Hog heaven

Fudd got a new wallow this week.

Ahhhh.

He's not the only one in hog heaven lately. My husband bought ANOTHER tractor this week, this time a 1952 Ferguson, and a set of harrows for getting the cornfield ready for planting.

Of course, what antique tractor purchase is complete without an antique two-row corn planter to go with it?

Not to say that my husband is getting carried away with this whole homesteading thing, but this might be an indication: Here's the garden space he tilled for me. Do you think it will be big enough?

(Confession: The nearby farmstand planted it last year, so the ground had already been used for veggies. He kept it the same size, just in case....)

Anyway, it's spring. And it's crazy.

We have been extremely busy around here, more so than usual. Tuesday, I wrote a column about the goats (which you may be able to read online shortly). And today I will be sending a big batch of yarn to yarn4socks.com for their sock club.  Because of that, there is no shop update this week.

Nor is there any appreciable knitting to show. Now that we can actually get outside and it's light from 5:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night, why stay inside?

My husband and brother-in-law have been working until dark to get everything ready for summer around here.  Here's my brother-in-law, whom I may start calling "Lurvy," building the Stairway to Heaven.

But where does it lead?

Up over the pigpen...

To the new chicks' penthouse. I swear this would make a great studio apartment. It has a great view of the fields and just needs a little sheetrock to be nice and cozy.

Introducing 41 balls of fluff:

Don't get too sentimental. In a couple of months, these birds will be going into our freezer (and my brother-in-law's). But for now they're living in high style and not getting treated like factory birds.

In fact, we're trying to slow down the frightening growth rate that meat chickens have been selectively bred for. Rather than being crammed into tight quarters, kept under lights 24-7 (so they can eat more often) and being essentially force-fed nothing but grain, these birds will have space, fresh air, sunshine, an outdoor run, and a wider variety of food. They are still freakishly mutated animals, just like the ones we eat from the supermarket, but they will at least get treated well. This is our first foray into meat birds. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

We are getting ready to put Fudd back with Sassy and the babies. The boys took out a door and put in a fence so the pigs could at least see each other. Fudd and Sassy were practically overjoyed. And the babies and Fudd seemed quite taken with each other. You should have heard all the happy grunting and seen all the curly-tail wagging. As soon as a piglet-proof fence gets built, they can all be together, outside and in.

Fudd and Sassy, together again:

Fudd and a piglet:

At one point yesterday, I found Fudd with his snout through the bars and one of the piglets rooting around INSIDE HIS MOUTH. For now, Fudd is a bit forlorn. (Yes, I know it's dangerous to attribute human emotions to animals, especially those whose offspring we will someday serve for dinner, but if anything I'm learning that it's not a bad thing to have empathy for your food.)

The piggies are growing fast. Sassy's a good mama:

Here, five piglets are getting dinner:

Number 6 is busy with other things:

But eventually she crashes the party:

The 3 other pigs have been working hard. Check out this fond embrace:

But wait, there's more. Can you spot the turkey in this picture?

Yes, up there, above all the junk, there's Trixie:

She's been sitting on a nest (my husband brought in the hay for her) for weeks. Babies are due next week! We also have 8 eggs (4 of hers, 4 of Bad Mother Rose's) in an incubator. They're due to hatch Monday, although we're not sure if they will.

Dave is big into courtship these days. He likes to show off for the peahen under the apple trees.

As usual, he moons the camera:

All of this displaying is accompanied by vibrating feathers and vigorous foot stamping. Below, he pretends to be a satellite dish. Radar Love, indeed.

Finally, I got the full frontal view.

We're kind of hoping the hen isn't impressed. Dave already spends much of the day standing in the middle of the road stopping traffic (a springtime ritual, we've learned). We don't need a dozen birds doing that. Supposedly peacocks are rather secretive about their mating and nesting so we won't know for awhile if babies will result from all this showing off.

The chickens and turkeys are doing their best to liven up the view in the yard.

Chip in charge:

Calvin yearns for power:

Big Fat Daisy snags a strawberry:

Lars:

And what farm scene would be complete without sheep and goats and apple trees?

Springtime in Vermont.

It doesn't suck.

Comments

[Teyani]

love that new hog heaven
and your veggie "garden".. all I can say is whoa! You're gonna be a busy gal this summer.
Your farm looks like a scene out of Eden.

[Carrie]

"Garden". Ha. Mine (4X6) is a garden. Yours is a farm.
I'm curious about the chickens - do you send them somewhere for processing or do you have to do all the yucky stuff yourself?

[martha in mobile]

You've really gone "whole hog" into the homestead scene! It does feel good to know that your future food has a good (if short) life. While we don't eat our hens, I am glad that they live well while providing eggs for us.

[Cynthia]

Wow!!!

[Amanda]

Ah, Spring! Look at those piggies and new chickies! Definitely does not suck. :)

[margene]

I'm totally impressed with your homestead this year!!

[Marianne]

The peacock plummage would make a lovely shawl pattern! Love reading your blog, I've always wanted to have a farm like yours.
Happy weekend!!!

[aimeed]

Ah, springtime. Cornish cross? I tell ya, from what I've seen, those guys don't really respond to the good life--they still just sit around the feeder. But, you never know. Jersey Giants (a heritage breed) will size up as well, but haver a slower growth rate, will forage, etc. (This is not me criticizing you--just passing on what we've learned.)
We may be branching out into meat rabbits this year.

[trek]

Wish we could grow lots of yummy veggies here. But our yard is almost totally in shadow most of the day. The hazards of mature trees on a half acre lot!

[Helen]

Thanks for sharing your spring with us.
It makes me long to live where there are no home owners associations or city ordinances to control what sorts of critters can hang out in my back yard!

[Michelle]

Piggies like fresh cornstocks.. but you probably already knew that.
: )

Radar Love? That cracked me up.

[no-blog-rachel]

'Radar Love'. You kill me!

You live in my idea of Nirvana (except of course I'm ignoring the fact that you've got a mortgage, bills, and all of the issues the rest of us have - it just looks damn fine).

[Sonya]

Pigs are just cute and that's all there is to it. If my dad didn't stubbornly remain on a dial up connection, I'd email him the picture of your corn planter. That's just cool. You do live in nirvana! Well, except for the chores.

[Jessie]

bucolic heaven. thank you for sharing this life so different from my own. Lovely!

[Sara]

Your life is so different from mine - but, it looks like you are so happy! Love seeing all your animals...and watching them as they grow.

[Norma]

Yep, it totally doesn't suck, and you are doing it up in such fine style, too. I am *this close* to getting hens. Well, in my fantasies, anyway.

[janna]

How.... pastoral! Even though that tractor and corn planter were made before I was born, they remind me of my childhood -- I guess you don't trade in a tractor every two years!

[Kristen]

I live my virtual idyllic farm life through your blog.
If a chicken is going to be dinner someday, it should at least live a happy chicken life such as you are providing. What breed are your chicks? And are there still non-mutated breeds that are raised for meat?
Looking forward to the unfolding story of the Little Red Hen wheat.

[lisa]

No kidding it doesn't suck! Whoa, I am rather jealous of your humongous giganto garden space... lots of room for squash and corn and things we have no room for in our 30-40 foot on a side square garden!

[Mary Lou]

Love the photos! What a lovely homestead you have! No wonder you don't want to stay inside...there's so much going on outdoors!

[Julie]

Nearly 20 years ago, my in-laws raised the chickens for our wedding reception. They were the best tasting chickens but they sure were stupid critters!

I love looking at the pictures of your farm. Thanks for posting so many.

[heide]

Could I move into the chick loft? You'd barely know I was there. I've never been to the north east, but thanks to you I'm in love with Vermont. Happy Mother's Day!

[Susanne]

Great post.. I think you should print that very last picture exactly as you have it there and frame it for your wall. about 18" high by 4 ft long!! G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S!! I am envious!

[Chris]

It sure doesn't suck! But, I kept looking at the pictures thinking, she must have hid the sock in there somewhere, where are they?
I'll be up in VT in about 4 weeks time, camping - I can't wait!

[Susan]

I understand about getting attached to animals that are raised for our later consumption. As a child my grandparents raised animals which would later turn into very good breakfasts! I had one pig that I had named and really liked. I was there with her at the end. I thought I'd be upset. Turns out I wasn't. I think the knowing of what the animals are for helps when their end comes.