Today we went to a nearby Orchard to pick Victoria Plums and Greengages at £1 per kg you've gotta do it. We go every year and always say hallo to the 2 pigs in their pen on the way down to the orchard. We give them a couple of windfalls as a treat on the way back up. Something was different - the enormous sow was no longer with her husband - instead two slimmer, younger sows were in there with him. The orchard owner came over to explain. The old sow had died and boar was sad and lonely. Someone gave him a couple of new young ladies to keep him company - and after a while one of his one year old floozies produced her first litter of 7 piglet kune kunies. Sadly, their mum died after two weeks and it fell upon the owners to assume the role of foster parents. This involved 2/3 hourly feeds of baby milk over a 24 hour period and required one of them to move into their nursery pen. It was very demanding but I take my hat off to them - the piglets are very well and now able, at 7 weeks , to feed themselves on mush and water. Last feed is at 11 pm and the morning feed is at 7am. Let me introduce you to Dad and his current floozie first - Dad on the right and her on the left: he likes nothing more (well almost) than to be stroked and talked to by humans and just gently grunts. whereas she prefers to look for "truffles" you can find out about the breed here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunekune next, on to meet the kids, Jenny
They are a lovely mix of colours and utterly adorable We think this maybe the only male - doesn't he remind you of Paul Hollywood? the little runt - think its mentally challenged but is obviously still allowed to share food at the trough this is their latrine and they all use it ,bless them. Who said pigs were dirty? Just done a poo... all going back to bed now for a few zzzzzzz's hope you enjoyed meeting the Kune Kune family Jenny
I've been to a pub at/near? Holsworthy in Devon where they had 2 Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pigs that were allowed to roam around the bars. The Landlady got very upset if anybody tried to feed them Porky Scratchings!
Watch out for the bite, pigs which can be nasty and can have a strong bite, i've still got the marks on my leg
I only presented my curled fist with my knuckles foremost and it was too big to get a bite on. They are only youngsters and were quite friendly and I'm sure you could train one and have it as a pet. I would love to have one curled up on my abdomen - difficult to know who would be asleep first, Jenny
Went back today for Victoria plums and a few windfall Bramley apples and had to go and see the piglets. WHAT A NOISE THEY ALL MAKE NOW!! Much more cheeky and happy to come over and squeal "Hallo". They will readily suckle a finger. @Loli , I did ask what their names were. "Dinner 1,Dinner 2 ect. and the runt is called Cracklingl ", Jenny
....Jenny do you think they would miss a couple.... So cute...Bramley and Pippin come to mama...i've got names for them all ready Lovely pics
This has reminded me of when I was pre-school age and when going on the bus into town on cattle market days we'd get off one stop early so we could walk through and see the sheep and pigs (I wasn't interested in cattle). Then I would insist that my mother carried her heavy bags of shopping back through the cattle market so I could see them all over again.
Yes @Scrungee...it's got me thinking of when i was a kid and round the corner was a slaughter house....the pigs would be squealing and naturally wouldn't want go....we used to call it pig street...where the gutters used to run blood...no wonder they were scared....many would escape but when we could me and my pals would try and rescue them and take them home.....they seemed as big as elephants to us...but my Mum would play holy war and make us send them back...i remember many a tantrum and that was just from Mum
A friend who's family were butchers has an intact Victorian ex-slaughterhouse in her back garden complete with blood gullies and holes through walls for ropes the hoist cattle up in order to do unspeakable things to them.
Been out to the Orchard today to pick Bramleys and say hallo to the boys, Dad(front ) and his floozy ( back) Wot no milk? No, but it feels good so keep trying... Lovely flock of geese Jenny
