Wedding gift

In Alabama for my youngest brothers wedding...

My wedding gift in the making.

Fact vs Fiction

Why lie about facts I can so easily dispute?

 

Dogs

My dog ratio is off...and there's one missing!

On the other hand...Tractor Supply offers rabies clinics.

3 dogs 3 year rabies...$54 total!

Off I go!

Tractor lesson

Leading Bessy

When at Walnut Creek Farm in Elysburg, PA I like to spend a few minutes doting on and handling their soon to be milk cow.  That day was lead her around with a halter rewarding with grain.

The next day was tummy rubs and desensitizing her udder and teats.

I've found animals LOVE to have their ears cleaned so I'll use my finger to clean her ears...and she learns to trust me as she leans against my arm in bliss.

Pigs, cows, even dogs. I clean my dogs ears with q tips. Not deep of course and I know their limits but they love it and groan with pleasure. Depending on the individual animal it's either a good way to win them over or get bit.

I don't recommend trying it with animals you are unfamiliar with!

Goat snuggles

Photo ops...

When it comes to photo ops on the farm the photographer better be on the ready. If a situation is stressful for an animal (like moving pigs) I do not stop and pose or delay the process in any way. If you want to take a picture its going to be an action shot.

Piglets and smaller pigs are best and most humanely handled by carrying them by their back legs up side down. They don't cotton to being held like a puppy...especially if they have received minimal handling in the past.

Want a quiet calm pigs? Handle them this way. Want to wake up the neighborhood with a stressed squealing pig? Bear hug It or carry it like a puppy.

You can tell a poser a mile away by their pictures. If they hesitate or stop during a stressful moment for the animal to take a picture? You're looking at a poser. Someone more concerned about themselves than their animals.

When I work, feel free to take pictures but I will not hesitate, delay, or recreate missed opportunities.

What's a selfie?

Tiddly winks with grandpa

If you're my fb friend you can watch the video where he scores 100!

Jersey bull

He's a handful...did his job and bred the Jersey/Holstein heifer and is slated to be butchered I believe.

The heifer is soooo sweet.

Siblings

Where does one stop and the other start?

Sleepers

Splash!

Cut and fertilized

Vs untouched

Mowers

Can you tell the patch in front was already "mowed"?

More straw?

When I'm on the farm Its a constant are they too hot will they be too cold conversation!

Happy pigs

Pigs 101

Hog panels.

Shelter.

Shade.

Water (that won't tip).

Feed.

Pigs - plural, they deserve company.

Soon...a wallow as temperatures increase.

Forever thankful

Guess who is driving this week to interview at a job in NJ focused on organic pasture pig production with on farm housing available based on a comment from an anonymous blog reader?

This girl!

Clueless in the Kitchen

Prompted by a comment and close to my own heart as someone who has just about zero cooking skills...how do you start cooking?

In our 30s looking for healthy 30 minute meals!

Once I have my own place again I'd love to do meal planning and share our experiences. In the meantime what advice do you give those who are learning to cook literally from scratch?

Stupid pigs?

Maria CrispellApril 17, 2015 at 9:24 PM

Last year when my husband still had pigs, he had to go on a trip. He was all worried about whether I had enough firewood while he was gone, etc. I told him I can handle anything, as long as your stupid pigs don't get loose. Of course they did. Twice. This year when he went away, no big deal since no pigs, just my animals plus his heifer and turkeys. One day while he was gone, my Alpine buck got loose. No problem, I put him back in his pen and did a little pen reconfiguration. Didn't think much of it until my husband got home and realized that while the buck was loose he stripped Every Single Wire off the tractor....

A comment from Cold Antler Farm. Makes sense these are her supporters.

Stupid pigs but not stupid goat she allowed to get out?

Get with the program it's stupid people not stupid animals.

Cold Antler Farm- where the animals are smarter than the "farmer" and her following.

People don't like "stupid" pigs because they highlight how freaking inept they themselves are.

Goat kids

My friends 2 goats each had twins...all bucklings!

All in a Monday

I've been on the move.

Spent the weekend in PA with my grandparents. Yard sales, church, laughter, and meals.

I love driving my grandparents around.

I scored cross county skis for $12, a little automated pig stuffed animal that oinks and wags it's tail, and a copy of My Side of the Mountain for 75 cents (already finished reading it! Had been 20 years and was like reading it for the first time). Grandpa's treat.

Previously I had spent 2 weeks in a cabin off the Appalachian trail. No electric or plumbing turned on. Nothing but a wood stove. It is the cabin the man I was dating this time last year lived in. He passed away on 4/19/14. Those 2 weeks were quite special. When I closed my eyes it was as if he might just walk through the door.

Today I went to a farm in PA I visited last weekend. Before I set up shop I did a once over to see if any improvements had been made within the week. Their pig operation is in dire need of help and I was going to work in exchange for my rent and get an off farm job.

Well, 80 degree day and the goats, sheep, and pigs had no water. The pigs were still in inappropriate groupings, there was insufficient feeder space, the pigs had not been dewormed and are all a fraction of the weight they should be, and one of the various emaciated starving pigs was eating on a calf carcass out of the manure pile. Yes. Seriously.

I gathered my dogs and promptly left. Farm owner was picking her kids up from school so they didn't have to ride the bus. Water for animals...pick up kids from school that could ride the bus home....hmmmm. priorities are all wrong.

I messaged her what the issues were and it is clear their is no real dedication to changing or improving. The accommodations were a glorified tree house with no electric or water (bath house not far and an outdoor mountain spring supplied  shower) worth maybe $200 a month. With only a few dozen hours dedicated to the farm there is no way I could turn it around and they do not have the interest to take the lead.

I will pro bono consult from afar and will likely call the authorities tomorrow for a farm inspection.

Those poor pigs. Awful conditions at that farm. Unbelievable really.

Back to the drawing board.

Middleburg Eccentric

I successfully influenced the front page of the Middleburg Eccentric.

Cover story "Crystal Ritenour Cares for Ayrshire Farms Animals"...complete with a huge picture of her and pigs on the continued story on page 15.

I am very pleased.

Whoever is doing the damage control on the farms end is failing miserably.

Their obvious efforts are painful and doing more damage than good in the community.

Pigs

If you can't walk amongst your pigs without getting bit and your clothes ripped or shredded you're doing something seriously wrong. Either the pigs are hungry, starving for enrichment activity, or are scared of her.  Pigs don't just assault their handlers.

Thank God they are dead.

Feel bad for the single boar in the barn. The one with catijoes name on it...the woman who claims animals should not live in isolation.

Hypocrisy