I had used 2x6 lumber and grabber screws to build this area. The bottom board was about 14” off the floor so that the baby pigs could hid under the heat lamps while mama was not able to be under the lights. This tends to reduce the number of fligs. A flig for those of you unfamiliar with farmerease is a flat pig.)
LF – How did she get in there?
LC#2 – I’m not sure. But she is stuck in there and REALLY REALLY MAD.
LF – I am in a meeting but I will be home as soon as I can.
LC#2 – Okay Dad but hurry she in not happy.

I finish up with the client talking about the cool house that has a spectacular view he is building. This will be a about 600 $/square foot when it is finished. On the way home Mrs. Lost calls. Hun, she says. Yes, Did you remember that LC#1 has 4-H awards banquet at 5:30? No, is that a problem? Did you remember that LC#4 (aka Caboose) has play practice? No, when did she become an actress? Oh you know the “Night Before Christmas” play for the holidays. Oh yea, what time is practice? At 6:15, and it takes 20 minutes to get there. Okay, divide and conquer. You can drop LC#1 at the banquet with her friends and then take Caboose to her practice. I will take care of Sunshine, help LC#2 and LC#3 finish chores, and hopefully we make it before they give LC#1 her sewing trophy. I am thinking ‘cool another crisis averted.’

I arrive change clothes and survey the damage. Sunshine had laid on her side and somehow skooched herself in under the lights. She then stood up and broke the lights. (More like destroyed the lights. Cords chewed into pieces, stomped on and mangled.) She was now stuck and LC#2 was correct she was not at all happy. Totally pissed would be and understatement. Luckily no electrical fire or fligs resulted. The problem came when I went to dismantle her cage she thought I was after her babies and became sow in protect babies mode. She was growling, snapping her jaws, and making the whole building shake with her antics. (Remember Old Yeller, yea she was that pissed.) A plan was quickly formulated. I would move the babies into the trailer, free Sunshine, put her in with the market pigs, and then put the babies back into their pen. I had wanted to wean the babies this weekend so it was good timing. Each baby squealed as they were caught and moved to the trailer. This tended to fire mama up even further. I then had to remove only to release the mama and hurdle the fence to safety, let her calm, then move her to the other pen and turn the babies loose. Simple, yes? Now if you haven't noticed I am not exactly built for speed nor blessed with cat like agility. Truth be told, a sloth would have to spot me a bit in a race. I pulled the first screw out, then the second. I am quivering like the last quacking aspen leaves in the fall. I pulled the last screw turned to jump out of the pen, tripped over the trough and landed face down in pig SH!T. I start scrambling to my feet, trying to hang onto the drill in one hand and the 2x6 in the other, and still escape one very mad mama pig. In the nick of time I managed to avert being roughed up by mama pig.

I am lying on the ground outside the shed knee bleeding, when LC#2 looks at me and says, “I told you Sunshine wasn’t happy.” That’s my boy the one with the keen perception of the obvious.

We go feed the ponies, must keep this horse related and the remaining bottle calves. Sunshine is now calm and her normal self. We move her and return the babies to their pen. Rush into the house, shower, and make it to the awards banquet with 30 seconds to spare before LC#1 receives her award.

Mrs. Lost and Caboose return home just minutes behind us. Caboose with wrinkled up nose says, “Mommy is smells like the pig pen in here. Mrs. Lost STRONGLY suggests that I take the clothes out to the barn and hose them off before I do the washing.

Sometimes I wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be cheaper to just buy bacon?

LF ;)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LostFarmer
Magical Leopluridon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
The rest of the story....

Last week:
Grandpa called, (the 86 yo shire breeder) Those 2 mares that are are down at the stud being bred. Well they need to come home. The old mare just wouldn't come in and since we aren't showing a late foal wouldn't matter much. So grandpa what does this have to do with me? Oh, can you go get them. Grandpa that is 90 miles away and I have a day job. Well next time you are in the area with a trailer. (okay about never.)

I find out that the regular packing plant that we take the pigs to won't take anything over 400 lbs. So I find this other plant that will but you guessed it it is 90 miles away in the same area as the shire stud. Guess I will get to pick up the mare anyway.

Sunday night I drive out to grandpa's to get his trailer. Mine is a 16' long 6' high stock trailer. It works well for ponies, cows and pigs. Not many 6' pigs out there. Get there and it has 2 flats and 2 very suspect tires. That is not an option. We live in a small town and no way to fix a tire after 1:00 on Saturday. Monday is the earliest that it could be fixed. Call uncle that has a big trailer it is available but I have to clean it first. Two hours later I have the trailer hooked up, cleaned out, and ready to roll.

Monday night: The Pigs need to be 90 miles away by 11:00 am on Tuesday. I decide to load the pigs on Monday evening to avoid the inevitable wreck on Tuesday morning. I back said huge trailer up to the pen. See unlike most horses pigs don't lead. It is a sad and very unfortunate thing. The task is simple in concept. Load 3 pigs into trailer. See I told you it was simple. Said pigs are Flicka, (310 lb gilt) Wilber (260 lb barrow) and Sunshine 685 lbs of still cheesed off sow. I didn't actually know the weights when I was loading them but after they were weighed in at the packing house we learned. But, I am getting ahead of myself. LC#2 and #3 must be in attendance as Flicka and Wilber are their pigs. See LF buys each child a pig, LF buys all the pig feed, Lost Children sell the pigs and keep the money. LC#3 sells his pig to LF and Mrs. LF. Mrs. LF and I then pay to process the pigs. I am not sure but I think the Lost Children are making out pretty well on this project.

There is an old wife's tale that you can put a bucket over a pigs head and since they won't be able to see they will go where you push them. So I have LC#2 and LC#3 and Mrs. Lost there to assist in the procedure. LC#2, the one with the keen perception of the obvious, says, "How are you going to get the bucket on Sunshines head? Now I didn't graduate with a degree in engineering for nothing. No-sir-ree bob. I think to myself I will put a little milk into the bucket then when Sunshine put her head into drink will push the bucket over the top. See I told you I graduated for a reason.

Small amount of milk is obtained and I am ready to do battle. The plan worked like a charm. I had the bucket over her head. BUT.. You all knew that was coming. If you are still with me. How do move 685 lbs of pig once the bucket is over her head? The wife's tale said nothing of such a problem. Abandon bucket thoughts.

Now what? I have a cheesed off mother pig who having been dupted and baited once was not going to be again. LC#2, Dad Sunshine is not happy again. I decide to just herd the three pigs into the trailer and all will be fine. For those uneducated in pig herding, cats are easier to herd. But to be a pig herder you need a stick and a pig board. I had a piece of plywood and a buggy whip so I am ready. I manage to get said pigs up to the back of the trailer, one last jump up and in and the task is complete. Not so quick, Sunshine spins and goes between my legs. I am not a tall person and that meant I found out about the future olympic sport of pig dressage. Sunshine and I are only training level as we could only accomplish about 13 of the movement. Mind you this is accomplished with me in a reverse position. The thoughts of another bath in pig poo is strong motivation for sticking the ride. We are doing fine until Sunshine changes sports without telling me and does a reining slide. I am unloaded over her head and land on my back. At least the pig poo broke my fall. By now Sunshine is CHEESED OFF and played the part of the aggressor. I with my trusty buggy whip have to make a stand. I manage to make it into the trailer and up into the top of the gooseneck. This is quit and accomplishment for a person covered in slimey poo. I yell for Mrs Lost to close the %$@! trailer door. Sunshine is caught! But so am I. Mrs. lost and LC#2 open the overhead access door. I'm now officially born again after crawling out that door.

I manage to close the center gate in the trailer trapping Sunshine in the front. Flicka and Wilber load right up once the rear gate is opened again. The are trying to get to Sunshine. Close the gate and thats that.

LC#2 turns to Mrs. Lost and says that was easier than I thought it would be. I don't know what station he was watching but that was far from easy.

Pigs spend the night in the trailer and are dropped off at the packing plant. Now the only task is to load 2 mares and a foal into a pig smelling trailer. But that is a story for another day.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
MissBri
Member Avatar
But, I don't care - it's 5:00 somewhere
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
i love your stories LF....


please continue on with the horse loading - that also is a good one!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
3Bays
Member Avatar
You're BANNED!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
:lol: :P :lol: :P :lol: :P :lol: :teehee: LF!!! Those stories are just TOO good! I've got a husband who's nearly rolling on the floor...GREAT stories...keep 'em comin'! ;)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Giddy-up
Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
LF--I think I would like to visit with your family for a week. It would be most entertaining & educating. :teehee: :point:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LostFarmer
Magical Leopluridon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Again some of you have seen this before. This actually happened this week. LF

For some strange reason when it rains it seems to pour. We here in the frozen tundra of Eastern Idaho have been blessed with winter. No just a little piddly winter but a good old fashioned up to your chin winter. The snow is settled to a nice 2 ½ to 3 ½ feet out in the fields. It is the good wet soggy snow now. I am using a team of shires to feed out the cattle out on the snow. I through the hay out a little further each night and the cows being the pansies that they are don’t walk on it. It works pretty well. Now that it is starting to be spring the snow is soft and heavy the sleigh with tire drag to “plow” the path is getting heavy. I harness hitch to the sleigh and load up. Horses are feeling frisky so I let them buck a little snow before I start unloading. Nothing like a little sweat to calm the senses.

We are enjoying the ride when I hear a pop from under the sleigh. A very short time later I am taking flying lessons over the front of the hay rack. See the pop was the bolt that held the front bob to the back bob. The back bob stopped and the front bob did not. I did a head plant into the snow on the other side of the sleigh rack. Horses are pulling hard load then it is suddenly easy. They were good and stopped to survey the damage. I unload the sleigh get the front bob back in place and get the bolt in place. I needed a couple more hands at that moment. (Mrs. Lost says I have plenty of hands.) Rehitch horses, reload the hay and finish the chores. I found muscles that I was completely unaware existed. Not to mention I was soaked to the bone from wading around in thigh deep snow.

Get home and dad says that it he has an appointment for the pigs at the cold time out place in the morning. So I plow snow to get to the trailer backed up to the eight 300 lb pigs. I thought that I would make it simple and back the trailer up to the point that the piggies would have a 6 inch step into the trailer. Pigs do not load easy. At least the last 3 didn’t. I ended up getting them next to the step and closing the door to where they were stuck. I then tipped them over end for end by lifting them from the tail. Mrs. Lost said I had to have a bath before I could eat. Can you believe that? After being wet, cold, and then sweaty wrestling pigs I get told to take a bath before I can eat. Of all the insults.

Today through the use of modern medicine I am moving, not quick mind you but I am moving. I can’t wait to eat a BLT sandwich courtesy of one of those pigs.

LF
http://www.drafthorsevillage.com/phpBB2/al....php?pic_id=457
http://www.drafthorsevillage.com/phpBB2/al....php?pic_id=458
http://www.drafthorsevillage.com/phpBB2/al....php?pic_id=459
http://www.drafthorsevillage.com/phpBB2/al....php?pic_id=460
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Fish Cheeks
Member Avatar
You're BANNED!
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
LF, oh my goodness, I love your stories!

How long does it take to hitch up your heese?

Our neighbors don't have to load their pigs to take them to the butcher - the "hit man" comes and does the deed at your place and then he loads them up on his truck and takes them to be processed. You only have to get your pigs in the trailer to go to the fair, if that's your thing.

So did the horses get into the pig-smelling trailer? Do tell!

To those who don't want to see their food. I thought I would be be adverse to eating Popeye, since I had met him and everything, but I had no problem with it. I guess because I know how he was raised and fed and that he had a good life. I do worry and wonder about the nameless, faceless, factory-farmed animals - that makes me sad and that's what I won't eat. :lonely:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
LostFarmer
Magical Leopluridon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Fishy,

It takes about 15 minutes to harness. I put oats in the feed boxes the night before so it is open the barn door and the horses go to the tie stalls. The stalls are 10 feet wide with a feed box in the front. I brush the shoulders and put the collars on then throw the harness on and do up all the straps. I put the lines on in the stall as well. Back out and drive out of the barn. It is about that simple. I usually take more time than that but it is puttering around the barn cleaning tack, pulling manes, or other such methods of entertainment.

I so agree with you that it is better to know your food and what it ate before you eat it. I don't enjoy the butchering process and I even feel a little bad when I play hit man but it is just part of life.

Our fair pigs get to the point that they load on command. The first time is a battle but they are less than 100 lbs so it isn't too bad. The last time it is as easy as open the trailer and hold the gate.

Actually the mares walked right in to the trailer. It wasn't a problem at all. On the other hand that isn't as good of story as the cliff hanger. :innocent:

LF
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · The Hay Loft · Next Topic »
Add Reply