January 27th 2014
The last few months' rain means that all the pig pens are awash with mud. Pity the poor pigs!. Everyone says that pigs like mud, however, that only applies (I believe) to pigs wallowing out of choice, not because there isn't a dry piece of ground in any direction.
We recently said 'goodbye' to Woolly and Blackburn, our Oxford Sandy Black sows. We bought them in 2011 as weaners from the Barnsnap herd in Surrey and many a good litter they have given us. They did not go to slaughter, but were sold, in pig, to new, appreciative owners. Both sows are due to farrow at the end of February and Lee and I will be interested to know how they get on..
Meanwhile the two remaining sows, Lucky and Buffy, are also due to farrow in early March and as they are in pig by a pedigree boar we expect great things. Buffy is an old hand at birthing and gets on with it by herself; Lucky is expecting her first litter so will need our help.
Work to do:- replace the back of the large wooden ark that was burst by Buffy; replace the floor of the small round ark destroyed by Buffy & Lucky; repair the wall and back panel of the small wooden ark. Clean the arks out - this means extensive chiselling with a spade and shovel to break off the crust of mud on the floors - then move the two lightest arks onto fresh ground in preparation for sows and piglets. Clean out farrowing shed and generally make the place look tidy.
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