Rescheduling, regrouping, and rescheduling again.

Pics:  Younger photos of the Kune x AGH gilts who were supposed to leave this morning.  The lightest ginger-colored one, and the black one...  

Oh boy, 

So many (potential) sales.  So many rescheduled or re-planned sales.  And when one is rescheduled, it starts a domino effect of having to plan differently and budget for more feed, for a larger number of animals than was expected to be here at this point....

So many pigs who could be leaving the farm, but have not left just yet.

The farmer from Indiana has rescheduled pick-up for the boar Lawnmower, the sow Cameo, and Bea's daughter Sassy.  Those pigs are still housed in the barn, where their deep bedding has become mushy with the unexpected thaw.  Today's job will be to temporarily move the boar (all 250 pounds of him!), clean out the soggy stuff, and put down fresh straw.

Today, two of the Kune-AGH 6 month old piglets should have left.  We were all set.  Appointment was made, half an hour from when the pig customer would have left his house to head out way.  Pigs were fed in the large dog crate and closed in.  Then I heard it...congestion, snuffly breathing.  Now, these pigs have smushed-up noses, unlike the purebred Guinea Hogs, so it could be that.  But it could be respiratory problems.  And I had to call the customer, and then the vet, and *I* was the one to reschedule...  

The unfortunate thing...I already look like a bit of a "flake" to this man.  When he bought his first two pigs from me, one of them was acting like she was sick and I canceled his first pick-up time (on the vet's advice) and rescheduled for 3 days later, when the gilt was acting just fine.  Now I've had to do it again.

I'll dose the pigs with the medicine the vet said to use, which (thankfully, and because of his advice a year ago, I actually have on hand!), and tomorrow we'll see if they are breathing differently.  Everything in their pens and nests is a bit damp, so it wouldn't be surprising if the pigs DO have some sort of respiratory thing going on.  Sigh.  I had a plan to shovel out damp bedding in the pig stalls in the barn anyway, but will need to re-think who goes where, to get these two gilts onto dry straw.

Tomorrow, two of Cameo's gilts should leave.  One was supposed to be picked up on Tuesday, but we had an ice storm.  One was supposed to be picked up a month ago, but the farmer down-state didn't have his hog housing ready.  I think I can count on ONE of them being picked up tomorrow...  But I was supposed to be heading to a friend's place to pick up two goats that belong to me.  Rescheduled.

All of this, in the middle of dreary weather, with bruised ribs making it hard to keep up with the basic tasks, and a rather foreboding sense of depression that is just waiting to set in.  

It won't, and I know that things will fall into place with pigs being picked up, and with Bessie leaving, and my ribs feeling better...and work getting done.

Just some winter days, it feels as if no progress will ever be made.

Baby season is just around the corner.  Something to look forward to!  Something to prepare for.  

Now to just get these pigs picked up and out of the barn stalls, so that I can prepare for the goat and sheep maternity wards!!!

 

Laura