Pork N Beans

The beans came out today.

All summer, I have been saying that "when the beans come out, I am going to let Mama Pig have run of the pasture at least once."

Well, yesterday fall harvest started in earnest around here and the soybeans started to come off...at least some of them. I should have maybe waited until the fields on all 4 sides of our farm were harvested (just in case Mama ran off and needed to be fetched back!) but after the main south field came off, I couldn't help myself. It's been a long, horrid week already and I wanted to see at least one being in this world really happy.

And, oh she was!

I opened the gate between Mama Pig's big pen and the pasture and she trotted out and immediately headed for the first patch of green grass. She paused for a bit and hovered around me as if she wasn't quite sure if this was ok and after I patted her, she took off and did a full recon of the field. There is nothing quite so funny as a 450 pound sow gleefully exploring her world.

My fears of her "running off" were completely unfounded. #1, she had one encounter with the electric fence and then gave the full fence line a wide berth (pigs don't need to learn that lesson twice!) and #2, anytime I wanted her to come back, I just had to call her name and she came running. She is the single most reliable animal I have ever owned for coming when she calls, no questions asked.

And so I think she might just get this kind of turnout every afternoon. As long as she respects the fence, she is only helpful out there. Her main focus was the long grass that the horses refuse to eat because, gasp, they pooped within 11 feet of it! Oh no, Mama Pig was all over that stuff (and the manure too for that matter).

Let the reign of the pasture pig begin!