Starting the Tomatoes

We have started tomato plants getting ready for spring. We have them growing in the greenhouse so we'll have early tomatoes. The plants will also be available for sale at farmer's markets that begin this weekend. Looking forward to spring!

Getting Ready for Online Sale

It's picture day! We are selling some of our pigs to 4-H and FFA members in an online sale on April 19. They will take these pigs to the county fair. Being show pigs, we treat them extra special. We take pictures for our website. In the first picture, I'm trying to get some corn off this pig's nose -- he was eating before the photo shoot! You'll see an orange water can in the second picture. One of the pigs is getting a drink in between shots -- the life of a supermodel! The smaller pig is not supposed to be in the photo shoot. She is younger than the other pigs and not ready to be sold. But, she is quite the diva and insists on joining the bigger pigs in the photo. If you want to see the finished photos, click here to go to our show pig site.

The finishing touch before picture time!

Getting a drink from the water bottle.

A Winter of Baby Pigs

I'm just starting my blog, so I thought I'd catch you up with happenings on the farm in the last few months. This winter we were busy with baby pigs. The sows (mama pigs) are kept outside until they are ready to have their baby pigs. You can see the snow on the ground. We move the sows inside because on our farm it would be too cold for the babies outside. The next picture is my daughter washing the sow. Since the sow was outside, we need to get any mud off her udders so the babies can nurse in a clean environment.

The pregnant sows are kept outside

Washing the sows' underline before she has the babies.

 

 

 

 

 

We have the sows in a farrowing crate. When the baby pigs are born, they only weigh about 2 pounds. The sow weighs over 400 pounds. The crates give the babies room to move away from the mama pig where she can't step on them. If we didn't do this, we would lose about half of the babies. In the corners of the pen we have heating lamps. This is a place where the babies can get extra warmth. That also helps the sow keep cool. When the babies are first born, we want them to have a place to go that is 90 degrees. But that is MUCH too hot for a working mother! The warming corner lets the babies stay extra warm while giving the sow the rest she needs. These babies are so comfy that they fell asleep!

Babies nurse while the sows rests. The babies have a warming lamp in the corner
where the can get away from the sow's feet.

This baby fell asleep while eating!