Piglets!!!

Last night around 8:00, Sassy went into labor. I haven't mentioned her pregnancy much because (a) we didn't keep track of when she actually was bred and didn't have a confirmed due date and (b) I wanted to be sure everything went well before sharing the news. Also, (c) Sassy has grown so unbelievably fat I didn't want to embarrass her:

Everything went well. Here's the first little piggy, unsuccessfully looking for a teat:

The midwives (my husband, daughter, and brother-in-law) looking on:

We weren't sure how much to interfere, but sometimes the gilt or sow can roll on or step on (or even rip apart!) the just-born piglets while she's delivering another one. So the boys moved the piglets out of her way each time she got up and moved around. They were surprisingly lively and wandered all over the pen shortly after being born.

My husband helping Sassy with her rhythmic breathing:

Fudd, the dad, paced nervously in the waiting room:

It took quite a long time between the first two piglets and the next two, but eventually there were four, in color-matched pairs:

Our older piggies seemed a bit curious about all the barn traffic that late at night:

And Fudd got up for a snack but went back to bed:

There was almost an hour where Sassy seemed to be having contractions but no piglets. I took more pictures of the first four but then had to bring my daughter (who was falling asleep seated on an upturned bucket in the pen) up to bed.

A few minutes after I got into the house, my husband called to say two more piglets had been born and it was over. The last one, he said, couldn't get the mucous out of its mouth and throat and would have died if they hadn't been there to help.

I got this picture this morning, although you can barely tell there are 6 piglets here:

Dad is exhausted:

We were very pleased with how smoothly everything went. There is still a chance Sassy could accidentally roll on the piglets but my husband said now that labor was over she was being very careful to tiptoe around them when she got up. Cross your fingers.

There's been a lot of stuff going on, farm-wise, lately. Both of our hen turkeys have been laying eggs, although only Trixie is actually sitting  on hers. My husband took four eggs from each of them and has them in an incubator in the house. We may be lousy with turkey poults in another few weeks.

My husband and BIL devoted the weekend to setting fenceposts for the cows' pasture. You may be able to see a bluebird box on a post to the right of the fence. The boys had to move this, with a nest and four bluebird eggs inside, while putting up the new fence. Mother Bluebird flew around during the process but settled back down when it was over.

Dave the Peacock supervises:

Daisy:

An actual flower picture proving that spring is coming to Vermont:

Although things are turning green very slowly, the weather has been absolutely perfect all week: high 70s to low 80s, breezy, and sunny. We so deserve this.

Lilac buds:

Ed and Lars:

And, Milo, doing what he does while off-duty:

While I'm blogging, I'll throw in a couple pictures of my handspun April socks, made with my BL Sophie/merino yarn. I'm doing the second cuff now but here's the first:

These are the Diagonal Cross Rib socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks book.

I am doing these on 0s, thanks to my loose knitting, but they are a bit snug. I could have used 1s like the pattern calls for. However, I like a rather close fitting sock, so I'm quite happy so far.

Yesterday morning, one of the cows got out and ran laps around the barn until my husband got home and settled her down. (I now call him the Cow Whisperer.) Then once we got her in the barn, we found someone had left Sassy and Fudd's gate open. Fudd never woke up, but Sassy had waddled over to the hay and was sleeping against a round bale. Then that afternoon, all the turkeys crossed the road and in my efforts to herd them I tripped over a branch and ripped my leg all open.

And most annoying of all, I was trying on a dress I bought online. It was way too small, and the stupid spandex thing with built-in bra top was so tight I kind of got stuck in it. In my effort to get it off, I think I may have torn something important in my shoulder. Fashion can be deadly.

Today is much better.

Comments

[SpiderWomanKnits]

So Sweet! Congrats! The piglets are adorable. We've been thinking about pigs too. I have a friend who raises Berkshire Hogs and we love going over there when the piglets are born.

P.S. I got my yarn last week and I **love** it. One skein is to be gifted but it's really hard to decide which ;-)

[Carol]

Wow, when you do spring, you do it right! The piglets are adorable! So much green going on there too. I hope you're feeling OK, try to stay out of trouble ;-)

[Amanda]

Oh, those piglets are sooooo sweet! *Aaron used to call them "oinklings" when he was little. :)
And the only thing cuter than the piggies is how your animal whisperer of a husband curls up with animals under his chin. Adorable.
Love the picture of poor exhausted Fudd. :)

[Ruth]

Some exciting times on the farm! Fudd looked totally exhausted after all the work....the piglets are so very cute!

[lindy]

Congrats on the new arrivals, are they named yet?
As usual Milo is gorgeous.
Hope the shoulder heals quickly and doesn't stop the knitting!
What a surprise, hubby snuggling a cute animal, he is such a softy.

[Tracey]

Soooo cute! Congrats on such a successful outcome. Can't wait to see the baby birdies when they hatch and your finished sox.

[Sherri]

Congratulations to the new family!

Your socks look great - I am still spinning mine. If only I was independently wealthy and didn't have a full time job that sucked every waking moment (and a bit of my soul) out of my day...

[Susan]

Oh what an exciting post! Love the little piggies and well..what can I say about their father. Certainly hope he gets rested soon. Sounds like everything is bustin' out all over up there. No babies here except for some baby foxes born in the park by where I work. And to think I was getting paid while trying to take their pictures. Not a farm..but the best I could do today.

[Susan]

ooops got so excited I forgot to say that I hope your shoulder isn't hurt bad. Reminds me of the time I got stuck in a bathing suit top in a dressing room at a store. I don't want to think any more *G*.

[Teyani]

Deadly fashion and new piglets.. what a post!
I hope that your leg heals quickly and whatever else might have been stretched wrong in the try-on-event AND that you continue to enjoy the farm life.
Ahhhhh, how I remember those animal births. exciting and scary, yet mostly wonderful.
congrats on the new additions.
oh, yeah, and nice socks too :-)

[Sharilyn]

Great pics! Happy spring! Nice sock!

[Helen]

The piggies are adorable...
my girls are now more eager than ever for summer so that they can see them. (They almost believe that the piggies will be closer to pig size by late June).

[Walter Jeffries]

Cute piglets! They're so much fun.

[DebbieB]

Hon, I just love your blog, for so many reasons. Always glad to see an update. :)

[Kristen]

Congratulations to the proud parents, both porcine and human! Piglets are incredibly cute.

[lynne s of oz]

Nothing like getting stuck in your own clothes to make you appreciate life when you finally struggle out again (I'm guilty of getting stuck with a sweater halfway over my head)! LOL If your shoulder doesn't settle, get it checked out. I ran round with a subluxed shoulder for three months three years ago - I'm still getting over it.
Piggies! Bacon! ;-)

[JessaLu]

Cute piglets! :o)

I vote for CW becoming his permanent blog name... ;o)

Sorry to hear about your leg - and your shoulder. Hope you feel better!

[heide]

What cute piggies! How amazing that they walk so early too. Hope your leg heals quickly. BTW, I think that y'all are too hard on poor little Milo. What a rough life!

[Kim]

Those piglets are TOO cute...and Milo is as adorable as ever.

It sounds like life at your house is pleasantly busy right now :-)