The barn was all clean and ready when the truck showed up.

The back doors opened and the pigs started exploring the short ramp to their new home.  Pigs are skittish about going down steps and ramps, so they’re a little nervous here.  The driver in the background is shaking a plastic jug full of washers or something to make noise.  The pigs don’t like the rattling sound so they move away from it, down the ramp.

Here they come!  Some are brave and some are nervous.  The load weighs an average of 13 pounds.

Mark and his worker count the pigs as they come into the barn.

It’s a little like herding cats, I think.  The pigs are tired from the walk down the ramp, a little thirsty, and curious about their new surroundings.  They don’t walk down the aisle nicely in a row, but bunch up and stop and explore and run and counting is way harder than you might think.

The cup waterers in the pens are turned on and dripping so the pigs can drink right away.  The heat lamps hanging over each pen are turned up to make sure they stay warm.  Pigs that are limping or have swollen joints get an injection to help them heal, and the tiniest pigs get a preventative shot, too.  Newly weaned pigs are susceptible to illness, especially the smallest ones, and we want these guys to stay healthy.

They smell and lick everything as they check out their new home.  The blue bags of feed in the background are filled with special feed formula for this age pig, making sure they get the nutrients they need.

We count each pen one more time, then leave the little guys to eat and play and poop and sleep as they enjoy life as a nursery pig.