Spring has almost turned into summer, or were the hot balmy days of April the summer? In May the temperatures have dropped again and the poor pigs don’t know if to shed or keep their winter coats.
Some Saddleback pigs are looking rather rough as the last of their long winter coat stand erect like a well-worn scrubbing brush. The Oxford Sandy and Black pigs on the other hand, a much hairier pig in winter, still remain well covered, and on the hotter days refuse to eat.
Meanwhile the Hampshire pigs seem unfazed by the varying temperatures and scoff everything that is put in front of them!
It just goes to show that each breed of pedigree pig reacts to nature in a different way. We are however still experiencing the effects of the freeze up in the winter, with later, smaller litters. This seems to be country wide for naturally kept pigs of all breeds as the freezing temperatures curtailed sows cycling and boars mating.
Most of the rare bred pigs are now out in their summer paddocks spread around the Crake Valley. We too have had a short dry spell in April, but the torrential rains of May have turned dusty pens into mud baths. Recently we have new litters of OSAB, Hampshire and Saddleback pigs, so lots of piglets for the pig keeping courses!
Recently Carole and I were showing pigs at Newark Show with great success. The next county show is Stafford on 1/2 of June followed by Cheshire on 21/22 of June. We will both be there so do come and support us, see you there?
John
