Happy Families

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The piglets are all growing up fast, getting their own identities and learning to live independently of their Mums. They all eat pig nuts now as well as suckling from their Mums. They come out of the arks and play on their own even if Mum is sleeping, a lovely sign of confidence.

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The Middle White/Large Black crosses, Maud's babies, are now 4 weeks old and bigger than the Large Black piglets who are 2 weeks older than them. It's proving to be a good cross, although one we have to admit that we didn't choose to do. Jack our Large Black boar proved himself very capable of jumping stock fencing to get to his lady of choice!!

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It's something we have decided to carry on with and currently Martha is living with Jack in the hope that there will be the pitter, patter of little trotters 4 months from now. The piglets seem to carry the most characteristics of their Mum, with squashed faces and prick ears although they all have a bit of their Dad's colouring, in the form of black bottoms and black triangular markings where their eyebrows would be

~ Lottie and her babies this week. ~ If all goes according to plan we may be weaning Lottie's piglets from her this weekend, she is showing all the signs of being fed up with them pinching vast amounts of her food, and as she and her sister Lulu were weaned from their Mum, Cilla Black, at 6 weeks it must be hereditary for them (piglets are usually weaned at 8 weeks). Although a bit smaller than their half-brothers and sisters they are more confident and 'grown up', and much more likely to run to us if they see us coming in the hope of getting to the food first. ~ Today is (unfortunately), a housework catch-up day, never have I lived somewhere that gets SO messy SO quickly, although I suppose with 2 cats and 2 dogs and tons of mud that's pretty inevitable!! ~ I hope you're getting up to something much more exciting. ~ Sue xx