The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: sausagesandcash on February 21, 2009, 09:26:26 pm
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I got my first two Tamworths yesterday. They spent a rather comfortable night in the trailer with plenty of straw, water and food. They were moved into the pig pen today. The golden rose was the first to try the electric wire, and promptly learned several salutory lessons. Blue tape nasty! So did the dog and two of my sons... if truth be told dad got a good jag too while crossing the wire, I think i'll be sterile for a few weeks! The glen boar tried his luck and got such a start that he ran clean through it (Ah Hillarysmum...how right you were). My oldest son and I chased him for about two hours through the garden, through ditches, across five acres of fields. We tired before he did. I think I might just enter olympic diving for Ireland...perfect dives with hideous landings. We tired tempting him with food...my wife tried calling him (the dog came instead). Finally an elderly neighbour (tough as nails) arrived and we had him caught in about a half an hour. We carried him back with an unbelievable effort. I swear to god if he had two legs he'd have been sent down for six months for evading capture, resisting arrest... throw the book at 'im m'lud. I was covered head to toe with mud and cow dung after our little adventure. Time to rest my weary bones. :farmer:
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Brilliant tale! I think we've all been there. Hope you recover soon.
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That's Tamworths for you! :pig: :pig: ;D ;D ;D
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;D ;D ;D ;D
Perseverance wins the day. At least you got him back!
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loving that story. the tamworth we had was barking mad as well, learnt my lesson so have gone with drop eared sensible piggies. neil
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Im still laughing, and remembering. As advancing age has rushed up, I have given up tamworths for the more docile gossies. Still laughing :D :D
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Well, you have put a huge smile on my face!!! (My OH would say it doesn't happen very often!) We are hoping to get our pigs soon, once land is ready so will give you a shout if we need help! :pig: :pig: :pig: :pig:
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I am laughing my socks off as well because we have been there and done that! However, we weren't put off, infact their naughtiness caused the start of my huge love affair of the breed. No step back, Hillarysmum started us off with our beautiful Vanessa, then her offspring. Mr Plum was the worst one, and his final last stand so to speak was speedy chase and a quick jump on his sister before his final demise. Oh how I miss that pig! and yes three months, three weeks and three days later! That darn pig!!
Just luv em!
Kate :pig: :D
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I emerged from my bed at around 12 (God bless an understanding wife!), and found about two areas on my body that didn't hurt...the soles of my feet and my head. Major refencing works are about to commence with my two trusty helpers (6 and 9 Yrs). My oldest son said yesterday during the prolonged chase ...God dad, if only we had a tranquilser gun...if only! We had christened the Tamworth Glen...but I think Dr. Richard Kimble might have been more appropriate.... :farmer:
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Digging deep into memory, did Richard Kimble finally lead an uneventful life with a couple of wives and an extended family?
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Well Hillarysmum, we have decided to give 'Glen' another go. Richard Kimble evaded arrest for a significantly longer period of time, so out of respect for that :) we have decided that Glen doesn't merit the title. We completely re-did the electric fence, placing three strands of wire...we even criscrossed. Stalag 13 it 'aint, but it's damn close. When the pigs were released back into the enclosure, they were very sedate and only had one exploratory touch at the wire. They then busied themselves exploring their new surroundings.
My second youngest son had to try out the blue tape for himself despite being told repeated that it was 'bold wire'. I think that it's safe to say that the message has now been received and understood. My neice, who is also two seems to be something of an electrical anomaly, she kept holding the wire and laughing. Thinking that there was a weak spot i tired touching it with a blade of grass (better I find than touching it with ones nether regions!). I could feel the little pulse going up the blade, so i was happy enough. Only time will tell if all our efforts have paid off. The pigs seem to have settled more now.... I just hope I don't awake in the morning and find two tamworths digging up the lawn!
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Or in bed with you! ;) ;D ;D Like Hilary! ;D
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I like the pigs....just not that much. I might have to sleep with them though if my good lady wife gets vexed with me! I hope they don't snore louder than I do :farmer:
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What a great thread, I'm just glad my GOS are not quite as energetic, although they have recently set about demolishing their house stone by stone, its been there for about 100 years I should think. Oh and a medlar tree which has probably been there for the same amount of time.
I wish they would hurry up and have their babies, give them something else to think about.
Waiting for spring so we can move them to another area and cement the house back together.
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My OH snores for France, honestly he is very loud. Hilary is quite sedate, just little snuffles. Oliver her partner can be heard snoring from about half a field away. :D
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Glad Glen has a long future producing lots of little Glen's and Gleniss's. When we move pigs into a new enclosure we find sprinkling some pig nuts justs inside the entrance, a little trail leading to the centre of the field, tends to help them settle. Of course this does not work for all pigs.