I am going out of town for a few days. I know this sounds so silly, but I picked a weekend that is going to be very cold. It makes me feel so bad about leaving now because of the weather. That’s crazy, I know. I couldn’t do anything about that if I was here or I wasn’t here. I just feel so bad leaving all my animals for a few days. I do have someone coming twice a day to feed and check on them so I know they will be cared for with no problems but I’m still worried. I know they are going to be so mad. I hate that. And I have put extra straw in the shelters to keep them all warm. I am just going to pray hard that they will be fine. I’m really more worried about them getting pneumonia from the weather changes lately but no one can do anything about that. I’m sure they will be fine. I’m being paranoid. I’m totally aware of this. The temps are dropping and there is nothing but water and mud out in the pens. I need this vacation and it’s going to be great. I have got to stop worrying.

Well, I have been seeing a lot about how dogs and pigs don’t do well together and how they should never be left unsupervised together. When I first heard this I was thinking, hmmm... that’s weird, my dogs love my pigs. However, in saying that, they have never been together without a fence in between them. So in reality, I didn’t know what would happen. On social media posts, I have really seen some horrific dog wounds to pigs in the last few weeks. Thousands of dollars worth of vet bills and poor little pigs fighting for their lives. It really is a sad thing. I am really glad I have listened to the warnings. A few weeks ago I was out in the pig pen (of course, where else would I be except maybe the goat and donkey pen), I was loving on Gus and daisy came by, outside the pen of course. Gus lunged at her and snapped at her. She didn’t react except to look sad and walk off. I have seen him do this with my dog Pepper also. I have also seen Spam do this with Daisy. I hadn’t really thought about it much until seeing all of these posts about dog attacks. I do think now after seeing all of this with my dogs and pigs, anything could happen if they were out of the pen together. I am glad I have listened to the warnings. Pigs apparently start the fight, but the dogs finish it. It’s the predator and prey instincts. It doesn’t matter that they know each other and have been friends. Anything can happen.

I haven’t been posting much lately. I have been so busy. I have something funny that happened yesterday. I was out in the pens and I was finished feeding and watering all the animals. I tried to give the pigs some attention but they were cold and didn’t want to be bothered. I stuck my head in the big pigs’ shelter and was petting them. They let me love on them but they were busy with the new straw and getting snuggled in. So I go over to the small pig pen. Same thing. I know they were cold. They had rooted up the entire pen so I’m sure they were tired also. Little brats!! So they wouldn’t pay any attention to me either. I’ve had somewhat of an emotional few days and I really needed some animal therapy. I just went right into there shelter and sat down. They really didn’t know what to do. It was actually pretty hilarious. They all stood in the door looking at me. Brutus finally came in, but he loves me. The other ones are still stand offish but will let me love on them on their terms. In this moment though, they were not happy. I will say this, it does get warm in there. I don’t blame them for wanting to stay there.

It’s a colder one today with rain. Normally the pigs like the rain but definitely don’t with the cold. They came out to eat this morning and went back in the house. I got home and they were not going to come out until I brought food in the pens. They hate this and it’s not even that cold yet. They did come out finally to eat. They did this quickly and then completely ignored me and decided to go back and snuggle in their houses. I guess I could be upset about this but I’m just happy that they have the shelters and they have a place to go to stay warm. I love every minute with these crazy guys. They make my heart happy.

This post is really about me and how silly I can be sometimes. So we had this crazy storm last night and so I prayed over all the pens and the animals. You may not believe in that stuff but I do. I know that some people think I’m crazy and I can be but that’s okay. I really don’t care what people think about me. I know who I am. Anyway. So, I was outside when the temps started changing and the wind started blowing. The temp dropped like 30 degrees quickly here. That’s tornado stuff right there. But, I went to bed knowing that things were going to be okay. I do have my moments sometimes of doubt but I shouldn’t. I woke up about 2 am and the wind was howling and I could hear the rain. I went back to sleep without checking on the animals. I was too tired to get up. When I got up a few hours later to go feed, I go out and start to panic... the light to the pens was out. Did I need to panic, no. As soon as I opened the door they all started oinking at me. I went down to the pens and they were all fine. There was nothing out of place except for the lightbulb to the light had been shattered. I had to pick up some broken glass out of the pen but that was it. All the animals were fine and all I needed to do was go and buy a lightbulb. Thank goodness. Prayer works, people!!

Patsy.. oh Patsy. This girl is a mess. I actually feel bad for her. She is warming up but is so terrified at the same time. I wish I could get her to understand that I am not going to hurt her. I go into the pen and she is right there oinking at me. I get down on her level and try to let her but she just wants to suck on my fingers. I try to rub her belly and she runs off screaming. I sit very still and all 4 of them come over but I try to let them and they run. Brutus is so used to me now that he tries to meet me at the gate and come out with me. While I’m rubbing Brutus’ belly, Patsy always come by to check it out. She will now eat out of my hand and will give me a piggy kiss. She climbed up in my lap yesterday without me having treats. There is progress and then there is a set back. It’s really sad, I think she is scared of an open hand. That really makes me sad. I know I have never harmed her at all so I know she isn’t scared of my hand necessarily, but just an open hand in general. Looks like she has been through a lot and is still terrified. One day I will break down her walls. She is precious.

When we got Crack Jack back in March, I remember the owner saying to not forget to get his hooves trimmed ever so often. They didn’t need to be done when we got him. A couple months ago, I noticed his feet looking rough, so I mentioned it to my husband. The hooves were getting long and looked like they were cracking. Well, we didn’t get around to it then. So last weekend, I noticed Cracker Jack was limping a little. I mentioned it again. We are always so busy it’s just insane. He was busy building the new shelters. I got up Monday morning at the early time that I won’t mention. I have been putting out some hay in that pen in the mornings and usually Cracker is braying at me the minute I come out of the house. That morning he didn’t. I put the hay in the pen and he was barely able to walk. I did panic then. I had always heard if one of those animals loose the ability to walk, they have to be put down. So when I was leaving at a crazy early time, my husband had woken up and I told him about the donkey. We had tried to catch him the day before so I could call the ferrier to do his hooves and he wasn’t having it which is probably why he couldn’t walk on this particular morning. Ronnie stayed late at home to work with Cracker. He finally was able to get a new halter on him. I called the ferrier and he came out the next day. There again, Cracker wasn’t having it. We had to chase him down to get the lead rope on him. He was hard to hold also while his hooves were being done. I’m just grateful it was done. Cracker is much better now.

These pigs are loving their new shelters so much. I came out today to spend some time with them. They usually are running around but today they weren’t. I actually got close to the pens and there was still no movement. I actually double checked the locks to make sure there was no where they could get out. I didn’t panic. I think I could have but I didn’t. I looked into the little pig pen and all 4 were cuddled together, snuggled up in the straw. It was so cute. I walk over and the 3 big pigs are all cuddled and snuggled in the straw also. I’m telling you, it was so cute!! Normally though, the slightest little noise brings them out to see me. I finally said, where are all my pigs and they came out of those shelters so fast still covered in straw. I know some of these stories are only funny to me and they are, you had to be there moments, but I love each of these moments.

Temps are starting to get lower as the year goes on. I’m so grateful that my husband was able to get the new shelters finished for the pigs. It’s really not that cold yet but they are loving being in there with all that straw. They didn’t want to mess with me tonight because they were cold. They didn’t stay out to hang out with me tonight, they wanted to be in the shelter in the straw. I had to almost crawl all the way in the shelter to make sure they weren’t sick. They normally want my attention but the sun had gone down and they wanted to go to bed. This is in both shelters tonight. I guess they were cold. I guess they were anyway. I did get them all to come out after I crawled in their domain. They are all fine. I had a slight panic moment but I’m over it. I am overly cautious because pneumonia is so common this time of year with pigs. Poor treat had it when winter turned to spring last year and it was awful. I don’t want to go through that again and I sure don’t want them to go through it. I’m so grateful for these shelters and the husband that built them in a weekend!! The pigs are grateful also.

I missed some things about what you need to know about pigs yesterday with my blog post. These are also important things to know if you are thinking of getting a pig. They are different than dogs and cats. They have hooves that will need to be trimmed. They also will grow tusks that will need to be trimmed. They do grow for 5 years. They need vaccinations also. They do need a vet to treat them so find one in the area that knows about pigs. Not all of them do. I have an experience that I won’t go into but one of mine almost died because the vet didn’t know what to do. Pigs do need shelters in the winter and lots of straw to get into to stay warm. Pigs are social animals and they need to be with other animals, doesn’t always have to be another pig, but I think they do better with another animal of their kind. Pigs communicate with several different noises. They love to root in the dirt. That is what pigs do. They also get bored and when they are bored they can become destructive. They remember people and they know some words. Mine know the word no. They also wag their tails like crazy when I say I love you. They are susceptible to UTIs and constipation, they need lots of water. I have learned to keep antibiotics on hand just in case. They are incredible at knowing their human’s emotions. They sleep 9-12 hours a day. They also blow their coats, which is shedding all of their hair. They love to have pools and mud holes to stay cool, but they do use this as a bathroom because that is instinct in the wild for them. They do not like to be picked up and that is instinct also from being a prey animal. They also need to be wormed every 6 months or so. These animals are great pets, but research is needed for sure. I have learned from the pig groups I follow on Facebook and a couple of good friends that have helped me along the way. Please do research and know what you are getting into. They are work but they are worth it. And always rescue!!! The sanctuaries need it and so do all of the wonderful pigs they care for.

I just wonder how much people know about pigs?? I knew nothing when I got my first 2 pigs. I mean, nothing. I didn’t even know what to feed them. I had no idea the things I would learn or what all we would go through. I am going to go through some facts for you just for awareness purposes. The first thing I think that is important to know is that there is a huge overpopulation of pigs. The sanctuaries across the country are all full. What happens is breeders give buyers a myth about potbelly pigs staying small. They call them mini pigs. There is no such thing as a mini pig. Breeders do starve momma pigs while pregnant to keep the babies smaller and then practically starve the babies to stunt their growth to Keep them smaller. This is obviously not a healthy thing for the pig and they end up with all kinds of health problems. In reality, a pot bellied pig can grow up to 300 lbs. Of course they don’t all get that big but some do. These guys can live up to 20 years if cared for. They love belly rubs and the bond very quickly to each other and their humans. Many pigs get rehomed before the first year is up because they have gotten so big. They can be potty trained and can make good house pets. They are affectionate and emotional animals. They like the heat much more than the cold. They need a feed pellet for the nutrition that they need. They do love veggies and they love to graze the grass. They also will eat hay. They are very susceptible to pneumonia and even the common cold with weather changes. If they become sick, because they are a prey animal, they don’t show signs until it’s serious and need to go to a vet. They need time, love, and patience from their owners. They are super smart but they need training like a dog. They can learn to do tricks and walk on a leash. Dogs and pigs should never be left alone together, that is a disaster waiting to happen. They don’t sweat and should not be given salty things because they can’t process it well. They can get really depressed and they cry real tears. They can get aggressive if not fixed and they have a high rate of cancer if not fixed. They need your attention daily and they will demand it. They love a routine and expect to stay on that routine. They love to sun bathe. They do need their hooves trimmed and risks trimmed also. They can reproduce very young and can have 3 litters a year if not fixed, which goes to the overpopulation problem that is growing rapidly. They drink a lot of water daily and need to have their food soaked in water to help with constipation and blockages. If you are thinking of getting a pig, all of these things are important to know. I’m sure I’ve missed some important things, but I know these should be on the list. Spread awareness!! Do research before getting a pig. It’s important for their well being.

Do you ever have those days where you wake up and it’s like a domino effect?? I got up this morning feeling rested and ready for the day. The weekend was stressful with school work and some other things. Did a wall for suicide prevention with my best friend in honor of her brother and that was emotional. Some other things went down this weekend that were stressful also but I won’t go into all of that. So, get up this morning and my donkey could barely walk. Ronnie was still home which on a normal day he wouldn’t have been, but I think God knew I was going to need him this morning. He was able to clean out some dirt build up in his hoof that was giving him problems. I have an appointment for the ferrier to come to do all of his hooves tomorrow so hopefully that will take care of all of that. Today was a rough day at work with emotions running high. I wonder if it has to do with the full moon. I get home and I’m exhausted. Thanks goodness I spent so much time on my homework this weekend so I didn’t have to do any tonight. I went out to feed. The donkey is getting around a little better. The goats were their normal intrusive selves. I get to the pig pen... these guys are such emotional animals that it absolutely blows my mind. These guys know when I have had a bad day. They want to be all cute and cuddly when I have had a day like this. I have to tell you, I know it sounds nuts but I look forward to this when I’ve had a bad day. Really, in all honesty, everyday. They know how to make me smile. I hope this makes you smile also.

My poor hubby worked all day yesterday on the little pigs’s shelter. It had more to be done since they had been using the dog houses there wasn’t a frame already set up for them. Those guys were so nervous the whole time that they dumped out their pool and kept running into the fence. They know where the fence is. Poor guys!! They had no idea what was going on. The kids came down at the right time and Braiden was able to help finish it up. They have a big shelter since there are more of them and they will grow. That shelter is filled up big time with straw. They were definitely curious but I never saw them get in it last night. I know they did because it was so cold and the amount of straw that was on them this morning. I hope they love it. I sure do. I know the husband was exhausted from working all day long, but I appreciate it so much!!