It's All About the Bedding

I could not agree more. My folks were humor rich and material poor. Not a single bed in our home had a top sheet. Some had bottom sheets and a blanket. Some had a top sheet used as a bottom sheet and a sleeping bag from some kid who spent the night, as a blanket. Pillows were shared and sometimes old jackets were rolled up and disguised as pillows.

I was SHOCKED the first time I spent the night at a friends house when I was 12 and she had...now get this..a bed to herself AND a top sheet AND a bottom sheet AND a blanket AND a comforter AND shams (What the heck was a "sham"?) on her pillows. To make it even more confusing, it all matched. I felt like the person facing too much silverware in a 5 star restaurant.

Bedding overload

As a farmer though, we're all about the bedding today. We have a storm coming, anywhere from 3-7 inches depending on which fear mongering radio station you listen too. Suppossed to start in a couple hours. So we're gearing up for it. It's not the snow that is so worrisome, it's the drifts.

We live up on a small hill and are surrounded my fields. The wind comes from the south east and slams into us such that 1 inch of snow can make some pretty impressive drifts. This is a hassle for us and can be dangerous for our livestock if they don't have enough bedding.

So while Keith frantically worked to get as much manure hauled and spread out on the fields while the ground was still frozen and he could still see the ground, I worked to bed a few of our critters. First checking on our two mommy pigs. Miss Debbie had her self and her 5 day old L'Enfants deeply buried in the straw Keith gave her yesterday so I chose to leave her be.

She weighs more than I do.

Debbie, wrapped around her babies. Deep bedding
and the natural heat of a good healthy mama

Other new mommy Dot , a crossbred mated to a Red Wattle, with her large litter of 11 just 10 days old, needed a better "bottom sheet"  She was fun to bed because straw can be dropped into her area from the hayloft above. Easy Peasy. So much fun watching her pull over the new straw, fluff it, rearrange it to beef up her current sleeping arrangements while her little ones watched.

Almost dropped my camera on this shot!

After that, checked on chickens, giving them enough feed for a couple days and water and closing them into their coop. They'll be fine with our big Turkey boy Sunset generating heat in there.

Over to horses who were well bedded by Aaron the other day (in the smaller more secure stall to the right of this picture) and just needed a top coat and enough hay to get them though tomorrow afternoon in case too difficult to get to their barn tomorrow.

From there over to Sophie back in her own hutch as she grows the piglets inside of her that will be raised by the University of Pennsylvania staff in their research study. I'll admit it. She's getting special treatment right now being almost famous and all. 



6 weeks from her due date, Miss Sophie settles in for a nap

More straw and hay to Boar Wally and his girl Mrs Dalloway. Also an easy one to do as he is right below the hay loft. My aim isn't so great but they could've cared less.

Finished with some hay to Mad Max and his two girls. Not too worried about them. With Max weighing in at almost 1000 pounds and a normal pig body temp of 103 he should have no problem keeping his small harem very warm the next couple of days.

Max to the left. Clarissa to the right. Impending snow storm above.

Solid dry shelter, abundant food and water. Adequate bedding, who cares if it matches or not.
Bring it snow storm. We're ready for you.