Piggies in the snow.....

We had the shock of our lives yesterday morning when we went to feed the pigs. Where we had left four sleeping piggies in the ark last night, this morning there were eight.

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Lying side by side like four giant black sausages were our four Large Blacks, and in the middle suckling off their Mum Lottie, were four little hours old babies. All warm and cosy with their family.

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Unfortunately, this can't continue, so as the big pigs slowly and carefully picked their way out of the ark for breakfast the door had to be closed to keep Mum and babies safe. And for a young first time Mum she is doing a brilliant job, taking lots of time to lie down so she doesn't crush her lovely little daughters in the confined space. Of course there is always one who seperates herself from the others and makes this more difficult...

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...so honour of Dads' birthday yesterday, the little headstrong, independent girl is called Cyd.

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Mum and babies, warm and cosy in the ark. ~ The others have their ark to retire to after breakfast, although fingers crossed we will be able to re-locate Jack to his own enclosure in the Orchard today. Lulu will be due any day now and we can't have a boar near so many babies. ~ Hope you're keeping as cosy as the piglets in this snowy, snowy landscape. We are now watching the weather and weather bulletins avidly as Lovely Hubby is due to fly to Scotland to visit his Mum for her birthday tomorrow. We'll see.

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10.10 am - Piggie update - Jack has now been successfully moved to his 'batchelor pad' and Mum and all four babies are warm and cosy after a night of -5 degrees.

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She had a total of 7 piglets, one was a little runt and died naturally, and we think 2 were born outside the ark as we have found two little frozen bodies.

~ Sue xx