FreestyleFarm » AN URBAN FARM IN THE CITY

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Cottage Pigs

The Canada Day longweekend signals the beginning of summer, and in true Canadian fashion, we loaded up the truck and headed for the cottage.

Six quails, five chickens, two ducks, two pigs, two cats, a dog, and six humans.

Everyone was pretty quiet and well behaved for the 3-1/2 hour drive. Here they are rushing for refreshments after the long trip.

Yes, I got ducks. No, I didn’t tell you about them, but I will in a future “DUCKponics” post.

If you haven’t spoon fed a pig, it should be on your bucket list. They are so polite and gentle when they eat from a spoon, genuinely appreciative of every morsel.

Open up! The purple mush is strained pulp and seeds I saved from making blackberry syrup. Too good to throw out, and the boys love it.

If you were on our lake, you would’ve heard Henry SCREAMING as he got weighed on his birthday. He hates being held, and no wonder! It’s not easy picking up a 104.5 lb screaming pig! Last year, he weighed 48 lbs, he’s more than doubled in size! Now that he’s two, I hope he and Rocco will stop growing or we’ll have to get an animal trailer.

Cottage life agrees with the boys as they take their luxurious two-hour afternoon naps.

When they get hot and thirsty, they head down to the beach for a cool dip and sip.

Rocco has lost most of his winter coat. He’s now kinda bald like Henry.

The bugs have been pretty bad, and the pigs have been scratching their bites against trees…

and rocks.

Pig’s paradise.

“Zzzzzzz”

  • City Boy Hens - Hi Jill,
    Great post!
    Happy belated Canada Day!
    I’ll tell the kids to stop complaining the next time we take the hens up North. Our 3 hens vs. your barnyard are no comparison.
    Regards,
    CBReplyCancel

  • france Simard - they all look so happy!
    I can’t believe henry is over a 100 pounds.
    fantastic post Jill!ReplyCancel

  • Mark - OK, I don’t use the word cute very often but this is awesome.ReplyCancel

  • Mary - Loved this post. It’s so nice to be able to catch up on your family and pet news. Can’t believe how big Henry is getting. Great way to have him weighed, but it can’t be easy lifting him. Wonderful cottage location and beautiful lake. Cute ducks!ReplyCancel

  • Deirdre - LOL – the Chen/Hewitt ark!!! glad all is well with the clan – i guess we will plan for a fall get-together since the summer is flying by!! Big hugs to everyone and hope to see you guys soon!! xoReplyCancel

  • Samuel Chell - I’m learning about mini pigs. It’s really tough to judge which breeder is trustworthy, all of them claiming to have the tiniest (“guaranteed to weigh no more than 30 pounds full-grown”). I have a backyard, but is modest sized and in the city. So much over 50 pounds would probably be impractical–yet some of the breeders even advertise them as “indoor pets.” I’m glad to see your comments about pigs being able to endure temperatures down to zero if they have blankets, etc.

    I’m curious about Henry (I believe it’s him). I didn’t realize pigs had front teeth, yet Henry appears to have sizable ones. Am I seeing right? Are they common on pigs? Can they be problematic, esp. if the pig is a bit nippy?ReplyCancel

  • Samuel L. Chell - Now I see that, despite the unexpected largeness of Henry, Rocco apparently lost little time in catching up to him and surpassing him in size. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Rocco, because of those Juliana spots, was projected to be a smaller pig than Henry’s projected 30 pounds.

    I haven’t gotten a pig–yet. But it seems clear I’ll be lucky to have room for just one.ReplyCancel

  • Samuel L. Chell - Thanks for the recommendation for Little Pig Farms (new to me). I’m willing to give breeders the benefit of the doubt. They not necessarily “lying.” But what they “wish” to be the case simply isn’t encoded in the genes of the animals. Some breeders in the UK have expressed embarassment and given full refunds.But it’s good to know there are breeders who are at least “cautiously” optimistic and whose experience goes back enough generations to teach them something about the animals’ actual development.ReplyCancel

  • Arindam - Likes the photos. Got tired by only seeing stock photoReplyCancel

  • Bonnie Shelton - Thank you for the virtual education through your experience! A wonderful romp!

    BonnieReplyCancel

  • Samuel Chell - It’s great to see Henry and Rocco once again (is Rocco really that much bigger than Henry)? On at least three occasions I’ve almost purchased or adopted a mini-pig, but I fear that the promised 30 pound pet practically always reaches 100, then 200, pounds. Size would be no problem if I lived in a rural area and could afford to give up a goodly portion of yard space to afford the animal a chance to be itself (i.e. to root and wallow). Moreover, I’ve come to realize that, despite breeders’ assertions, a pig is NOT a dog. Dogs look up to a master, learn obedience, and reciprocate with unconditional love. Pigs are too smart for that. They acknowledge no “master” but expect a “herd leader” who will attend to their needs with unfailing regularity. And if you miss a few beats, they’ll “negotiate”–do a trick, destroy a refrigerator, squeal like a broken siren- until their demands are met. Breeders not only lie about size and behavior but don’t even alert buyers to the “pig-skin” that will eventually replace a blown coat. They’re a handful–intelligent, emotional animals that can easily become depressed–but a welcome challenge to some of us.ReplyCancel

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