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Farm life: this little piggy

It’s hard to believe that September is already here. Where did summer go? How time flies when one is having fun, and constantly busy on the farm.
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It’s nearly impossible to get a good photo of the piglets; they just move around so quickly. (Corey Bullock file)

It’s hard to believe that September is already here. Where did summer go? How time flies when one is having fun, and constantly busy on the farm.

We’ll be working hard over the next two months to get things in order for winter. There’s insulating to do around the house, firewood to be acquired and chopped, propane tanks to be filled, hay to purchase and organize, crops to preserve and much to do with the animals.

Part of those efforts will be working on a more permanent home for the pigs, after they escaped their enclosure recently and took themselves on a little field trip.

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This wasn’t any ordinary escape. It’s not as though they just wandered around the property. One of the momma pigs and nine piglets decided to head down the hill behind the farm to the ravine. This must have been absolutely glorious for them, considering the lovely cool water of the ravine as well as the endless amount of grub in the dirt along the water.

Now the real issue here was that it’s much easier for these pigs to get down the hill than up. And once they had a taste for ravine life, well, they just didn’t want to go back. I mean they have their own little slice of paradise on the farm, but the ravine was just too perfect.

We didn’t want to stress momma pig out, and the piglets just follow along so they aren’t too much of a concern. We thought it would be best to walk them along the water until its end point, rather than trying to fight with momma and push her up the hill.

So, we corralled momma and the piglets all the way along the ravine, which basically means that we walked them around the entire property, up the back road and then across the property back to their enclosure. It was certainly an adventure and a strange and ironic form of birth control.

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The image of these piggies just waddling along together is forever etched in my brain, a situation that was both stressful and funny. When these types of things happen, once everyone is safe and sound, all you can do is laugh about it. It’s a hard lesson learned and let me tell you there’s been a few of those already and there will be many more to come I’m sure.

Luckily, those of us who live on the property together, we’ve got each other’s backs. And our neighbours have our backs. It’s our own little community of sorts and there is never a dull moment. When you’re not busy chasing pigs around, there’s always something to do. And to our family and friends that want to come visit: you’re welcome to, but bring your gum boots because you just might get put to work.



corey.bullock@kimberleybulletin.com

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Corey Bullock

About the Author: Corey Bullock

Corey Bullock is a multimedia journalist and writer who grew up in Burlington, Ontario.
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