Skip to main content

Piglets on the move

I hear the piglets are moving up here

Lets go, here we come

No one said about ear tags

I can't believe he put me in a bin

let us out we promise not to do a runner

Alright we will stay if you give us grass
 lets go

Oh your that side and we are this side

That's better now we are together again
Piglet moving day was yesterday after spending a while on their own getting use to life without mum and the electric fence the piglets were fed in the trailer ready to be caught and taken up the hill to new enclosures, three in one and four in another. We have found putting them in small groups makes for less fights over food and bullying not to mention as they get bigger a bit less intimidating for us, believe me you wouldn't want to fall over in a enclosure full of pigs, you must of heard about the American farmer who fed his pigs the poor ladies he killed.

So trained fooled into the trailer the gate was shut on them as farmer J put a ear tag in each, boy the noise just as well its only one ear these piglets do scream which alerts all the other pigs who in turn start grunting, getting concerned about fellow piggies in trouble.

Once tagged the issue of moving was next now in the past the trailer has been brought up the hill with the ramp let down over the electric fence, this wasn't going to work this time due to the layout of the enclosures they were going in. Next plan to carry them individually in crates up the hill, this has been done before in the crates we use for chickens, however the piglets were just a tad too big. Milo's old dog crate has also been tried however as dog crated are held together with clips they are not strong enough for 15kg pigs, crate folded in on itself - think again.

A plastic storage box was brought although after number three had to be ditched as it ended up with its lid being cracked by snouts trying to emerge from it. there comes in the bin used for storing feed in perfect as high sided they cant jump out and just big enough to fit in. Seven times poor farmer J mounted the hill.

It all went a bit pear shape with the first piglet running straight out through the electric fencing to the three in the first photo, luckily he wasn't hurt and was quickly manhandled back into the cabin where I kept a pallet over the entrance as each pig was put in. For them to calm down they were kept in the cabins for a couple of hours then let out, all well apart from after a few minutes the four shot through the electric fence to be with the three brothers.

So we are back to seven in one enclosure, they are happy so we are not separating them just yet we will leave it a while until the time has comes when they either no longer fit in the cabin or start fighting with each other. At least they are up in the top enclosure making room for the maternity suite to be cleaned and got ready for Sandy's next litter.

That's me Sandy although a bit muddy at the moment

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2ENJ093 - FRANKLIN

Eight years ago today Franklin came into our family, a rescue dog from the SPA in Rodez we drove to see if they had a dog to re home. He had been there a month after being left tied to a bin in the town centre, chosen because he didn't bark, he came to us to say hello and was completely different from the dog we had lost days before Christmas. 120 Euros he cost, a young boy still a pup, very thin but with a look of take me home please. A collar put round his neck, forms completed, cheque handed over and a kiss from the manager and he was ours. Five minutes down the road in the car he threw up. Five minutes in the house and he had weed up the settee and collected an assortment of treasures including socks, toilet roll inner tubes, tissues and soft toys all placed in a pile under the table and garded. He ate at an amazing speed, fearing he would loose it to our other dogs. Then he started to bark, he has a fine bark on him. He barks for his tea, when a visitor arrives, the
2 comments
Read more

Parisot lake

As it is a holiday today here in France (Bastille Day) we took the afternoon off an popped over to Parisot lake for a walk with Sorrel. It has all changed, since the lake was emptied and cleaned up this year you can now swim in it, as well as inflatable toys to play on, a life guard, bikes to hire, a new fenced in play area for small people and a total spruce up. But there is a price we were charged! 3 euros an adult, which I guess is OK if you are using the facilities but Sorrel didn't fancy a dip. The cafe is still open but that would of been too much for Sorrel to cope with being so close to people and music so we opted for a bench to sit on in the shade before walking around the lake. Sorrel opted for being Billy no mates and laying by herself, if be it for a short period of time before bikes and people went by. We are now waiting for the free firework celebrations over the chateau tonight - if we can stay up that late.😃
4 comments
Read more

Lavender

One plant that does grow well around the gites and garden and that I don't seem to be able to kill is lavender. In the summer the bushes are swarming with bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies and other flying insects, lot of holiday photos have been taken by keen photographers, some setting up chairs and waiting for ages with big cameras and lenses waiting for the right moment and right insect to land. It does give a lovely show and smell as well, its picked and placed in vases in the gites by guests. Its very tactile and difficult to pass without a rub of a flower that's if you like the smell. I think its very much like marmite you either love it or hate it, a smell of memories of grans and old aunts who use to get given Yardley's old lavender smellies for presents. I like the smell but it can be quiet overpowering, especially when this year I have finally been able to save the dried flowers. Previous years other things have got in the way and its bee
1 comment
Read more