
Eager, Happy Piglet Butts at the Milk Bar
This is a sight I get to see a lot on my daily walks out in the fields.
The sow is making contented “nurse me” calls to the piglets. All is well in the world on Sugar Mountain…
Did you notice the chicken?
Outdoors: 82°F/54°F Sunny
Tiny Cottage: 67°F/63°F
Daily Spark: What if you had a choice: A cure for mortality or a cure for morality?
No, I don’t see a chicken. I heard that there was a very contagious virus in the MidWest that was killing a lot of pigs. Mainly infant pigs who develop diarrhea and then die from dehydration. Is that in your area at all? What precautions do you take against it?
The chicken is trying to hide behind the cherry tree. It’s big butt is showing. It’s a Rhode Island Red hen – just about the same color as the piglet behind the sow.
The disease you speak of is PEDv and not something we’ve seen in our area. The latest reports I’ve read is that it is being spread by commercial hog feed. Specifically they were incorporating porcine blood plasma into the fee. Since we don’t feed commercial hog feeds we may be somewhat protected in addition to the basic biosecurity precautions – We are very isolated and cautious about bringing in any new stock as well as visitors.