A recurring problem in our farm life is finding the right balance between FREEDOM and SAFETY. On the one hand, it is our responsibility as animal owners to ensure our animals health and safety as much as possible. But on the other hand, nature intended animals to be free to roam, so how much should be permitted and encouraged even though this increases their risk of peril? Many horses spend 23 hours a day in stalls, chickens live in small coops, rabbits spend their hours in tiny hutches, pigs in pint-sized pens, etc. etc. All of them are safe in these man-made homes, but are they truly happy? This is where we step outside the bounds of what might be considered normal to many people and say freedom is sometimes worth more than a safe and secure life. It is still a work in progress, and we have certainly lost more than a few chicken and bunny lives (as well as destroyed some of my husband's precious garden from trampling hooves!) to bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and even a mountain lion, but we are constantly working on our system and ever seeking the best balance we can strike between the two ideals.
From a recent Post on the Local Topanga Facebook Page:
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to give an update about Fleur Piggy as she has been posted here more than once! She lives in an enclosure with rabbits and sleeps fully tucked away at night, but we do let her out for a few hours each day to roam the property and stretch her legs, mind and soul. Usually, she sits in the driveway waiting for rice cakes or grazes on patches of grass. However, as she is female and not spayed, we have since learned that once a month for approximately three days she comes in heat and feels the urge to wander to look for a boyfriend piggy. When we see her leaving (or read about it), we keep her in her enclosure for the next three days, which makes for a grumpy girl, but a contained one. It's not a precise art to guess her "schedule" and we try our best. We also know this isn't everyone's idea of good parenting to allow her to be loose at all, but we believe that quality of life is important and means giving Fleur a bit of freedom rather than living safely in her bedroom and staring at the same four walls day in and day out. Thanks always though for everyone's concern!