We have had some additions to our pigs recently. One of our Saddleback sows gave birth to 11 piglets which, so far, are all ok. Often with a new litter one or two do not make it for a variety of reasons, usually because the sow has rather frustratingly laid on them. That was the reason the much hated farrowing crates were invented. The sow could not turn round and so could not lie on the piglets. A case of the means not justifying the ends. There are also some that are just “poor doers” which is a farmers technical term for an animal that does not thrive. Those that do not successfully suckle or feed properly will then succumb to whatever bugs they pick up. But hopefully this sow will rear most of these new ones and that will make up for those cases when a sow is less productive.

This farrowing also took place indoors and in the daylight. We had this one indoors as the weather had been so poor and she farrowed in the morning. Even after all these years it’s little miracle to watch as these little piglets pop out like shelling peas and with scarcely a pause set off for the teat. Unlike sheep and cows, sows do not sit up and lick their young which are amazingly clean and dry for newborns. They simply lay there till they have finished farrowing and continue to do so while a row of piglets suckle. All you get from the sow is the occasional grunt.

The day after we had a visit from some BTEC students from Tong near Bradford. There seems to be some thing incongruous about students from a really urban part of West Yorkshire studying animal management. One was even a vegetarian! But its always rewarding to speak to and show round people who are unfamiliar with a farm environment. We feel it’s something farmers should do more of to try and help reconnect people with their food. Andrew gave them a sausage demonstration too with some audience participation so it was like the Generation Game for a while. It was also a chance to repeat the joke about a sausage skin being like a giant condom except it works best with a hole at both ends!