meat

I love the piglets.  Thirteen arrived last night.   Most are pink, a few are black or spotted.   They're very tactile when they are first born; almost connected; they much prefer to sleep touching each other. 

Of course, what's even better than touching the other piglets when you sleep is sleeping against mom. 

Each delicate little nose works.   They are 8 hours old.   They see me moving around and their eyes follow me but they know that they're safe with mom and don't move.  Mom is one of my oldest sows; an old hand at this, and she grunts at me when I come and check on her and the piglets.  The sow is really a sweet natured girl; I much prefer that to a sow that barks at me.  She grunts softly and then closes her eyes, trusting that I won't hurt her piglets.  I'm an old hand at this, too.  Everyone snug and warm and ok. 

they've formed 3 pig piles, all around mom.  Dozing and suckling, suckling and dozing.  The first couple of days of a piglets life are pretty simple.