Spring is here on the calendar and thus begins another fair pig adventure. First responsibility was fixing the pen. There are major differences in the abilities of little pigs versus finished hogs. So of course we dismantled the old pen and worked out some solutions to problem areas. Of course teamwork was involved, some flared tempers, and thank goodness the sun was shining and it was warm because digging, pounding, lugging and solving problems takes a lot of work.
These two were not on the chore list and enjoyed frolicing and pretending to thier hearts content all weekend. Childhood is a magical time of imagining. Alivia has that talent by the bucket full. Millie misses her creative concocting all school week long.
School can be dangerous. Can you see the yellow purple bruise on her eye. She crashed into a classmate while running in p.e. and gained this shiner. IT cleared up quickly but gave her some soreness for the weekend. Love those sprinkling of freckles pulled out by the sunny days.
And the little pigs. This is a very noisey picture. From little kids enjoying a new jungle gym to the pigs reluctantly goign to a new pen there was lots of action going on in the background.
Reed is the ever willing helper. Although he is not a fair participant yet, he's too young, he does a lot of maintaining and assisting to get those pigs to the fair.
Our most brave and reliable animal handler. We sure love this oldest sister, she calmly and knowingly just tackles whatever is on the list for the day. I sure appreciate her level headed approach to life and her choice to be valiant.
Pigs are such curious creatures they have spent many hours at this fence line getting to know each other. And the kids have spent many hours at the other fence just watching. That seems to be a main activity with animals and people here just watching making sure they are ok. They are truly relaxing to watch. The quiet sounds they make their funny interactions and the way they investigate and care for each other is interesting to observe.
Mark is our top herdsman here. He is responsible for general herd knowledge from who had what calf, to when, to how they are both doing and that's for more than 20 mama cows. Last night after being gone an unusually long time he came home to report there was a calf in a bad way. We had noticed it apart from the herd a few days before but it had now mustered will to come to the main herd but was just about done for. I went with he an Anna to see what was going on.
A few days earlier Mark had informed me I loved another son more because I help him in a different way. I told Mark that was not true I just love them each differently trying to speak to them and their hearts as they listen.
We got to the farm and the calf looked bad. We unhooked the hot fence and daintily picked our way through the deep manure, though dryish, ally way to the helpless calf. WE tried the bottle, but could hardly get its jaws unclenched. It's muzzle was cold which is always a bad sign combine with inability to stand, dull eyes and gaunt body. I tried tubing it and got about a pint of warm milk in it. We laid it back on the ground and just watched. We sent Anna to get some electrolytes as it was showing scours symptoms. While we watched and dusk turned to dark Mark and I observed very close up the cows interactions with calves and each other. We assessed the herd he pointed out breeding characteristics that were changing from bull to bull. We had a great evening minus the sick calf at our feet. I pointed out Mark this is a way I love you. I stand very close the business end of cows and work with dying calves. He smiled. Again I told him I love you, I don't love doing this, but I do because I love you- and probably his dad could be included in this.
Anna came back with the warm electrolyte yogurt solution and we tried the bottle again. Same clenched jaw and inability to suck. I prepared the tube bottle and tubed it. Well I killed it. I went the wrong direction and poured the solution straight into it's lungs. I have never killed an animal before. I felt terrible and stupid. The very concerned mama cow took one sniff and walked away. Mark and Anna drug the very dead calf out of the pen and that was a night.
Not how I hoped it would go. I have tubed calves several times before and no harm. Those I had spoke with assured me it happens fast if you do it wrong. Yep it does, very fast. I apologized to all with a stake in the calf. Worked to calm my baby who had been screaming and enjoyed the quiet of my other kids already in bed.
A new experience to be the direct cause of death of one of these small animals. Each time though I learn some more and earnestly hope for a next time to not happen. Mark and John often ask "Why do we even try? It's just gonna die." I respond because it's wrong to see it suffer and do nothing. The doctoring experience before called for days of working with a down mother and her starving calf turned out to be just fine now. So I guess you win some you loose some. But I hope that the real memory of the night was that my son will know his mother loves him. I think that assurance is so critical. I do a lot of odd things I never imagined in my scope because of my love for these many unique kids in my home. Life is full of adventure amongst the mundane. By day I rejoice in the mundane after adventures stretch my limits. Life is good.
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