Ann's Farm Journal
Keep up with all of our updates from the farm including what’s new in season!
Piglet Update
Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone enjoyed the Bank Holiday, the weather was lovely!
A little chat about our pigs this week….
….I am sure they are just like us and totally unsure what to put on…Sunday Best or casual?…mud on mud off, mud on mud off? When it is really hot and sunny they all like to roll in the mud and cover themselves in glorious mud. The muddier the better as far as we can tell. Not only do they cool down in the mud, they also use the mud as sun screen. So, the past few days, the pigs have all been totally covered in mud. They help to create a wallow by tipping the water out of the water butt and lay and roll in the mud. They are really quite happy and content. When it is cooler and dull, somehow, the pigs are clear of all mud! There is no shower to clean themselves, the mud they cover themselves with just falls away. Mud on. Mud off! This is when you see the gorgeous ginger of the Tamworth pig. When they have been washed…..yes we do actually wash our pigs and yes they do thoroughly enjoy having a pamper day…..the colour of our pigs really shines, I promise, not that you can tell from the muddy faces in the picture above. They may have muddy faces but they are happy faces.
Our pigs will be even more happy this coming weekend as they are moving into a new pen within their field. Stu (our brilliant farm hand), have been creating permanent pig pens. It is now time for a little rotation.
Eventually, the field will consist of three, very large, permanent pens, with each pen divided into two by a metal farm gate. Each of the three pens are designated male, female and mum and babies. As the babies grow, and are weaned off their mum, they will be placed inside the male or female pen and the Dad will then join the Mum for some ‘me time’, if you get my drift.
The half of the pen the pigs are all in at the moment, has now lost all its undergrowth. The pigs have enjoyed eating the growth and rutting in the mud. The other half has lots of green growth and ready to be enjoyed by the pigs. So, over the weekend the dividing gate
will be opened, allowing the pigs to go from the old half of the pen to the fresh new half. The gate will then be closed. The old half of the pen can then have some care and new seeds sown. The newly sown seeds should then grow into new growth and food for the pigs when we move them back into this part of the pen in the coming months.
We have happy (spoilt) pigs which makes for tasty pork.
Enjoy,
Ann