Free Range Piggies......

The pigs lulled us into a false sense of security last year when they meekly followed us to the barn for their winter housing.

So, when we had a spare half hour on Friday afternoon, we decided to move them back to their pigs arks in the orchard for the summer. We had obviously not stopped the consider that we hadn't used their bucket training at all over the winter and the Middle Whites, Maud and Martha, are now as big as Betty the Berkshire.

After initial reservations from the pigs about crossing the line where the electric fencing had been, we decided they could climb over the little wall and go around the edge of the field instead. No problem.

Then they got in front of the house........long luscious grass won over a bucket of pig nuts any day and they followed their noses.........

.......came to a halt at Lovely Hubby and the paddock fence........

.......trotted over to the front of the hen houses.........

.......decided the mixture of grass and Layers Pellets was too much to ignore.....

.....and basically, just wandered, willy, nilly eating whatever took their fancy. We took time out to cool down with a nice glass of iced water and then it was back to tempting piggies to go in the right direction.

Eventually the Middle Whites were tempted by the sound of pig nuts falling into a trough and after much cajoling and many, many bananas, once again took up residence in their Summer enclosure.

Betty on the other hand wanted freedom.......

LH followed, and led and pushed, and tried to keep her on track, but when you've a pig that weighs as much as you and has no handles and not much command of the English language there's not much you can do......

....except keep up.......

....overtake when necessary, to keep her from re-visiting the pond.......

.....protect her sides from the plough blades......

.....until, eventually she makes for home and tucks herself up in the ark.

Four hours after we started on our little adventure, we stood and watched as the piggies introduced themselves to their new next door neighbours, Lulu and Lottie, the baby Large Blacks.........

and the gorgeous chestnut coloured horses, Poppy and Frank.

All went well in the end, and today happiness reigns in the orchard, and we are happier, wiser and determined to get their bucket training back up to standard.

Sue xx