First Litter of Pigs Born at Clear Creek Farm

Our Heritage Spot pigs are one of our favorite animals on the farm.  Yes, their breed is really called Spots because....well, they have spots!  Lots of folks that have toured the farm think we are pulling their leg when we tell them that.  After our eventful experience bringing them to the farm (read "This Little Piggy Went to...Clear Creek Farm) we have learned a lot about pigs raised outside of the traditional means.  When pigs have babies on the commercial hog farm they are placed in farrowing crates where they are allowed to stand, lay down, drink and eat.  This is done in an attempt to stop the pig from rolling over and crushing any of the piglets.  All of the breeding that has taken place to produce the pigs we have today in our grocery stores was done at the expense of the maternal instict of the sow.

When allowed to free range, like the pigs do at Clear Creek Farm, they are allowed to act the way nature intended.  It is very important that we chose a heritage breed like our Spots that still carried some of their maternal instinct.  As our sows pregnancy progressed we noticed that she was spending a lot of time in one particular area of the lot we went to that area one day while she was eating.  This is what we found.

She had actually cut down trees with her jaws and pushed up cedar boughs and leaves to produce a nice, soft, warm nest.  As she got closer to having her litter she stayed closer and closer to her nest.

So, on one of the coldest nights with the impending 6 to 8 inches of snow headed our way Hamlet decided to bring 7 new baby piglets into the world.  A few are very healthy and hearty looking! We debated on what to do for her, but with the placement of her nest under a huge cedar tree that was out of the wind we decided that she knew best what her litter needed.  We let her rest and nurse her new family.

As her new litter nursed hungrily I was able to pick one of the babies up and take a look.  We have trouble keeping up with Sarah Katherine, so I wonder how she's gonna handle keeping up with 7!