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| Read on to find out why this has got to be one of the luckiest pigs around right now. |
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| Sunday 16th September 2012 |
Today the barrier of doom was raised and three unsuspecting pigs entered the lair.
The barrier of doom is actually a ramshackle old wooden door which separates the two pig areas. When I need to separate the pigs, such as at weaning time, I simply unscrew it, lure the pigs to where I want them with food (always works), and screw back again.
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| The barrier of doom. Three pigs have passed through. |
Well, today the purpose of separating the pigs was because three will be going off on a little journey in four weeks time. I am not just being remarkably well prepared, but these three pigs will also get all the best food for the next few weeks, all the titbits, all the extra vegetables from the garden. For I reckon that in this last few weeks whatever they eat will affect what we intend to eat in the future.
To be totally fair about it, I decided to open up the gate, throw in a load of old potatoes and sweetcorn husks and to close the gate when the first three piglets had gone through. No favourites.
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| I found these old Pink Fir Apple potatoes in the store today. You could say they've chitted! But they proved an excellent lure for the piglets. |
The plan went well until piglets three and four ran through together. So a little food was thrown on the other side and, eventually, one very lucky piglet went back through to earn a fortunate stay of execution, ensuring that it will make it to Christmas and get to see a New Year in.
So that's it. The next three lined up, just as today we made our first sale from the last two.
And yes! I do have a favourite. She has a patch over one eye and is always the first to come up to me.
I haven't looked yet to see which side of the fence she is on.
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| Does this lucky survivor wear a patch? |
Meanwhile, Daisy is looking decidedly preggers. A pig's gestation period is 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and the day that Gerald did the deed is easy to remember. Friday 13th of July. So she should be due in about 7 weeks time.
Then it all starts again!
Very luck indeed.
ReplyDeleteI am also a fan of giving them the best food and extras on the run up to the chopping day. I know a lot of people give them fermented apples, beer or guiness to sweeten the meat. Some people say it's cruel, but the pigs never seem to mind in my opinion and you can guarantee that the meat is going to be good!!!
We've never reared our own pigs, we know people who have and it is something we would really like to do in the near future....
Martin
I can heartily recommend rearing your own. A very satisfying experience. Just make sure you know what you're going to do with all the piglets / meat. Not always easy to sell and feed costs can quickly mount when you've got 10 hungry mouths to feed. If only we could establish a guaranteed outlet for our pigs it would take away a whole lot of stress!
ReplyDeleteAll very well planned, and fair :) We had no problems separating ours last year (we have four and they go two by two) I think this year may not go so well.
ReplyDelete