Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

ozexpat said:

if I was filling them I would have a vet as a manager. the chickens would have barns and I would need a Kubota to move poop around

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Reminds me of "Dirty Jobs" television episode, the dairy was large enough for three vets on staff full time.

Conan Hector and One Eye are dogs. One Eye is the negative image of Conan. He is all white with a black patch over his eye.

my nap did not eventuate. I got side tracked by a lock that was acting up.


after an early dinner I was watching the sun set with a San Miguel when Bernie came over to tell me that pig 3 had gone into labor. I swapped the beer for coffee and headed to the tankal.

while Bernie took off to turn the eggs one last time, I delivered the first piglet. he came back very surprised. I had a 50 watt bulb but wanted a little more heat for the piglets so Bernie went to fetch a second brooder light. then came number three. I told Bernie to stay put lol.

within two hours we had eight live piglets. we then had a mummified piglet and I thought we were done. eight is a good number for a gilt.

ten minutes later our came another.. five minutes more and the eleventh was out but did not respond. Bernie wrapped his mouth around it's nose and sucked out goop. the piglet took a breath but was very weak. another few sucks on the piglets nose and it was starting to respond. after five minutes it was standing and ten minutes later we could not tell which one it was. god bless Bernie.

11 piglets. 6 girls 4 boys and one mummified. An excellent result. I gave iron and gentamycin shots and we trimmed teeth. tomorrow morning we will notch ears, doc tails, weigh, castrate and give tetanus as well as penicillin.

A fun evening

Way to go, Bernie! Glad farrowing went so well. Sounds like you're feeling better, too!

Enjoying your beach adventures over my morning coffee on a snowy day

Well done Bernie!

I SEE PORK IN THE FUTURE

Bernie was worth a couple hundred dollars on that move..... to Bernie....

yay for piggies and Go Bernie! Not sure I have it in me to suck pig snot.......

ozexpat said:

Conan Hector and One Eye are dogs. One Eye is the negative image of Conan. He is all white with a black patch over his eye.

my nap did not eventuate. I got side tracked by a lock that was acting up.


after an early dinner I was watching the sun set with a San Miguel when Bernie came over to tell me that pig 3 had gone into labor. I swapped the beer for coffee and headed to the tankal.

while Bernie took off to turn the eggs one last time, I delivered the first piglet. he came back very surprised. I had a 50 watt bulb but wanted a little more heat for the piglets so Bernie went to fetch a second brooder light. then came number three. I told Bernie to stay put lol.

within two hours we had eight live piglets. we then had a mummified piglet and I thought we were done. eight is a good number for a gilt.

ten minutes later our came another.. five minutes more and the eleventh was out but did not respond. Bernie wrapped his mouth around it's nose and sucked out goop. the piglet took a breath but was very weak. another few sucks on the piglets nose and it was starting to respond. after five minutes it was standing and ten minutes later we could not tell which one it was. god bless Bernie.

11 piglets. 6 girls 4 boys and one mummified. An excellent result. I gave iron and gentamycin shots and we trimmed teeth. tomorrow morning we will notch ears, doc tails, weigh, castrate and give tetanus as well as penicillin.

A fun evening

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You can castrate this early? Awesome...

deb

Dave, I think you get over it when you have to do it. I haven't tried that on a pig, but I've tubed a German shepherd that was suffering from a twisted stomach, had to suck out a sludge of dog food and water out of that one. And it wasn't even my dog.

Deb, the earlier the better, they suffer less. It's a slightly gruesome process though. By the way Oz, Karin didn't find the study about the pain meds for piglets, but she remembered that three days of pain meds after castration gave the best results compared to no meds or five days of meds (they gain weight better).

Ms. Amelia is working on her first teeth. They've just about broke all the way through. She's standing if we offer a little support and very close to crawling, rocking back n forth. I think it's a matter of weeks.

She'll be 8 months on the 21st.




We drove to meet Wisher yesterday and got 15 chicks from her. BCM, olive eggers and easter eggers.







The hens are molting something awful here.



The last of this summer's pullets are laying: little bitty BCM x Australorp eggs.

The muscovy are getting big, especially the drake.




We'll be making them a private enclosure next spring, so they have space to breed. I think Mr. Drake will be a protective one. He's always watching me