The sun is shining, the temperature is in the mid-20s and our Berkshire pigs need to cool off. Yes, it’s another job for Two-Legs. Once or twice a day I go out with the buckets and a watering can to replenish the wallows and give the pigs a shower. Delilah, who’s out with a litter, [...]
Read more
Delilah is lame
While feeding Delilah, one of our Berkshire sows, and her litter last night I noticed she was limping slightly on her right front leg. I checked her over as she was eating, discovering she was slightly tender around the knee joint. There was no obvious inflammation so I left her to eat and made a [...]
Read more
Sun makes for happy pigs
The sun finally emerged this morning, bringing a brief end to a 12-day spell of continuous cloud cover, heavy rain, hail and sleet. It also brought out Delilah and her piglets for half an hour’s exploration and mischief. One of the three is a monster of a piglet. The others are about average in size. [...]
Read more
Remaining chilly
Harvey, our Border Terrier, was a little put out when he ventured outside this morning and found yet another dusting of snow over a hard frost. He wasn’t the only one: the pigs and the chickens also had their noses out joint over the chill. The first chickens out of the big house turned and [...]
Read more
Let sleeping pigs lie
We brought Delilah, one of our Berkshire sows, down to the farrowing pen last week. We were running late with the move thanks to my fractured wrist and were concerned Delilah would farrow outside. There was no need to worry, of course, because Delilah likes to make the most of her days before she delivers [...]
Read more

26 May, 2012


