Farm Life of the Past: Jake (Part two)

...A continuing farm story from my husband's past...



In late fall, in this time and place, after the crops were harvested, most folks who had hogs would turn them out to forage in the fields, mostly corn fields, for whatever they could find to eat. No one minded as it benefited everyone for the hogs to roam free during this time. Winter was the time for slaughtering the hogs and the corn leavings in the fields would help in adding weight before the coldest days of winter came and the hogs could be butchered safely. Without refrigeration, the cold days were essential.

Sometimes sows with new litters of piglets would be seen. Often, hogs have more babies than they can raise. There is almost always a runt that gets shorted on the feeding, and does not thrive.

Such was the case with Jake.

Ed was the one who spotted the little runt pig, unable to keep up with his mother and brothers and sisters. He was much smaller than the rest and was always trailing behind
in the ongoing search for food in the cornfields.


~~~~~~~

...to be continued...


Junie