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

[katbriar]

We are all just a day away.

No piglets yet. After recalculating, discussing and recalculating, it should be today. I need to get to town tonight so it better be lol

Are they that predictable?

 

[ozexpat]

They supposed to be. Their gestation is 3 months, 3weeks, 3 days. 114 days.

My problem is twofold.

I was pretty sure that this gilt was due in 3 weeks. Our first crack at AI was late. We redid the AI on two pigs a three week cycle later and then again three weeks again. I was told the pigs each time but one of the pigs must have had a silent heat period because if we missed all three then all three should have been obvious. So now I doubted which pig was when.

Add to that the fact that I have not seen a farrowing sow for 35 years and well....

I panicked.

The girl has a big udder and lady bits but has not had a milk drop. It looks like its going to be in 2.5 weeks

Ahhh the joys of a farmers kid being a nurse all his life then raising livestock.

 

[Phage]

As she was so huge already that you thought she may be due now, in 2.5 weeks she will be ginormous.
It could be a LARGE litter

 

[ozexpat]

@phage

God help her. She has double the girth of those 6 weeks behind her.

I dream of 10 live born piglets. Apart from my screw up with dates, we have done everything right. We got her at five weeks. We vaccinated for everything. She got a worming recently to ensure all the nutrition is going to her. The latest vaccine will also help prevent diseases in the piglets.

Save feeding her and keeping her clean, It's out of our hands. She is comfortable in the farrowing pen versus with her pen sisters as she positions herself just in front of the water nipple and only has to stand to poop and eat. In the main pen she had to deal with being pushed and prodded as well as cover a lot more are to complete her daily living skills.

We also bumped her protein and feed her a lot more on her own. Her appetite is on the rise.

Oy vey. Now if I could just get an afternoon data stream....

 

[ozexpat]

The chainsaw guys are here. Yesterday they skillfully dropped 4 coconut trees side by side between the new coops and the garage.

I will use most of the lumber to build protection barriers for the 50 fruit trees. The goats and motza are dismantling the bamboo versions.

The grass cutter scored a new carburetor yesterday. We have 2-stroke fumes in the air today but the acre of grass in the yard will finally be cut.

The construction guys moved the fence 2 feet and tacked it up so they can work on digging the foundation for the new fence. As it's facing the beach, we are making the pillars 4 feet below ground and the wall three feet. This will hopefully accommodate any rogue waves.

I picked up 18 new 1litre chick waterers yesterday. We now have enough to change out in batches of eight with all the new brooders full.

I hope to make two concrete sinks today to use on the entrance to both the piggery and the egg house.

 

[ozexpat]

The sinks will have to wait until tomorrow.

We have a very wood eating bug that decided to move into the plywood ceiling over the bed (There is not much plaster board/gyprock here and less guts with the skills to take and mud). It drops very small sand grain like pieces of wood. The bed is very unpleasant when you get this stuff in it. Worse when you wake up with an ear full.

I need to replace the ceiling but it's a little too much of a project for today. I applied thin layer of auto body filler over the area. I could not even see the holes.

The coconut trees where slightly longer than I guessed so we will get about 40 extra 1x3 to do the tree protectors with.

 

[perchie.girl]

The sinks will have to wait until tomorrow.

We have a very wood eating bug that decided to move into the plywood ceiling over the bed (There is not much plaster board/gyprock here and less guts with the skills to take and mud). It drops very small sand grain like pieces of wood. The bed is very unpleasant when you get this stuff in it. Worse when you wake up with an ear full.

I need to replace the ceiling but it's a little too much of a project for today. I applied thin layer of auto body filler over the area. I could not even see the holes.

The coconut trees where slightly longer than I guessed so we will get about 40 extra 1x3 to do the tree protectors with.

Only wood eating bug that drop small sand grain like particles that I know of are Termites....

deb

 

[ozexpat]

Termites have a finer deposit. This is not termites.

These bugs are less damaging but annoying. There is just one or two that get at it - not like a colony of anay-anay as they are called here.

 

[Tomtommom]

I have a poop mystery for everyone!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/928958/hen-has-blue-green-poop-with-white-chunks-of-tissue

 

[joannefiddler]

Wow, I looked at the thread and I don't have much to add other than my good wishes! I like the bean idea...they do look like white beans! Encouraging that she seems to be perking up...I hope she's fighter enough to bounce back. Keep us posted!