We had to put Doris, one of our Berkshire sows, in with Graham, the boar, today. It’s rarely as straightforward as opening one or two gates and walking a pig through to a different pen and today was no exception. First, we had to move Graham and Delilah, another sow, into a vacant pen. Then, we had to move Doris, Dolores and two porker gilts from the field into Graham’s empty pen. Then Graham and Delilah moved into the field, then Doris joined them in the field, and finally Dolores moved into a pen on her own (she tends to bully smaller pigs unless there’s another adult sow with them). With the pig shuffle out of the way, the Other Half got to spend some time with Daisy.
Daisy’s litter of nine were quite happy to watch the proceedings from the door of their hut. They made it very clear that they were not venturing out into the cold and snow, even if tempted with food or scratches.
I’d prefer Dolores to be in with another pig, for warmth as well as company, but she has only herself to blame. If she’s kept with smaller pigs only, she bullies and dominates them continually. If she’s put in with them and another adult sow or boar, then she leaves the little ones alone. As we don’t want her in pig just yet, we can’t put her with Daisy as she has a young litter, and she can’t go in with the gilts, she’s had to go in the pen next to Daisy. I’ll have to make sure she’s well strawed up, particularly on cold days, but Dolores is well padded and should be okay on her own.
The gilts on the other hand were more than happy to find they now had an arc to themselves. It will also make it easier to feed them over the next four weeks as we get them ready for slaughter.
I’d like to have burnt the pile of brash before moving the Graham and Delilah into the field with Doris, but the weather hasn’t permitted a fire. It’s been too wet, too windy or, as today, too snowy. Still, the pigs enjoyed nosing into the pile with Graham removing a few branches to carry over and offer to Doris in the hut. She wasn’t impressed by his courting gifts, though!
In fact, Doris wasn’t at all impressed with having Graham around and quickly disappeared into the arc, where he couldn’t get up to anything. Well, apart from bringing her some specially selected branches, and giving her an ear and tail nibble!
Delilah knew exactly what she wanted, though, and quickly persuaded me to give her an intense ear rub. It always makes her go weak at the knees, although she quickly decided it was much too cold to lie down as she normally does.
What a fine figure of a porker she is…
From your comments though, I can see why you’re so careful of the lads when the pigs are loose…
Delilah and Doris are good with the boys so I’m happy to take one boy at a time into a pen or the byre with each of them, even when they have piglets. Both sows are quite happy to be herded by the boys, although I’m always close at hand when we’re doing this (and it’s only boy at a time).
Daisy came to us fully grown and, while she is good natured, we don’t have quite the same relationship. I’ll take the oldest boy in with her and they’re getting used to each other, but more work is needed. She was comfortable to have both boys go in, one at a time, and have a look at her piglets just after she farrowed, so that was a good sigh.
Dolores is a chav. She’s loud-mouthed, bolshie and just a little untrustworthy. I can take the boys in with her most of the time but I know her moods and I’m always more careful with her.
Graham is a very good natured animal, but he is a boar. The Big Lad has a good relationship with Graham so I’m happy for him to rub him through the gate. Generally, though, the boys don’t get to come into the pen with Graham, unless he’s on his own with no sows. He’s just too big and too much of a boofer if he’s prancing around with his sows.
I like their names!
& Daisy rides “A Bicycle Built for Two”.
Now you’ll be singing that to her.
Your field layout in the snow looks like something off Krypton Factor. I’m not the most spacially aware of people, and all that fencing gave me a headache. If I were one of your pigs I think I’d sit in the corner quietly.
I didn’t understand the Krypton Factor reference so I looked it up and discovered it was a British game show. I’m still not totally certain about the reference, but I suspect contestants were put through mazes where they can’t cross their previous paths? If so, then yes, it can seem a bit like that at times when moving the pigs.
It was mazes and logic puzzles, included large jigsaws with impossible similar shapes. The contestant were not put through mazes but had large puzzles and mazes in front of them, from what I can remember, with an army assault to end.
I should have added that the saying ‘it’s like the Krypton factor’ used, or was, to saying something is complicated looking or difficult.
Stonehead’s lay out is simple when seen on the ground and in person!
Ah, a bit like me then. Simple when seen in person…