Cuteness overload

Early last Friday morning....early, early, early, Taffy went into labor.  Poor girl was so uncomfortable, we were glad that delivery was finally underway!  

She has a beautiful litter.  Three "clear sable" (blonde) females, three clear sable males, three black (or seal) and white females, and one black/seal and white male.  

Since we are a bit sleep deprived these days, (puppies born in the corner of our bedroom), stories about Taffy's excellent parenting, ferocious defending of her puppies against the husky and aimlessly wandering flies...that sort of thing will need to wait.  

More pictures are on Facebook on the Evening Song English Shepherds page, and some on the Dykstra's Farm page.

Also on Friday, in the afternoon, hugely pregnant Razz the guinea hog had 8 babies.  

Pregnant pig Camille had 7 piglets last night, and the gilt (young female hog) that I sold a month ago had 7 babies at her new farm home.  

Summer 2017 now rivals Spring 2017 as the season this year with the most babies born.  

In a few weeks when the puppies open their eyes and start exploring, we hope to have as many visitors as possible, so the pups are accustomed to being handled and loved.  The list is starting already.  Who can resist puppy kisses and the antics of friendly and adorable little pups.  :)

 

Laura

Soon!

It will be...soon.  

For the pig, and for Taffy.  

They are miserable...huge...uncomfortable...and due any day.

The piglets, we're ready for.  Mama has been in the maternity ward for over a month, since we didn't know when the actual due date was.  Razz is bred to Chips....or if she doesn't have those babies in short order, she was bred by her own brother.  Counting down the days to the point when Chips (on loan to a friend's farm) could no longer be the father, and it is only a week from now.  All of the sows and gilts that were supposed to be pregnant already were put in the pen with Mitch, when Chips went to Wisconsin...

Fingers crossed that Chips is the daddy!!!

For puppies...is anyone EVER ready?  But we are excited!  Taffy's official due date is July 30.  

Like last year's litter, these are Smoke babies.  Taffy is snippy and bossy, choosing to dig UNDER the old willow tree instead of dashing up the trunk to tear off bark....There is a cozy little den under one of the roots, but she will NOT be having the pups outside under the willow tree.

She is not thrilled with the presence of either Rocky or Remy, and definitey protecting her bedroom (OUR bedroom) from Rocky's intervention.  

Yup, all are the actions of a dog getting closer to her due date.

More farm babies, coming up soon!

 

Laura