Yes, her name is Charlotte. I didn't name her, although my kids sure do get a kick out of the fact that she shares a name with me!
Charlotte was given to us by a 4H leader whose kid was graduated from high school last year and has moved on to college. We brought her home 2 1/2 weeks ago. She is a Hampsire/Yorkshire cross called, appropriately enough, a Blue Butt.
Charlotte will be part of a 4H project for 3 of my kids. She is our first try at an animal of the porcine variety. Which doesn't sound like too big a a deal, except for the fact that she came to us already pregnant, and ready to farrow!
We had her for one week and one day when she blessed us with 10 'lil squealers.
It has been nearly 30 years since I have even seen a pig deliver, and I didn't know if I had enough wits to aid her if she or her babies needed help.
"Miss Scarlet, I don' know nuthin' 'bout birthin' piglets!"
When the time came I was able to get the 3 kids (whose project she is) out of school. The four of us caught and dried, warmed and welcomed the piggies to the world. I was proud of my boys who each stepped up to catch a couple of piglets. My daughter preferred to stay under the warming light and make sure each piglet was warm and dry.
Charlotte blessed us with 10 'lil piggies; 1 girl called a gilt, and 9 boys called boars.
We lost 2 during birth and one was stillborn. Had they all survived we would have had a bakers dozen! The two which died during birth were hard to lose. We did our best to revive them, and one seemed like he wanted to fight for life. The kids took their loss like troopers though. They know it is a hard truth about raising animals. Sometimes you lose some.
We have a saying on the farm, and while humorous it has a ring of truth to it:
"On a farm you got your livestock, and you got your deadstock."
All of the piglets are spoken for. Most of the 10 will wind up being projects for 4H kids. I am really excited to see how they grow and how they do at the county fair.
We will probably be sending Charlotte along to another 4H family so that they can have the same great experience as we did. Don't know if that will be sooner or later. What I do know is that she eats a LOT!! There really is something to the saying, "eats like a pig".
Here is a picture of the first two born, the little girl on the left named "Phoebe" and the boy on the right named, "Porky."
And here are 8 piglets. The last two are still inside the mama:
The piglets are growing! They are a very friendly lot, not unlike a litter of puppies. When you go into their pen they mob you and chew on your shoes and on the hem of your pants legs.
