It was a really hot afternoon. I had finished with everything I needed to do, so I went to check on the pigs. I walked through the grass to the pen. I guess I was really quite. The pigs were all asleep in the pen. I went over and talked to them like I always do. Well, apparently I startled all three of them. They all jumped up and tried to escape from the pen. Gus ran right into the hog panel. Got back and did it again. He seemed dazed after it. The other two were running around the pen. Poor things. Once they realized it was me, they calmed down. It was kinda funny the way it all happened. But, I felt bad for them at the same time. I thought pigs had really fantastic hearing, but apparently not so much when they are asleep. I hope nothing ever tries to attack them. I do pray about that every night.

I think I’ve said this before, but goats like leaves and those thing more than they like to graze the grass. I had a bunch of limbs down now and so I had lots of food for them. Or so I thought. I wasn’t able to move those limbs if you remember. So I have been pulling them off little by little and throwing them to the goats to eat. They love it!! I have been taking a lot of time doing this. But, the goats are worth it. However, they may have bloat now after all that eating. I worked them, but it hasn’t helped so may have to treat them for bloat when hubby gets home. I cannot use the drench gun alone. Last time Romeo was treated for bloat, he about swallowed the end of the gun. We will see this week what we have to do.

We recently had yet another storm. I about about tired of those for sure. I’m sitting watching tv or doing homework or something. I hear a very loud crack but didn’t think much of it since there was all kinds of thunder and lightening going on. I look out the window later and I see limbs down on the yard, close to our truck. I knew there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I went out to see if I could move it, but I couldn’t. The next day, guess what, another limb, or rather half the tree, was hanging there. I can’t even move the truck now and I can’t get the limbs out of the tree. Just craziness. All I can do it just let it hang there. I’m learning how to do things on my own, but I am unable to do all of that. Anyway, I was walking through the yard a couple days after that and saw some of the bark off the tree. It looks like it was actually hit by lightning. Good grief.

Out in the yard today giving the pigs so love and all of a sudden someone started shooting close to the house. This happened last weekend, too. I’m not sure who is doing it or why. But, we do live in the country and we do it, too. Haven’t since we got all the animals though. Here I go again with being neurotic, nervous a stray bullet will hit one of my animals. That probably won’t happen. They probably weren’t shooting as close as it sounded. I’m being silly, but that’s who I am. I care about these animals and they deserve the best care I can give them.  However, none of our farm animals seemed bothered by the gun shots at all. The dogs didn’t like it and were really nervous of the gunshots and had to get as close to me as possible. I found that funny. Poor little things.

I got a call from a lady a few weekends ago. This is a woman I trust and have known for a while. I would help her in any way I could. However, she called to tell me she had 2 pot belly pigs running around in her yard. They had been there for a few days and they were eating all of her chicken feed. As this was going on, I also had company at my house. I couldn’t do anything at the time. I told her to let me know if she was able to trap them and I would see what I could do. I really am a sucker for animals in need. I really didn’t know what I was going to do if she caught them. A couple housers later, she texted me and let me know she had caught one of them. So, I got the ball rolling, or so I thought. There is a rescue not far from where I live and not far from where my friend lives. I contacted them and they were going to help us out but it was going to take a bit. As I started to text my friend the next day and let her know I had not forgotten her and the rescue was working on it, she texted me to say the owner of the pigs finally showed up to get them.  She had been to the owners house previously and they had not been in a hurry to get them.  Poor little things, breaks my heart on so many levels. But, you know, I don’t think I can care for 2 more pigs and I don’t think Ronnie would have let that happen for sure. I don’t have any pics so I’m going to put my piggy pics on this post.

The mineral block I was talking about earlier.... I couldn’t remember which block we had before and Ronnie wasn’t with me, so I didn’t know which one to get. I read the minerals in them to make sure the minerals Hercules needed were in the block. I wanted to make sure I was getting something to help him. What I didn’t realize until I got home and got it out of the car was that it was for reproductive health. Oh my!!! I texted my husband so he could laugh about it with me. I felt like I had really made a mistake but I knew Hercules really needed some of those minerals and I didn’t find this one certain mineral in the other blocks. We discussed it and decided it should be fine. And honestly, it has been fine. Only problem is, I have three goats that have not been neutered eating a mineral block for reproductive health. No, they aren’t going crazy but they may eventually. I’m hoping for the best. I still feel like I made a mistake and now I’m needing female goats for all these males. But, then again, I don’t have time for babies!! 

If it’s not one thing on a farm, it’s another. I went out to check on the goats and the donkey one day and noticed Hercules was really losing his hair. I noticed it a few days before but it was getting way worse really quickly. Started doing some research and it could have been a number of things. There was a list: lice, rubbing in the fence, fungus, mineral deficiency, etc. How do you even start to rule all of that out? I knew it wasn’t lice because there were no bugs. I didn’t think it was a fungus since none f the other animals had it. That left mineral deficiency and rubbing on the fence. He had been rubbing on the fence, but so had the other goats and they didn’t look like that. I mean, there were patches of hair missing. I also noticed about this time that their mineral block was almost gone. So I figured maybe that really was what was happening. I freaked out for nothing, but that’s usually normal for me. I got a new block which is a story on its own that I will post later, but it worked. Hercules looks so much better and not like an uncared for goat. Poor thing.

Out taking care of the animals, Bacon bit and Pork chop are having the time of their lives. They run around constantly and seem to be loving their new home. They have warmed up more to me even the last few days. I sat out there on the ground for an hour and they came close, but not up to me yet. It’s definitely a work in progress. Those sweet little things love to root. They are rooting up the entire pen and eating the weeds and stuff in the pen. They are not eating much of their food anymore because of all that. They are also getting good at dumping out their water bowls, too. I think they are getting in it to cool off. They are loving laying in the cool dirt. It’s really the cutest thing. Now them running from me isn’t all that cute but I’m getting used to that. They will come around. I’m determined... of course, I’ve been working with Spam and Treat for months and I’m still not there yet. I’m hoping these two won’t be as stubborn as the other two. Only time will tell.

So, I have spent so much time with my animals, I have let everything else go. Or at least sometimes that’s how I feel. I do work full time and have a commute to work. I also am in school finishing a degree. My poor husband works out of town so isn’t here to be able to help much, though he does when he is here. Then I have the farm, the house, the pool, and the garden to deal with every day. I went out to check on things and my pool was green. Like very green. I thought, oh no, this isn’t good. When we moved into the house, my husband joked that he would get rid of the pool if I ever let it get bad. Well, it’s bad. I had tried desperately to get it to not be green with no luck. Now, I know he was joking and when I told him about the green pool he laughed, he told me again he was just kidding. I really thought it was something I had done or rather not done to let it get that bad. I took in a water sample to the pool store. She confirmed that it was in fact, not my fault. With all of the rain and cooler temps we have had, that is what turned the pool green. And she told me how to fix it. Today I am working on fixing the pool. I really hope it works.

My last blog post was about Daisy and loving the pigs. I know the pigs love her, too. The thing is, lady night, Daisy stuck her head through the hog panels and was loving on Spam and Treat. If you look back, I have posted about Daisy and Treat, my wayward pig. They share many memories of running through the woods and all. They are crazy about each other. So as I’m sitting there watching them, Treat tried to take a bite out of Daisy!! Daisy didn’t react except for slipping her head out of the hog panel. I actually think it hurt her feelings. Now she is not trying to love on them today like she has been. Poor sweet Daisy. She doesn’t know what to think. I’m not sure either. If it had been Spam, I would understand, but it wasn’t. 

During my research, I have seen a lot of different things saying to keep your pot belly pigs away from your dogs. If you put them together, always stay with them and watch them. Because pigs are a prey animal and dogs can be a predator. Not saying the dog would attack a pig, but it does happen. I actually saw a post the other day about a pot belly pig that got attacked by a dog that lived in the same house and were friends. It’s really basic instinct in the animal world. So, as I write all of this, I know it can happen, but Daisy loves all of our pigs so much. When Treat kept getting out, she would chase her and find her. She never hurt her and could have if she had wanted to. Instead of using her teeth or any of that, she would lay on top of her until I could get there. Of course, it didn’t actually work that way but she tried. Even the new babies love Daisy and the other dogs. I think it is so cute how Daisy will go around and check each of them. When they were in the kennel, Daisy would sit and watch over them to make sure they were ok. They all get along through the fence and they love on each other. It is absolutely adorable. Daisy is such a good dog. She was definitely in the right place at the right time when she was found and brought to our house.

Right after we got our first few animals, I got a call from an old friend of mine. She had some sheep she needed to rehome due to some personal things. She had a whole herd of them and they all got attacked. She had 3 left and was scared for them. They were very skittish and their horns had been chewed off. She wasn’t sure what to do so she reached out to me. They were all female. I discussed it with my husband. We decided to not take them since we only had the one pen and the 3 goats and donkey we had were all male. We didn’t want to try to breed a new kind of animal. That would have been wrong on so many levels. The main reason we did not take them though was because we had 3 dogs and the sheep had been attacked by dogs. We did not want to stress them out anymore than they were already stressed. I told her we couldn’t take them and why but I knew someone that might. I cannot tell you how grateful I was that this lady was able to help her and take the sheep. It warmed my heart to know there are still people out there in the world that could help each other out. The sheep are doing well in their new home. Still skittish but doing well. I felt like I had helped in a little way to the woman that needed to rehome them and the sheep themselves. It’s a good feeling. I don’t have any pics of them but here are a few of my animals... again. Are you sick of those yet?? I take a ton everyday!!!

I am sure I have talked about this before and this may get you right in the feels, but as I was watching the two little ones, Bacon bit and Pork chop in case you forgot their names, I was so grateful that I did not separate these two. I know it’s been a little bit of a pain, getting Pork chop fixed and all, but for me, it’s worth it. Those two are so bonded, I would hate to think what would have happened if I had separated them. If you remember, I went to get just one, the female and was not going to get the male because it’s more vet bills. I’m not a rescue and those bills can get really high. When I showed up that day to get the female, the man I got them from had them both in a crate and they were absolutely terrified. They were huddled together like their lives depended on it. I asked him what he would do with the male and he said that he would be fine and would stay there until he found a home for him. Well, as you know, I’ve been researching and knew they were social animals and didn’t do well alone. Now don’t get me wrong, all of this guys animals were very well taken care of and he had more litters of piglets looking for homes also, but I just could not bare the thought of these two getting separated. It broke my heart. I knew I did the right thing by taking both of them together. Those two crack me up so much. They are never apart. I don’t think they would have done well apart.  They needed each other and I’m glad I could accommodate them in their new home.

I got a sweet little surprise tonight. I went out to love on Gus and try to get the others to let me love on them, too. I did get to love on all of them which is really rare. So anyway, as I was loving on Gus, he was giving me kisses. But then he turned around and gave me Eskimo kisses. I was so shocked!! How sweet is that?!?! I also got to love on the girls. Not a lot and Spam still hates me, but there again.. I have made some progress with the pigs. I never knew how happy these pigs were going to make me. Yeah, I may actually be a crazy pig lady these days.

As I have been looking back through hundreds of pictures I have taken over the last few months of all these animals, I am amazed at the difference at Treat. When I first laid eyes on Spam and Treat, I really only saw Spam. She was so clean and cute. I didn’t realize Treat was so sick. Chasing them around to get them to take them home, I caught Spam. I didn’t realize how bad Treat was until a couple days later. I know we have discussed the mange, but I’m going back to that again because I want you to understand how bad off she was. The lady that had them had already lost one of them and had two left. I really almost lost Treat. It was so bad. I still get upset when I think about it. She is doing so well now. I’m going to post the video of catching spam and the difference in Treat then and now. Treat looks so much better now and is feeling so much better. Her and I have been through so much together.

This morning I really thought we had turned a corner. In we, I am referring to Bacon bit, pork chop and me. As I came out this morning to feed all the pigs, Bacon bit ran to the fence. I really thought she was going to just magically be friends now, but that was wishful thinking. As I came just a little closer, of course she ran off. Pork chop may still be mad about getting fixed. He is staying away from me. When it was time to feed this evening, same thing happened. They both got happy to see me, but when I came into the pen, they took off. I’m not proud of this, but a couple days ago, I chased them around the pen for a good half hour. I really just wanted to love on them, but it wasn’t happening. Regardless though, I do believe there is progress being made. Finally.. it may be a small victory, but it’s happening.

I just finished telling you about Cracker Jack and the older dogs. Now let me tell you about The goats and Daisy. Maggie and Pepper don’t really try to mess with them. 2 out of 3 of the goats have horns and will head butt you. No lie. But daisy loves to aggravate the goats. She will grab their tails and grab their horns.. and not let go. They will head butt her and she will grab on the horns again. They don’t fear each other and none of them are being aggressive really, but it scares me a little when Daisy’s head is through the fence and has horns in her mouth and won’t let go. It just seems a little rough. Poor Hercules and Romeo have permanent scratches on their horns from Daisy’s teeth. But what can you do. I can yell and get mad and smack her on the nose, but it doesn’t help. Maybe powering up the shock collar?!?! 😳

I think this is an incredibly sweet story. Not really funny at all but I feel important to share with you. My donkey, Cracker Jack is 14 years old. He really isn’t much on things running at him or high energy stuff. He is super loving but likes calm people and animals. He has a hard time with two of the goats because they like to run and get in his way and stuff. He has taken up as best buds with the one goat that will not let anyone come near him. For some reason, I find that funny. Anyway. Once cracker was introduced, through the fence of course, to Maggie and pepper, he loves them. Probably because they are older dogs. But, honestly, Cracker Jack really wants to get to Maggie. He will follow her up and down the fence row. I think it’s because he knows she is sick. He doesn’t really do that with Pepper and he runs from the fence when Daisy comes near him, she has way too much energy for anyone to tolerate. I truly feel like he does this to Maggie because he knows she is sick. I know animals know things we can’t always see and I think he just knew. To me that is really sweet.