the accidental smallholder :: diary archives

New Tamworth weaners

Rosemary headed off to Crieff this morning to collect our new Tamworth weaners. While she was away I secured their pen, fixing the chicken wire that last year's pigs lifted. We had an escapee last year, and wanted to prevent a repeat performance.

They arrived safely, and were soon rooting around their new home. We have two pens - the eastern pen, where they are now, has pretty good ground cover and excellent fencing with chicken wire; the western pen has good fencing, but with sheep netting, which pigs of this age can get through. Once they are too big to squeeze through the sheep netting they will be moved west, onto ground which was sown with grazing rye in the autumn: it's already thigh-high, so they will have great fun when they get in.

The dogs are as excited as ever to see new pigs. Tess especially so: she will more or less live with them for the next few months.

Although it's been a lovely day here today it got very chilly as the sun descended. The pigs hadn't managed to find their ark, and were huddled together shivering. I tried to lure them in by demonstrating what a lovely place it would be to sleep (it would be actually, it's really cosy - I'll need to remember that next time I'm thrown out) but they weren't having any of it. In the end we herded them into it, to much protest, but they soon bedded down in the straw and will hopefully be sound asleep by now.