Potbelly pigs!
Oh how I love Pig Season!
Every June we get pigs. At least, for the past 3 years, every June we get pigs. So now June is Pig Season around here. I love my pigs (for now).
It’s been quite a week around here. There’s been Potbelly pigs, Berkshire piglets, turkeys and rabbits crossing our paths. I am in the process of getting all the pictures off my camera/ phone and onto my computer so I can show you how adorable everyone is.
I know you are holding your breath.
So, have I ever told you that we own a pawnshop? We do. Actually, my husband owns a pawnshop – I am sleeping with the owner.
DH (my husband) is a walking encyclopedia. You can bring him anything and he can tell you what it is, what it’s worth and what he can sell it for. He’s been running pawnshops for over 20 years. He has run entire markets for big corporations. He’s run small shops for individuals. He now has his own store. It has been an adventure and a blessing.
If you live in America you have probably seen one of the pawnshop shows on TV. This has been good for our industry because it brings wonderful folks into our store who may otherwise have never visited a pawnshop. Pawnshops are great. Pawnshops are fun. It’s a great place to find something unique. It’s also a great place to find a great deal. Because of the way the pawn business operates, there is a constant stream of new merchandise. The inventory is always changing.
Sorry for the long pawnshop lesson. I bring this up because our pawnshop is the reason we have ended up with many of the critters found around our homestead. It is also the reason for the pigs, rabbits, chickens, and turkeys ending up on our doorstep lately. (We turned down the turkeys)
I’m pretty sure normal pawnshops don’t except livestock.
This is how we became the proud owners of 2 potbelly pigs.
The phone at the store rings all day. Every phone call falls in to one of 3 categories:
- What time do you close?
- Is my [insert item] still there? (drill, ring, TV, etc)
- Do you take [insert random item]?
The first 2 questions are easy. The third one is always a crap-shoot. So, I defer to DH.
- Caller: Do y’all take bikes?
- Me: Honey, do you want a bike?
- Caller: Do you buy Waterford Crystal?
- Honey, do you want some Waterford Crystal?
- Caller: Do y’all take golf clubs?
- Honey, do you want some golf clubs?
- Caller: I have a big box of 22 ammo I want to sell.
- Honey, do you want some 22 ammo?
Saturday I didn’t answer the call. DH did. The caller wanted to know if he wanted 2 potbelly pigs. He said, “Yes.”
Now, we are the proud owners of 2 enormous, micro-mini, potbelly pigs…… that were not supposed to get over 40 pounds.
A-hem. I don’t think anyone told the pigs this information.
Don’t blame me for their weight problem, I had nothing to do with it.
I don’t know if it’s possible to put a potbelly pig on a diet and shrink them back down to 40 pounds.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, “no.”
The male is named, George. He is friendly. He has tusks. He is fully ‘intact’ if you know what I mean. He is always foaming at the mouth. And, no, he is not rabid.
Male potbelly pigs who are fully-intact constantly foam at the mouth. I do not know this because I am smart. I know this because I have a fully-intact, male, potbelly pig who looks like he has rabies and I have been panicking over it since he showed up.
After a few searches, discussions and investigations I’ve discovered that foam drooling out of the sides of a male pig’s mouth is just part of being a male pig.
Tuns out, it’s normal. Horrifying, but normal.
It’s hot here in Kentucky and George has decided the water bowl I set up for him is a swimming pool. He is determined to squeeze is Gi-normous, foaming, drooling self into his water bowl. Believe it or not, he almost can do it.
George’s lady is Polly. She is beautiful, round, wiry and everything you want in a female, potbelly pig. We were told that she should be pregnant. The gestation period for potbelly pigs is 3 months, 3 weeks, & 3 days. Wierd right?
If she was bred (as suspected) we may have some little piggy’s in September.
Yay! Baby pigs. Squeal!
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Happy Pig Season!!!!
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-Candi
