I don't really feel like blogging right now, but wanted to give an update.  This blog was created for me to keep a record of our happenings on the farm.  Both the good and the bad.  This is definitely a bad.  After trying to catch our pig for two days, we have finally lost him for good.  My son found him today in the neighbor's corn field.  He and the neighbor were trying to lure him back to our house to get him in the pen.  The pig tried to get away by running into the cows field.  He soon got surrounded by some very territorial heifers who kicked him to death.  We are so sad.  I know this is part of "life on a farm", but it is still very hard for us newbies.  This was our boar we were going to use for breeding.  We are supposed to pick up our gilt tomorrow.  I'm now not sure if I should pick her up.  We don't really have the money to run out and get another boar right away.  I wonder if she will be lonely as I know pigs are herd animals.  This was a very hard lesson learned.  Well, actually two.  First of all, I will never buy any animal from a farm where they are raised without any human interaction.  This pig was extremely terrified of people.  I thought if I brought him home and showed him enough love, he would get used to us.  The farm I am getting the gilt from raise their pigs with so much love, that they are like big puppies.  Secondly, I will never assume anything with any animal.  If I would not have assumed that this pig would not be able to jump the fence I would not have let him out of the cage and alone.  I would have waited until dh finished the electric gate.

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Well we've had our first escape and it is not fun.  I had such a bad feeling yesterday about this pig.  First of all the farm we got him from (because of circumstances not chosen by the owner) do not give these pigs any personal attention whatsoever.  There is a lady who comes out to feed them once a day and I believe that is all the attention they get.  This poor little piglet is terrified of people.  We are still not sure how he escaped.  We fed him and thought we left him safely in his new home.  Then my husband and son, who were setting up the electric fence to let him out the next day, hear a noise and watch him escape into the darkness.  We did not find any holes anywhere in the pen.  I am guessing he jumped over the partition/fence that divides the pen and then out the opening in the other stall.  It seems kind of high for him to jump, but that is the only possible way. 

He is currently staying in our field/woods behind our house, but will come no where near us.  I am worried that he has not come in to drink any water.  He did spend some time in the apple orchard and I am hoping he ate some of the apples for a little hydration.  We left some food in the barn and out on our porch last night, but not sure if he ate any.  We will leave some near the barn tonight with his water.  I am also worried that he is by himself and was not raised as a free range pig.  Sadly he has spent most of his young life locked in a barn with his mom and siblings only being visited by the lady who feeds him once a day.  I am wondering if he will fall prey to predators.  We will be picking up our gilt tomorrow and hoping (praying) that seeing her will tempt him to come back to stay.

Please keep him in your prayers.  I know it might sound silly to some, but I am really worried.  I barely slept last night and was so happy to see him this morning.  Unfortunately, I am left worrying again tonight as we were not able to get him to go in the barn again tonight.  He did not even want to be seen by us and kept hiding most of the day.  The last time we saw him was in the small woods behind our home. 

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