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Monday, January 3, 2011

important piglet business

The cold really doesn't seem to bother the piglets.  here a group of four of them are on important piglet business.  I spotted them when I was doing my welfare check.  In this sort of weather, I check to make sure that they have plenty of bedding, liquid water, food and that there's no issues with the animals. 
When pigs move they'll typically go to a fence or other landmark and be glued to it.  These piglets have chosen to walk along the perimeter fence, moving slowly, snuffing now and then.  they really don't have anything in particular, but the red pig is the most motivated, and his enthusiasm is drawing the other piglets.
Now and then the last piglet will stop, and look back at the warm hay, and you can almost read her mind.  "Why am i walking this way?" 
But the red ones charisma is overwhelming, and off they go on piglet business. 
And back at home, these two piglets eat all the food. 
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5 comments:

  1. Robin J.January 3, 2011 at 11:28 PM

    Important piglet business huh? Hahaha I LOVE it!

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2011 at 11:54 PM

    How old are these little critters? They look fit!

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  3. Bruce KingJanuary 3, 2011 at 11:56 PM

    I think they're just at 6 weeks old.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CraigJanuary 4, 2011 at 3:00 AM

    Do you castrate your piglets, and if you don't how do you raise them to market weight in groups with just other boar pigs or in mixed groups with gilts?

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  5. Bruce KingJanuary 4, 2011 at 10:48 AM

    I do castrate the piglets; the market in this area demands that I do. once a year or so I'll see a particularly good looking boar pig and I'll raise it to see what the adult looks like, as a potential breeding boar, and look at the animal when it's a young adult, but that's pretty rare. Less than 1% a year.

    ReplyDelete