Tuesday, February 15: around 5:30
Even with the small ceramic heater running, the stall in the barn was still chilly. There was about 10 of us compacted into one area, crowding around the sow (female pig), for today she was having her piglets. I recieved a text message during the school day reading "She's having her pigs!" A surge of excitement ran through me. Living on a farm, my parents thought it was only necessary to get me involved in 4-H, so for the past 11 years going on 12, I have shown mainly large animal livestock and this year will be my first year showing pigs. I was planning on buying my pigs from our friends whose sow was having her babies, so you could say I was a little more than excited. After school my parents and I drove up to our friends farm and quietly creeped into the barn. As we approached the stall, my friend Andrea came from behind the insulated tarp and whispered "She's still having them and only one has survived." Her brother was kneeling behind the sow, known as Honey, soothing and encouraging her. A bucket sat to his left and in the bottom were two lifeless piglets. It was a little emotional but when I saw a small pink piggy jump in the pen, my heart melted. He was the cutest little thing I had ever see but it had been close to a half hour since he was born and he hadn't ate a thing. But that was the least of their worries; there was still atleast 5 more piglets in the sow and things were not going as planned. Time passed and the next piglet still hadn't come out. Andrea's brother was having difficulties grasping onto the piglets and the sows pelvis was too small to pull his hand through. But he slowly worked the piglets into the sows birthing canal. Finally, two little feet came popping out and he tugged and pulled until that little sucker came out. But the piglet didn't move. Andrea and her brother cleaned the piglets mouth out and her brother tried to pump its heart. I could see the determination in his eyes, there was nothing more that he wanted in that moment than that little pig to come to life. 5 minutes passed and there was still no movement. "It's gone." Dissapointment filled the room as they placed the lifeless piglet in the bucket along with the other 2. I could tell everyone was tired, especially the sow but they all knew that they had to get these piglets out. We waited and waited until we could feel another pig. I heard the words "I got one" and my heart pumped. I silently prayed in my head, hoping this one would come out alive. Her brother grasped onto the piglet and began to pull with all his strength but Honey's pelvis was just too small. Nearly 35 minutes had passed and the piglet still wasn't out. They finally called a farmer down the road who just so happened to be delivering pigs as well but when he got their call of help, Farmer Jon drove down. It was looking like a dissapointing night for him as well. One of his sows had hip problems and was having difficulties as well. Unfortunately he had to shoot her. Jon stepped into the compact stall and knelt down beside Andreas brother. Jon tried to pull the piglet out but he had no luck. It had been an hour and there was still nothing. At that point, we all knew it was dead and there was nothing we could do. It was nearing 9 o'clock and I had to get up early the next morning. I shouldn't have stayed that long but I felt like I needed to be there for support. I hate to write about sad and dissapointing moments like this but for farmers, it's life. One year you may have the best crops in the state and the next year, barely have a yeild big enough break even. But like I said it's life. We all have to go through this sooner or later. I just hope that the one little survivor develops into a beautiful show hog and takes it all at the county fair....Wouldn't that be something?
*I learned later that they never did get the last piglet out. Unfortunately, they now have to give the sow shots that will, for lack of better word, "decompose" the baby piglets. The shots may be toxic to the sow, but I pray, I just pray, that she makes it.
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