Six Little Pigs

Well, it's been a while  since I last posted. Things sure have changed since we moved here a little over a year ago. It was this time last year that our boar, Chocolate Gravy, won grand champion at the Arkansas State Fair. We then loaded up the sow and headed for Ohio. I had built a shed for her, but it wasn't quite ready. So, I put her in the goat barn. That didn't last long before she escaped and was cruising down the highway. She then stayed in the front yard with the dogs. All the time, I was diligently working to finish her house, It was now December and she was ready to get into her house. I finished it up just in time for the freezing weather. I piled in the straw and ran an extension cord out to her little house so that she could have a heat lamp. She knew just what to do. She chewed the straw and made sure that it was thoroughly soaked. This caused it to start composting and generated a good deal of heat. Some mornings is was down to -18o F, but she kept the  place warm. Spring came and it was time to breed. I decided to go with Double Barrel from Shipley. It was soon July and time to farrow. Everything went well. Lost a couple in the process and we ended up with six little pigs. The race was on once again to build another shelter for mama when the piglets were weaned. Well, things went a little slower than planned and they were eight weeks old at weaning (just a few weeks late. Don't laugh pig guys.). Then, it was time to market the show and feeder pigs. That's when I found out, for the first time in my pig career, that no one needed any pigs. Nary a tweet, call or shrug. So, here I sit with 6 little pigs that may be shown in the winter show circuit here in Ohio by some willing kids. After that, I just hope that someone is hungry for some good Berkshire pork. Just don't let my wife know that I re-bred the good 'ol sow a couple of weeks ago or I may be staying in the little shed this winter.