Farm nesting facts - Chickens lay their eggs in a nest. Ducks and geese do too. Wild turkeys nest in the hedgerows. Sparrows will nest in the roof eaves and swallows build their nests in the rafters. A nest of robins in the maple tree, a nest of bluebirds in the hollow of an old fence post. Birds of all feathers nesting together on a farm. Then there are the nests of vermin and pests. Unwelcome guests. Mice nesting in the hay mow. Rats nesting under the floor boards. Wasp nests under the window sills and ants nests under the garden edging rocks. The dogs bed down in the straw on a cold morning, snug in their nests while we milk. It is not unusual to find a nest of garter snakes under a pile of mulch hay or stack of rotting timbers. Even the mixing bowls in a farm kitchen cupboard nest as do the spiders in the high corners of the living room. Okay I admit it, the low corners too. But I had never thought to see With all the nests built round a farm Piled ever higher still A mound of grass the shed to fill Gathered not by hen nor goose Surely no mouse would so aspire A puzzle indeed for solving now My word twas built by a pregnant sow! I did not know sows built nests but then again there is a fair amount I admit to not knowing about swine. Ive raised feeder pigs for many years now but this is only my second - with a big gap in between - hands on interaction with a farrowing sow. And of course sows kept on concrete or in dirt pens and/or confined in farrowing crates as advised by most how to manuals would not have the opportunity to indulge this natural instinct. Miss Maybelline spent the better part of Friday and Saturday plus Sunday morning constructing her nest, combing great mouthsful of dried grass from the back section of her pen then waddling over to the shed to add them to the pile. Miss Maybelline delivered herslf of 8 1/2 piglets yesterday afternoon. The 1/2 was a very small runt who did not have the motor skills to stay out of mamas way and got squished. They were all resting cozily up against the sows belly at close of day; as soon as its light enough Ill be out to see how they did overnight. There was concern over the cool temps as night fell but I decided to leave them with mom and trust they would be snug enough. So now you can add a nest of pigs to your list of farm nesting facts.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:30:17 +0000