The Herd

If you look at the pictures from my last post you will see the mother pig Soda leading the way out of the trailer. She is the Queen B and has adapted to the change like she knew it was going to happen all along and her presence is one of "i am the boss " and she makes no qualms about presenting herself this way. Yesterday while loving on some of her babies she basically cut in between me and them long enough to give me a head rub , get a pat and then barreled right threw us. She is adorable in her bossy royal ways.

Scotch the father has also been busy letting everyone know on the other side of the fence that he is the dominant male. He has been posturing the farm pig next door , the dog and then the horses.

There off spring are a mix of wide eyed curiosity and i think they are stimulated by the fact of being so close to everything that is going on around the big house. There mission home is quite a bit more rural then i am and there paddock is right out front and backs onto the driveway. With every visitor they race to the fence line showing off there cute selves looking for treats of course.

Pigs once moved even from the worse circumstances will go into a depression for a few days. I see no large signs of this , it is no doubt the comfort in being with there herd and the leadership of there parents. There will be a few stages they go threw over the next few weeks so i am quiet and move slow around them.

However pigs cry real tears when they are sad and i have addressed a few tear streaked cheeks over the years. I am sure the innocence of there young understanding of things would be questions such as "why am I here, I didn't eat much or take up much room , I was a good pig and where is the rest of my family" and of course "i want to go home" .

Years ago Barney had been abandoned by his family and he found himself at the shelter. When he was out with me here his nose was too the ground and as i walked the acreage he simply followed. If i stopped he would bump right into me and twice he gently grabbed my pant leg and tugged at it in frustration. He was not exploring or looking for things to eat he was simply following me. He was like this when out on his own , I would watch him walking at a pace with a mission he had set out to do and for the first week or so i think he was trying to find home.

One of the young pigs has been crying and yesterday morning i saw the tear streaked cheeks and again in the afternoon. I try explain to them in a way a young child would understand but no amount of explaining can remove heart break for anyone. My tears fall on his bristles yesterday and it is how we started our day.

I will continue to spend most of my free time with them to build up there confidence and show them my love. I received a wonderful little book in the mail i will tell you all about and this is one I am going to read to them today.