Who's a floozy?
OPHELIA!
Why is she a floozy? Because today, having just returned from Sri Lanka (and still not over the jet lag), I realized that my pig got really fat while I was away. And developed an udder. And huge teats. And then I put all that together...
PREGNANT!
Yes, Ophelia is with child. Or children. Not only that, according to my former pig-farming friend Eugene, she's going to drop those babies pretty darn soon. So we have to get her pen all set up with a farrow box and heat lamp and whatever else she needs. I am doing crash course on pig-birthing!
Here she was a few weeks ago...
Compare the back end above to...
THIS. I saw this today and that's when I knew. She didn't have an UDDER when we left on our vacation!
And she is LOVING the belly rubs more than ever ...
See? A couple of weeks ago, she was practically dainty...
And now, she is not.
Before!
After!
Gaaaaaaaahhh!!!!
The shelter didn't know she was preggars. They don't even have a real mandate to look after farm animals, but no one else is doing it, so they do their best for find homes for these critters. A pig's gestation period is around 116 days, so our floozy Ophelia was well knocked-up before she landed here.
I am IMMENSELY grateful she didn't give birth while I was away! The farm-sitter would have LOVED that.
So yeah, I was going to post more Sri Lanka trip photos today, but somehow the pregnant pig seemed like a more pressing subject. :)
Life on your farm is like a soap opera! Passion among the chickens, adventure and friendship among the dogs, and now the sow is pregnant!
ReplyDeleteHere's wishing Ophelia a safe, comfortable delivery and healthy piglets.
You are so right. Peyton Place! Yes, I just want all to go well with delivery and such. I'm rather nervous about it all. We did talk to the pig vet yesterday and he thought she'd be fine but I have him on speed dial.
DeleteAwwww...I feel for her. She's probably having cravings as we speak. I bet a big salad with a few insects thrown in would satisfy that growing girl.
ReplyDeleteWell no kidding!! And here I've had her on strict rations the past two months!! :0 I just upped her feed by 50%!
DeleteGood lord. Perhaps you had better call her "Runaround Sue"! So...what are you gonna do with the piglets? Raffle 'em to your readers...just and idea...
ReplyDeleteI have NO FRICKING CLUE!! But I am loving the raffle idea!
DeleteA pig 'up the duff', or Sri Lanka..... yes I can see that was a difficult choice.
ReplyDeleteI think I may just flee back to Sri Lanka...
DeleteMmmm... roast suckling pig.....
ReplyDeleteOr... that's a lot of bacon to go with all your eggs...
Just kidding!I hope the birthing goes well!
Et tu, Valerie? :)
DeleteAh, bless her little squishy nose. Best start knitting baby blankets...no, not pigs in blankets,I'm vegan.
ReplyDeleteJane x
And there's my dilemma...I can't eat these piglets! :)
DeleteWell, Ophelia is a pot-bellied pig. Maybe it's just a really, really big pot belly? That came on suddenly...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wish!!!!
DeleteWell pigs in a blanket sounds god to me:-)
ReplyDeleteGaaaaah!
DeleteI can't wait to see piglets!
ReplyDeleteMe neither. I also can't wait to see what the heck we're going to do with them all...
DeleteI hesitate to bring this up, but some people are not particularly careful what breed of hog mates with pot-bellied pigs. The babies may not be as small as Ophelia :(
DeleteOoooh don't worry, I considered this possibility from the start!!! I am hoping we're not going to end up with 800-lb baconators!!!
DeleteLong ago when you got Ophelia I was thinking,"She looks pregnant..." but I thought for sure someone would have checked for that before they gave her to you...
ReplyDeleteNow I wish I'd said something. >.<
Nah, it's just as well you didn't. It would have given me more time to worry! :) Because our shelter is informally taking in farm animals (it is definitely not in their mandate, but it's great that they do it, because no one else will!), they just try to find farms that will take in these animals so that they can get them out of the shelter (which is not built for goats and pigs and such!) asap.
DeleteGood thing I held my peace then. ;)
DeleteStuff like this used to happen to me too after arriving home from vacations... Always a surprise! o.o
Whew! Thanks for the bit of info on porcine gestation. I was getting the impression this was immaculate pigception. You're gonna be a grandma!
ReplyDeleteGreaaaaat. :0
DeleteIf it becomes a problem there is always the option of bacon sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteAndrew!!!
DeleteAnd Professor Google informs me: "The average litter size for a potbellied pig is 6 – 8 piglets".
ReplyDeleteOh!
Oh dear God...
DeleteAnd (just in case you are still unsure how the world works)...if the litter contains males and females, and you keep them, they will eventually start humping each other (not having any cultural incest taboo), so then you'll get more pot-bellied pigs, and they will start... well, just think of the rice grains doubling per square on a chessboard mathematics. Canada will soon be over-run with potty porkers unless someone starts eating pot-bellied pigs. Good luck to you (and to the pigs). It will be fun to watch. (And was the lady abandoned? If so you may now know why).
DeleteNot to worry, the vet is coming to castrate all the males when they are a week old! I just refuse to learn to castrate pigs myself. I don't care how easy it is!
DeleteAww cute lil piglets to come :-)
ReplyDeleteThere will be some cute photo ops, that's for sure (presuming all goes well with the birth!)
DeleteOh, no. I'll bet it was that pig down the road what done it.
ReplyDeleteI bet it was!!
DeleteMore pigs :)
ReplyDeleteJust what we needed! :/
DeleteShe looks as though she is going to drop those babies tonight, never mind soon..
ReplyDeleteI know!! I'm sweating buckets. Apparently pigs secrete colostrum from the teats just before birth, so I'm down there every day squeezing her nipples. This is what my life has come to!
Delete"so I'm down there every day squeezing her nipples"
DeleteAh... reminds me of my days as a student...
Holy Cow (or pig)!! She is gi-normous!!! Looks like she's gonna have 'em SOON. Well, I foresee adorable piglet pictures coming along any minute.........
ReplyDeleteAnd then they'll all grow up and weigh 120 pounds and I'll have a herd!!
DeleteWell this is certainly exciting. I want to follow this blog. I also want to see the rest of your trip pictures, so don't forget to post them, please.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I will get on that asap! :)
Delete.....and welcome back!
ReplyDeleteThis seriously just made my day. I'm still laughing. Welcome home!
ReplyDeleteThis is very exciting news!!! Congrats to Ophelia! She has a good home to raise her littler porkers! Good luck with the birthing! Can't wait to see baby piggie pics!
ReplyDelete