Too big for her arc

Delilah, our best Berkshire sow, has thwarted our attempts to keep her outside to farrow her latest litter. She’s now so big that she couldn’t squeeze through the door of the farrowing arc. When I checked her this afternoon, she was bulding a new nest in the mud outside the arc.

So, the Other Half and I disinfected the winter farrowing pen in the byre, laid down a bed of wood shavings and straw, filled the trough and then walked Delilah inside. She was more than happy to take up residence as she’s not only got a dry bed again but as the pen is next to the walkway between the steading and the fields, it guarantees her a lot of attention for the next couple of weeks.