This was Charlotte, our super friendly sow last wednesday, enjoying her first mud bath of the season. She spent all winter in huge 10x20 box stall cushioned with deep straw, gaining weight, awaiting the birth of her piglets. All twelve of them!! We moved Charlotte and her little sow, Daisy, out into the "piggy" paddock and noticed she had a limp and her hind right hock was swollen. I thought now that we had taken the rest of her babies off her and moved them to their own space, her leg would have a chance to heal. She favored it but seemed to getting around ok, eating and drinking. After checking her for three days, I called our friend the pig expert and he confirmed my suspicions. She had a broken leg and there was nothing anyone can do for her. She left this morning. No one can figure out how she did it, but that doesn't stop us from trying.
She wasn't just ANY pig.....she was really a special animal. She taught me so much about pigs and their behavior and we all loved her. She will be missed.
17 comments:
Oh, how very sad. I'm sorry. Farm life is never easy.
I'm so sorry that you've lost your Charlotte! She looks so content in her mud bath!
Oh, Deb, That is terrible! All of out here in blog land enjoyed watching your pig raising adventures. I am so very sorry about Charlotte.
Deb I am so sorry.
No, no, no! I can't believe it. I'm so sorry.
Oh no! I did enjoy Charlotte and her babies.
Patsy
Oh, poor Charlotte! That is so sad. At least you'll have her daughter to carry on her legacy.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry for your loss! She had a very happy and peaceful life while she was on this planet!
Sorry to hear about Charlotte. So sad, as she seemed to be so contented and 'doing her job' well in providing you with such a nice litter of pigs. Will you keep Daisy alone or get another pig too? We had a big old porker when I was a kid. He was supposed to be raised for the freezer but that went over like a lead balloon and he ended up staying and growing...and growing. He finally got so huge that he couldn't support himself and had crippled up a leg. He ended up in the freezer anyway, but several years past when he was suppose to...
Tammy
Oh no poor Charlotte :( I'm sorry for your loss I enjoyed reading about her and the piglets.
I am sorry about Charlotte and I know those feelings well, too.
Charlotte had such a good life there. I know you will miss her. I hope Daisy is doing well.
Pam
It is so hard to ever say that they are "just animals" because each one touches us in their own way. I hope another "little stinker" comes your way:)
I'm sorry. It's always hard to loose an animal on this way.
Gosh! I'm so sorry. It doesn't matter what type of an animal it is when they are friends it is always hard to lose them.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my favorite ewe lamb a few weeks ago. It is never easy.
I am so sorry. I know what it is like to love a pig. They are smart funny creatures that wiggle into your heart.
Lot your farm images. Had always been told by my dad a potato farmers that pigs were clean animals but to get cool, that mud was too big a pleasure to resist.
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