OKLAHOMA CITY -- They come here to see the babies. Parents and their children jostle eachother for a peak at the miracle of life in the State Fair's Barnyard Birthing Center. MacK DeVilbiss is out here every day and night time too. He's one of the people in charge of taking care of all the newsborns and moms in Barn 3. But there's one piglet in this litter of ten. It's special. "These are crossbreds," he says.
The litter was born on the very first night of the fair around midnight and things weren't going well. "One of the mother types that were here she mentioned, that pig's not breathing. I said, yes I know," he recalls. "So then I kind of rubbed him around and actually slapped him pretty firmly several times, harder than that and still no action."
For two maybe three minutes, while the rest of the litter was busy getting their first meal this one was suffocating. With a lifetime of experience on the farm and 38 years as an Ag teacher in Yukon old Mack had one more trick up his sleeve. "And I did give this pig mouth to mouth resucitation." he says. "After about four puffs we noticed a little breath and it actually came back to life."
There were a few students there to witness Mack's succesful rescue attempt. A few of them recoiled at the prospect of giving a pig mouth to mouth but to Mack's way of thinking a life was a life no matter how slimy the snout. "Life is precious to us whether if's farm life or human life." "And there were less germs on a brand new born pig than anything in this barn."
The piglet is doing fine now. So is the mother and the rest of the litter. Mack's bit of late night life saving is no big deal to Mack but it's a huge deal to this animal. The smallest acts of heroism, the vast majority of which go completely un-noticed, they might just save us all. In Oklahoma City Galen Culver Newschannel 4. Is This a Great State or What!
The litter was born on the very first night of the fair around midnight and things weren't going well. "One of the mother types that were here she mentioned, that pig's not breathing. I said, yes I know," he recalls. "So then I kind of rubbed him around and actually slapped him pretty firmly several times, harder than that and still no action."
For two maybe three minutes, while the rest of the litter was busy getting their first meal this one was suffocating. With a lifetime of experience on the farm and 38 years as an Ag teacher in Yukon old Mack had one more trick up his sleeve. "And I did give this pig mouth to mouth resucitation." he says. "After about four puffs we noticed a little breath and it actually came back to life."
There were a few students there to witness Mack's succesful rescue attempt. A few of them recoiled at the prospect of giving a pig mouth to mouth but to Mack's way of thinking a life was a life no matter how slimy the snout. "Life is precious to us whether if's farm life or human life." "And there were less germs on a brand new born pig than anything in this barn."
The piglet is doing fine now. So is the mother and the rest of the litter. Mack's bit of late night life saving is no big deal to Mack but it's a huge deal to this animal. The smallest acts of heroism, the vast majority of which go completely un-noticed, they might just save us all. In Oklahoma City Galen Culver Newschannel 4. Is This a Great State or What!
