Piglets have arrived!!!!

Hello Everyone,

We have piglets!!!!!!!!!

Last Wednesday night, between six thirty and eight, one of our lovely sows gave birth to eight tiny, tiny baby piglets – photo above. Unfortunately, we missed the actual birth, but we were clearly not needed as, on entering the barn, the mum was happily feeding her babies. The piglets are so small but are perfectly formed. Within minutes of being born the piglets were feeding, squeaking and stumbling. Within hours of being born the piglets were still feeding but also squealing and running and tumbling.

The following night our other pregnant sow was preparing herself. Now Bob and I can recognise the symptoms, the new mum-to-be was itching herself, being quite agitated and making a cosy bed area….just getting herself ready to give birth. We did leave her ‘to it’ and the following morning another seven tiny, tiny piglets were being fed by another good mum.

Our two sows are really good mothers, feeding and protecting the little ones. However, we have lost one of the piglets. We are very glum about this, but this does happen. All the other piglets are growing, playing (the favourite game being ‘all-pile-on’) and feeding, really well. They are cute. I mean really cute. And, yes, we are spending a lot of our time just looking, watching and saying ‘Ahhhhh’.

All have a good week…enjoy the freezing, crisp weather.

Ann