Our boy Benji has been under the weather this week. He’s one of just two boars we keep on the farm, and his job – hanging out with our sows and making piglets for us – is critical.
Greg always calls him a sweetheart, and he truly is. So it’s been sad and worrisome to see him lumber around the farm without his usual sprightliness.
As a result, we’ve needed to utilize our veterinarian skills this week. And we started things off by focusing on getting fluids back into the ole’ boy.
This may sound like a simple task. But it was complicated by the fact that he weighs well over 600 lbs, has sharp razor-like tusks, wasn’t feeling well, and our tractor (which would have been helpful for isolating him from the herd) was in the shop all week.
So we made do. We triple checked that the nipple waterers were flowing well and supplied plenty of extra water in buckets. And then eventually, resorted to rectal rehydration when we realized he wasn’t drinking much on his own.
As you can well imagine, Benji wasn’t a fan. But he tolerated our efforts just that one time, and it did seem to help. And even more important than that, was that Greg was NOT mauled in the process. Yay!
Unlike other farms, our pigs don’t get human food very often – no food waste or garbage for them. They get only those precious organic grains and the rich pastures we grow for them.
But it turns out that when they do get human foods, which is usually in circumstances like this, they adore our organic eggs (hard boiled and served with the shell on) and our raw home grown organic winter squash.
The combination of our efforts worked. He’s not entirely his old self just yet, but he’s back to drinking vigorously on his own, eating grain, and is much more perky than he was – all signs that a visit from a real vet, probably won’t be necessary.
What’s more? We were reminded that our SOPs (the digital folder we now keep that spells out how to do just about everything on the farm in case emergency strikes) definitely needs a section for how to provide first line treatment to sick pigs.
It turns out, all these years later, we know a thing or two (or maybe three) about this. And now you do, too. And you’ll never know when this information could come in handy…
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – With just 2 weeks left before Thanksgiving, our inventory is a little more limited than usual this week. Be sure to click HERE to stock up on anything you need while supplies last!