Piggies

[scrw.]

So down to only 3 of the litters from last year now, Patches, Bucket & "a pig", all the rest have gone off to local farms for breeding or fattening on.

We only retained one for growing on ourselves, and that was only as we are selling Bucket so want a companion for Patches until he is old enough to get jiggy with the girls.

There is alot of interest in Bucket, a young well handled boar of his line is sought after it seems, there are only 27 Clarence line boars registered (well 29 with Bucket & Patches but they missed the count), and I think he is heading down Somerset way.

bucket2 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

bucket by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Patches is ahead on growth of all the litters from last year, he is turning into a real tank and will be ready for action late summer.

patches by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[scrw.]

Just to add Scarlett went off to a local farm for breeding, I really wanted to keep her but she is the only relative of Patches in our herd and it would be too much hassle keeping them apart, she is only local & I have got visiting rights, can't wait to see what sort of piglets she produces.

[Evanivitch]

scrw. said:

Just to add Scarlett went off to a local farm for breeding, I really wanted to keep her but she is the only relative of Patches in our herd and it would be too much hassle keeping them apart, she is only local & I have got visiting rights, can't wait to see what sort of piglets she produces.

Fair play, you're doing some great work for the breed! How's the field doing?

[scrw.]

The old paddocks are a mess, still have 4 girls on the best pen, they are coming into the orchard this week. 1/2 the field still has standing water on it, and I need to rotovate and reseed the whole field, so they won't be useable until autumn I think. I may rest them until next year now, we have extra land now so will set up new pens and as its our land I can stick down concrete slabs for the arks to sit on, will make them more useable as all year pens then.

[trixical]

I hope that bucket is going off with the appropriate name story, I keep thinking of keeping up appearances

[scrw.]

Bucket is actually off to Norfolk now, via the OSB charity group's assistance to spread the genetics about the UK. And his is keeping the name & the new owners know his story LOL

After Minnow he was the one I was most worried about, he was so small & Cold when I found him lost outside. He turned out to be my first registered pedigree boar.

signal-2023-11-29-13-15-56-236 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

20240329_130039 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[scrw.]

The four OSB girls are in the orchard now, condition wise they have done really well over the winter, to the point Gerry who is in charge is a bit over weight as she is a bully at feed time, unsure if I will split her off for a couple of weeks or just keep an eye her and reduce all their feed a touch.
20240427_170347 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Really need a litter off Gerry soon, and before patches is old enough, so may have to AI her next month, will see.

Cagney & Lacey are cheerful as ever, planning on having a litter off them next spring so Patches will be in with them November/December this year.

20240426_153641 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[trixical]

scrw. said:

Bucket is actually off to Norfolk now, via the OSB charity group's assistance to spread the genetics about the UK. And his is keeping the name & the new owners know his story LOL

Good to hear, i'll have to keep my eyes peeled when i'm out & about

[CharlesdeGaulle]

If left to their own devices and instincts, would they inter-breed?

[scrw.]

Oh yes, boars are just shagging machines, left to their own devices sisters & mum would get it.