As we headed out the door for our morning stroll around the neighborhood, Greg mentioned that he wanted to pop over to the farm to check on Cassie real quick.
We checked on her last night. And she had what could’ve been the early fixings of a nest. It was sparse, though, and unlike most of our other sows, who get frazzled and crazed at this stage, she was calm and cool.
Seeing all that, I thought for sure she had another day or two to go. But Greg was on to something. Because when he got out there this morning, there were 11 new piglets on the ground and 2 of them were unfortunately chilled and sitting all by their lonesome.
Over the years, it seems that the moment the temps dip down below 40-50 degrees, as they did this week, we’re at risk of losing piglets due to hypothermia. And it happens just like this: they’re born, they get cold, and then they just can’t seem to muster up the energy to find colostrum – the key to their survival.
I’m not sure how long they were hanging out like this. All I know is that it’s a good thing that Greg followed his intuition and double-checked. He didn’t have to do much, just picked them up and brought them closer to the group.
Within a few minutes, they warmed up, gathered their wits about them, and were nursing with the others. The result? 100% survival and the best-looking group of piglets we’ve seen all year!
It’s moments like this that I’m reminded that when it comes to farming, it really is a team sport. We’re so lucky to have Greg as our captain, who goes the extra mile and looks after everyone with such care and compassion. And YOU by our side cheering us on and giving us the support we need, week after week. What a feat!
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – It’s a FRESH PORK WEEK, which means we’ve got a fantastic supply of organic meats ready for you! The weather should be great on Sunday, so come out and stock up. And bring the family so you can meet the new piglets!
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