Pot belly Pigs Are The Pits!

Well, let me start off by saying that God sure has a way of teaching lessons I obviously need to learn. It started out with me and my sister deciding that we want to be more self sufficient. I've been on this kick for a while and I guess I finally convinced her to join me in this little adventure. I've been reading lots of blogs about farming on an acre and backyard homesteading. Me and Becca got to talking and we were like Hey yeah we could do that! We figured it'd be soo educational! The kids will love it (and it will get them out from in front of the T.V.), what could go wrong? So she decided to raise rabbits. Supposedly rabbits are excellent for small farms because they produce an awesome amount of meat with very little work (yeah right). And I found some potbelly pigs super cheap. I did a little research, you know read all of two articles, and I learned that pot belly pigs are raised for meat by the Vietnamese. I figured hey if they can do it so can we! Donna's house has a cyclone fence around it. It's even divided into different yards. She has a front yard, back yard, a seperate side yard and a little chicken pen. She was cool with us throwing the pigs in her side yard. Now let me take a minute to explain my reasoning, OK? I figured pot belly pigs are kinda like medium dogs right? I mean they are kinda small like a dog? And if you can raise a rabbit to eat well a pig would have more meat than a rabbit. It wouldn't be a lot of meat but it would be enough and it won't cost any food cause I  can feed them slop. Between Donna , Becca and me we should have PLENTY of slop to feed them. It all sounds so reasonable. No. Not so much. We got  3 pigs, a momma, daddy and baby. a sweet little family, awwww. No! Right off the bat we had to separate them because the dad and baby was fighting. The baby of course was a male. Then we learned the momma pig was probably pregnant. Well we couldn't keep the momma pig in with the baby because apparently he will kill the babies. We also can't put the momma in with the papa pig for the same reason. And we can't put the baby pig in with the papa because they will fight. So after alot of reasearch we decided to get rid of Baby pig. No problem. Everyone wants a baby pot belly pig. Baby gone. Now I start to notice these pigs look a little weird, I mean Papa looks like he has tusks, is that normal? And their hair looks like I don't know weird and kinda wild. These don't look anything like the pictures of potbelly pigs I've ever seen. Then I find out you gotta keep the babies almost a year before you can slaughter them out. So not worth the hassle for that little bit of meat! And then they start digging under the fences and getting out. And they seriously are rooting up Donna's whole yard! This IS NOT what I had in mind! So I decide to sell them. $20 bucks apiece and they are gone! Easy Peasy! Nope, not so much. Nobody wants them so after a week or two of them steadily tearing up her yard and getting out and driving me crazy I decide to just give them away! I just want them gone! Any takers? NO! Seriously! I listed them on like 10 Facebook groups! FREE Pigs! Come and get them! Please! Nope. Not one call! So then a cop shows up at my door, "Hey Lady you got some pigs out?" Yes officer I do. He tells me he is gonna call animal control and get them. Now I guess he thought I wouldn't be happy about that but I tell him that's great I been trying to get rid of them. Please call animal control. Please come get them. So he tells me well, if they get them they are going to fine me. Ok this may still be a good idea, at this point I'm willing to PAY to get rid of them so I say ok, how much? He kinda looks at me then says "I'm not gonna do that, go get your pigs". Well! Bummer! There goes that! So we jump in the van just like we know exactly how to catch pigs and drive down to Donna's. We actually get them pretty easy. Kyle just jumped out with the pig bucket and they follow him right into their pen! Yeah! Piece of cake! Um... NO! While I'm going to get Becca and her husband because now I've gotten the brilliant idea to turn them loose on Becca's hunting land They get out AGAIN! I come back with Daniel and Ricky ( her husband and son) and we spend the next 3 HOURS chasing these 2 pigs all over the neighborhood. The kids are now hot, thirsty and tired and haven't even had breakfast yet. Ricky and Daniel are aggravated and decide to just shoot them. By now even the little girls are agreeable to this. Anything to just stop having to chase them. But Becca who hasn't been chasing them for 3 hours brings reason and sanity back to the group, and we call Animal control to find out seriously how much is the fine . I will gladly pay it! Please, Please! And they say... wait for it.... it's FREE! Free if you let them have the pigs! Seriously? Really? You couldn't of mentioned that 3 hours ago before we chased them 80 miles in the 150 degree Texas heat!? Let me think? Yes please come get them and you may certainly have them for your trouble. Ya. Turns out "Animal Control" is a 70 year old man and his grandson with a few pig traps in their pick up. They have a bunch of land to turn them loose on. O well. At least they are gone. And what do I find when I get home? At least 10 different people, emailing, texting and messaging me begging for the pigs! Now for the lesson that I learned. When I got the pigs Shane told me it was a bad idea. We aren't supposed to have pigs in the city. I'm gonna regret it. It's a hassel. Now I could of said "You're right dear, lets take this money and go to Rancho Grande instead, or even hey, let's go buy some pretty flowers. I never heard of flowers tearing up a yard. Did I say that? Did I listen? Nope. Will I next time? Probably not. No seriously, I have learned my lesson! Sometimes husband does know best! I seriously am done with animals, I may even get rid of my fish. I'm. Just. Done.

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