Proud sow Daisy enjoys showing off her litter—with good reason. We’ve now confirmed that she had five boars and four gilts on 2 January, with several showing potential for registering in the herd book.
The piglets are thriving, but will find their easy life getting a little cooler from tomorrow when we start lifting the heat lamp in readiness for them to move outside next week. We’re hoping for a good boar and gilt to keep for our herd, so fingers crossed!
They look so cute - and not an intensive thing in sight! That’s how I remember seeing pigs raised by my uncle (back in the 60/70s). All his sows would come up to the edge of the stys to have their heads scratched too. Despite him being a hard headed farmer, the pigs were for eating, he took time with his animals and saw them as individuals not just a crop. It’s so good that in these days of intensive (soulless) farming, there are still people like yourself who treat the animals with respect and dignity.
Nicely done, Daisy …. a family to be proud of!
Good fortune with them Stoney, they are a credit to you and your OH …. and the boys.
“It’s so good that in these days of intensive (soulless) farming, there are still people like yourself who treat the animals with respect and dignity.”
AMEN to that.
This is a handsome group. Pigs are marvellous creatures, and this particular type of pig I have never before seen. Those little ones look healthy and sleek - quite beautiful, and mama pig is a beauty. it’s too bad I had developed a taste for eating pork before becoming familiar with pigs on an aunt’s farmstead. They are smart and have dog-like character to me, in some ways. I think if I raised pigs and lived with them on a daily basis I would not be able to eat pork without regret, any more than I could countenance eating cats or dogs.
I keep pigs because I like them and I like eating them. The Other Half keeps them because she likes them and doesn’t mind the boys and I eating them—but would never eat them herself.
All our breeding pigs are known by name (and answer to them), and we know all their respective characteristics. Some of the ones we keep for finishing acquire names—usually the characters for whom a name emerges without prompting. But even the unnamed finishers are distinct individuals and treating accordingly.
At the same time, however, we don’t anthropomorphise much more than that. They are pigs, they lead piggy lives and they have to pay their way—whether in cash, pork, manure or turning the fields over.
The advantages of our approach are that we have happy, contented pigs that are easily handled, are relatively safe with small children (but they’re still animals so you never let your guard down), and are very attractive to other crofters and smallholders. They also taste very, very good.
It looks like all of this litter has now been sold as well. Next will be about May/June subject to all the usual ifs and buts (if the sow gets in pig, if she’s in pig on the right date, if she carries piglets to term, if she farrows successfully, if they survive, if I’m not abducted by aliens, etc.)