Indoor Pigs, Outdoor Pigs

Saturday 15th December 2012
A warmer morning, and not raining.

Daisy and her new family are doing very well indeed. And so they should be, for the little ones have been pampered for their whole lives so far, kept in a stable lined with fresh straw and sheltered from the worst that winter can throw at them.
I prefer to keep pigs outside, for they are intelligent creatures who appreciate a rich environment. However, at this time of year the health of mum and family have to be considered. Daisy is beginning to lose some weight now, so it is a good thing that she'll only be feeding the piglets for another fortnight or so. After this, we'll give her a rest from having babies for a while so that she can get back into good condition.

Meanwhile, down in the pig pen, the last two survivors from the previous litter wallow around contentedly in the mud. They are an altogether different sight, but equally happy with their lot. They have a choice of two shelters (though they are gradually destroying one of them), each chosen according to wind direction it seems. And if they tire of wallowing up and down in the mud, almost belly deep in places, they can always head down the land to drier areas where they can still nuzzle around on solid ground.

It won't be long before they move onto the veg plot to root out any unharvested potatoes. They will be delighted to find a patch of mangel wurzels still in the ground too. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that the pigs should be very suspicious of such treats. For this move to a more decadent lifestyle is aimed at improving the taste of the meat.
Some time in the new year these two will become sausages and a good job too, as we have now completely run out of sausages for sale from their sisters who went off a while ago now. I am having to turn customers away and plenty of them are licking their lips in anticipation at these two going on their final journey!