The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: SallyintNorth on October 12, 2011, 01:15:47 am

Title: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 12, 2011, 01:15:47 am
So, Meg's tribe are 18 days old and today, being dry, they were exploring again.

We'd brought some lambs into the paddock ready to be brought around to the sheep pens and given a mineral drench.  When I walked around to bring them through, I saw with pleasure that BH's dog had already got them very well grouped, ready for driving up to the pens.  Then I saw that the reason they were so tightly and symmetrically grouped was that there were two other dogs on the opposite side to Mist, keeping them bunched.  Well my dogs weren't supposed to be out, so I was just about to call them when I realised that the two black-and-white shapes helping Mist weren't collie dogs, they were piglets!

Babe eat your heart out! 

(Now of course I have the problem that they are getting brave enough to wander further away from mum - and no way can I piglet-proof her entire field.   ::) )
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: Fleecewife on October 12, 2011, 01:24:14 am
Brilliant story Sally  ;D  :sheep: :pig:  Oh if only you had your camera, or better still you had video'd it.  How cute  :)
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: manian on October 12, 2011, 07:08:22 am
moments like that make you realise how much fun it all is........ ;D  ;D :thumbsup: ;D
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: HappyHippy on October 12, 2011, 08:13:16 am
We have the same thing with the Kunes, they love squeezing through the fence and exploring. Don't worry Sally, they'll always run back to mum when she grunts and by the time they are big enough not to want/need feeding, they'll be too big to escape (hopefully !)
My Large Black's seem to prefer sticking close to mum though (that and the fact there's no way they're fitting through the fence  ;))
Lovely story though.......and maybe an untapped market  ;D
Karen  :wave:
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: feldar on October 12, 2011, 08:43:26 am
Our piglets got out the other day, they are around weaning age now and what a mess of the field they made! big ruts and holes everywhere. Pigs do love to dig, dont they
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: Blonde on October 12, 2011, 01:46:44 pm
While on Mum they do like to wander.. ours come home and get on the heap of  grain and have a feed, they chase each other around down the paddock,   they sleep in a heap outside the nursery pen, they have  their creep feeder and their waterer outside the mums pen, but they do run....every where. 20 sows per nursery pen, some 160+ small pinkor coloured piglets.  theya re so comical to jsut sit and watch.  They are also very cheeky, I you sit ont he ground they come right up to you carefully though but  cautiously, and come right around.   the some times come to the hay  shed and dart around the bales.....chasing each other around and around.
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets! (now with video)
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 14, 2011, 06:54:52 pm
Well I managed to get a bit of footage of the sheep-piglets today.

The ewes were less impressed by the pack of diminutive shepherding piglets than the lambs had been, so Dot & I helped a bit.  ;) :D

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=154599937922001#!/video/video.php?v=254951254550716 (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=154599937922001#!/video/video.php?v=254951254550716)
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: little blue on October 14, 2011, 07:16:40 pm
brill video, lovely animals too!
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: Cinderhills on October 14, 2011, 07:55:55 pm
That video was brilliant.  I squealed with laughter. :D
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: FiB on October 14, 2011, 08:54:56 pm
Fantastic!!!  I've got four that look just like that.... and a flock of sheep.....but no Dotty to 'help' :(  !!  What fab animals all round you have!  Thanks for videoing.
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: feldar on October 16, 2011, 11:04:13 am
Bless them, they look nice piggies too all mine do is dig everything up!
Title: Re: Never mind Babe, I've got a pack of sheep-piglets!
Post by: Eastling on October 19, 2011, 08:42:27 pm
lovely a film in the making!