Sherman is home! 🥳
Sorry for the short video, it’s hard to record while making sure your pig doesn’t leap out of the back of the car 😅 But he did go down the ramp into his pen, said hi to his friends, and headed straight into his house for a nap. We will be keeping an extra close watch on Sherman, as well as modifying his diet to ensure he doesn’t get backed up again.
Big thanks for all of the well wishes and support for his care! We were only 200 short from our fundraising efforts, which we covered from our general fund.
When food lady puts sunscreen on you, you show her how it’s really done 🤣
Milo, and all of the pink pigs, are especially prone to sunburn with their fair skin. When they wallow in the mud, it protects their skin naturally—and also helps repel pesky insects! Some of our pink piggies will not utilize the mud, so we use a sunscreen spray to ensure they’re protected from the intense rays.
Most pigs do not enjoy being sprayed with the hose, but some really love it. Elwood gets the zoomies every time we spritz him! This silly boy makes us smile so big 🩵
Spending time with the big babies is always a sweet time. These kiddos are so affectionate, always looking forward to seeing their human friends 🥰
Friends who wallow together, stay together! Hans and Franz are always in one another’s company—they are the very best of friends! They love having time out of their pen for adventures, and splashing around in the community wallow.
Part of the herd we fondly call ‘the big babies,’ these boys are the youngest in their group; Franz turned 2 earlier this year, and Hans will be 2 next month! They both have a lot of growing ahead of them still 🥰
The house piggies are spending some time outside today, and are so happy for fresh straw to lounge in! On nice days, the indoor piggies love to be outside, and we don’t want to deny them the comforts all of the other pigs have, like straw to snuggle in ❤️ Turbo is definitely the most grateful!
It feels like spring when the grass starts to become green again! Lodi and her friends are all out and about grazing in the sunshine this afternoon 💚
Pigs love to graze, but we have to be careful of how much they consume; grass in the spring is really rich, so their time grazing has to be limited and monitored so they don’t overdo themselves.
Louisa loves to root in her mud wallow, but also likes to keep her snooter clean 😅 This is a regular occurrence when we refill her wallow on warm days; she’s always right by the hose, alternating between rooting and rinsing.
Large breeds of pigs, like Louisa, always make us smile big. They have larger than life personalities, but they’re also big babies who enjoy playing, exploring, and being doted upon. We are so glad this pretty girl saved her own life when jumping from a transport truck in 2021!
#friendsnotfood #rescuesaveslives #hoghavenfarm #loveliveshere
Building trust with pigs can take a long time. Pigs who have been rescued from neglect & cruelty cases, who have had food insecurity, or who have been abandoned after forming strong bonds with their humans all have their own, individual pace to not only adapt to a new environment, but to learn that not all humans are bad or are going to hurt them or leave them.
Billy was originally rescued from a large hoarding & neglect case in Indiana, and was transferred here in 2022 from another rescue (KCPRN). It was determined that he & his pal Tylor would do better in sanctuary, versus trying to find a private home; KCPRN is a foster-based organization and seeks adoptive families for all of their pigs.
Both Billy and Tylor have had aggressive behaviors, but needed a safe space where they could be alone together and have ample time to decompress. They have made strides in the last year, trusting Erin and learning that human affection can be really awesome.
Today, for the first time, sweet Billy gave Erin ‘hot pants,’ the breathy sound that pigs make to express their love & affection for others ❤️
Groot had a visitor today who gave him his very favorite snack—avocado! One of our pickiest eaters, Groot also has had many of his teeth removed, and needs soft foods. This is his preferred treat, and he was so happy to be pampered this afternoon. Thanks, Chelsea! ❤️
The big kids LOVE to play with tumbleweeds, and we’re glad! These pesky weeds are all over the place following high winds a couple of weeks ago. Journey, Falstaff and Maple had a really fun time shaking these weeds, dragging them about, and chewing on them while waters were being refilled 😅 Pigs love to play with things that make fun, crinkly noises.
#friendsnotfood #pigrescue #sanctuary
Chopper update!
Chopper is slowly recovering, and is the brightest and most alert today as he's been in the past week. He has nurse Lucy helping him recover! We can still use some support with his vet costs; check the link in the comments to see how you can offer support!
The best thing about frigid days (for the pigs)? Hot meal service! Everyone is doing well in the cold, and at least the sun is shining ❤️
It takes a long time to prep the pigs’ feed this way, but serving their pellets soaked in hot water is a good way to ensure they receive some hydration in these scary temps, and allow them to warm up a bit too.
Baron (loudly) enjoying ice chips 😅
It’s that time of year when water refills are exhausting, with thick ice in every water bowl every morning. Pigs need access to fresh water, and munching on the ice isn’t enough to keep them hydrated—but they sure do love it! We use kiddie pools year round as water troughs, because they’re the easiest to dump when ice builds up. You can see how thick the ice was when we changed water yesterday 😳
Lounging while snacking is the best! Lodi and Creedence (and all of their friends) are enjoying a much nicer day today, as well as Timothy hay to munch on.
During the coldest months, we provide extra calories to the pigs to make sure they’re staying warm enough. Temps are going to absolutely plummet this weekend, so we are prepping all of their shelters today & tomorrow ❤️
Good morning, Lola!
Our pretty big girl was in bright spirits for breakfast this morning. She absolutely LOVES her cozy tiny home, too 😅 Lola is still walking pretty stiffly, but she is taking all of her meds and supplements, and has a great appetite. We hope she’ll start feeling less stiff as her body adjusts to the doses she’s on ❤️
We had some cabbage & carrots donated for the piggies yesterday, and everyone was thrilled with their special snack! Not all of the pigs will eat cabbage (pigs can be quite picky), but bigger babes usually eat anything.
These are the “big babies,” meaning none are yet full grown. You can see Hans, Puddle, Davy Jones, Rorschach and Barbossa in this video ❤️
Our lovely big lady, Lola, hasn’t been feeling well for a few days. Her friends noticed, and true to pigs, ganged up on her to reestablish dominance. We pulled her into a separate area yesterday, and under veterinary guidance gave her antibiotics and pain meds, then sprayed the minor abrasions she received with BluKote (a wound spray). We will be scheduling a vet visit for her later this week to ensure nothing serious is going on to cause her friends to turn on her, but in the meantime she’s doing ok and enjoying some extra pampering.
Lola’s favorite human visited her today with a very special snack, and helped lift Lola’s spirits 🥰
Lincoln loves cleaning up snow in his pen (as do many of his friends). We think they eat it to help remove it more quickly 😅
It’s going to be a beautiful day today, and everyone is outside enjoying the sunshine and warmer temps.
Piggies all love food lady 🥰
Any time I take a pause to sit with the pigs, no matter the pen, they want to come hang out with me. It’s one of the best feelings in the world! Piggies in this video include Baron, Creedence, and Phoenix Rose; they all live in the pen closest to the human house.
As this year winds to a close, there’s still time to make a tax deductible donation! Winter tends to be the most costly season, and the slowest for donations. You can make sure we kick the new year off without stressing over funds ❤️
Other ways to donate:
🐷Venmo @HogHavenFarm
🐷Zelle [email protected]
🐷PayPal [email protected]
🐷Mail a check to PO Box 128, Deer Trail CO 80105
We appreciate your support so much!
