Piggies in the Orchard

Betty had her last days of orchard freedom over the weekend.

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From now on she is confined to her new larger quarters in the far end of the orchard. She is there to await the arrival of lots of little Bettys, hopefully due on the 18th of this month.

Her new area is fully equipped with trees for rooting under and lying in the shade of, her very own pig ark with no unruly Middle Whites pushing and shoving her anymore to get the best position at bedtime. Her very own water and food troughs, no sharing with greedy 'sisters' for the tastiest of morsels and best of all (in Bettys' opinion) her very own mud wallow, to cool her down on the hot days we get (every now and then).

We moved her in on Friday afternoon, but Betty had other ideas and soon learned how to open the gate so she could go and visit everyone. We woke up on Saturday morning to find her fast asleep under the trees at the edge of the orchard with a chicken sat on top of her (two of them have been living in the pig arks this week).

Now this was not the general idea, she is meant to be taking it easy, not forming 'Colditz style escape committees' and sleeping under the stars. She is at last though, starting to get the idea. She has little conversations with Lulu and Lottie in the adjoining pen, and seems to enjoy rooting around in the little trees at the side of her ark for tasty morsels of root.

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She takes herself off to bed whenever she gets the urge for a nap, and comes over to the fence for a cuddle and an ear rub whenever we pass.

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Now, I'm off to plant out my cauliflowers............

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Sue xx