But most of yesterday afternoon, while the piglets were hanging out in a dog crate on our porch while Fino worked on the pig house in the backyard, I wondered what the heck I was thinking when I agreed to this.
But L. has no doubts this is a good project for her and she already loves her new friends.
The piggies are a cross-breed of Hampshire, Yorkshire and Duroc. Here they are in their new house that Fino built (with help from L. since this is her project) with all recycled materials he found at the local dump and a few pieces our neighbor (he's a contractor) had around his yard.
L. opted to choose names for her pigs from her favorite book series (the Roman Mysteries). Pulchra, which means pretty in Latin, is her girl pig's name and Titus, which means giant (and appeals to L.'s sense of humor) is her much smaller boy pig's name.
Fino has been working on the pig shelter with L. for days and days (actually they had the plans draw up months ago but Fino claimed he needed to "think on it" before he actually built it). And as is his usual work style, he was slow and methodical in working on the project so when our friend Wendy (who coordinated our pig purchase and is one of L.'s 4-H leaders) came to check things out with the pig's arrival, the little house was still missing a wall and a roof. But keeping things in perspective that this was a pig shelter and not worth a big argument about work styles and planning ahead, I suggested L. work her charm, as only daughters can do with their fathers, to get the friggin' job done.
He finished about an hour before dark while I spent some time on the phone with my farming friends trying to find the humor in my anxiety about raising these pigs and getting their fenced-in pen completed. The fence part of the project is still in the works after a debate about the type we should build, in addition to an electric one we'll hook up for added insurance, before we let the piglets, who we've been told are crafty and strong as they grow, are let loose outside their house.
Of course you would think we would have figured the fence out by now but these "debates" between Fino and I have not found an agreeable resolution so I've asked my more experienced friends to have a chat with him about this pig fence business. I am certain that I do not want to be chasing pigs around my neighborhood this summer when they get big enough to break through the chicken wire Fino thought would work.
L. spent some time in the pig house reading the piggies a good night story before leaving them for the night. This prompted a gentle reminder from me that this is only a 4-month project before the piggies go off to auction. She nodded her affirmation but I'm certain it's not going to be a good scene when her pigs, which I am sure she will raise with tender loving care, go off to market.
L. searched the house for our "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" book but couldn't find it so had to settle for "If You Give a Mouse A Cookie" to read to the piggies instead.
In the coming weeks those of you who follow my blog will be subjected to some pig stories. The ones where people who have raised pigs before will shake their heads at our inexperience while we navigate our way through the challenges I'm sure we'll encounter (the you-don't-know-what-you-don't-know-until it happens sort of things). And then there will be those of you who will be glad you aren't the ones raising a couple of pigs.
I'm still in a bit of disbelief that we now have two pigs in the backyard, in addition to our already semi-large flock of poultry (about 25 chickens and ducks with 8 new chicks due to arrive in early May). I have often jokingly refer to our place as a homestead since starting the chicken project (about 6 years ago) but I really never thought it would actually be a real one.
L. faces her first challenge -- getting the piglets into their new house.
L. tells her story about getting her pigs.
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