George has arrived

Our new boar has arrived.
He travelled all the way from Hertfordshire with me in the car. We had to stop and sleep in the car when I got too tired but the poor guy just wouldn't settle after leaving all his siblings and friends behind.
Eventually I opened the crate to give him a scratch and he fell down next to my arm with a big sigh and started snoring within seconds....

We introduced him to the herd and everybody gave him a quick grunt and carried on their business.

After an hour they suddenly realised he was a foreigner (and I thought pigs were clever...lol) and ganged up on him. He ran off squealing. Being a rather smart young man he searched for some colour matching surroundings and gave us all a fright by playing "spot the piglet".

He came back for dinner but even our other piglet Bouncer kept chasing him off, so we decided to give him a safe hide out.

He loved his own house which we made big pig proof and he enjoyed an extra bowl of weaner feed.

Having his own water bowl away from that scary large boar was also a bonus.

For pudding he had a belly rub and a snooze in the sun, protected by those lovely two legged humans.

And here he is, chatting away to me in the car. George I of Achentoot.

Marvin loves his cuddles...

Off grid farming

We are going to do some more research into off grid farming. After all people were farming and living off the land many years before electricity switches were invented. It must be possible to do it these days.
Cold brooders and rocket mass heaters spring to mind.

Piglets are growing up fast

Happy Goats

Today we moved the goats to their new pen with access to an indoor stable area. Never seen them happier. Lots of stuff to munch on and finally reunited after Marvin was kept inside after his castration on Wednesday.

Doris has found a home

Doris has found a lovely home near Bettyhill with a lonely castrated boar. The boar was not too impressed with Doris moving in but hopefully everything will work out and she can stay and enjoy a quiet retirement.

It's been a long time...

since I've posted. We are still looking for that perfect home for Doris. Gretel and two of the piglets are also still for sale. We have decided to keep Alexander as a companion for Hans when he has to leave his girls from June until November to avoid the girls having piglets in the middle of winter.
There is still no sign of Ulla being in pig although she is 1.5 years old now. I wonder if she is unable to have piglets. This would actually be great as she is related to Hans. We wouldn't have to separate them.

Hans and Ulla with their mum and litter mates.

Retirement

After long and careful consideration we decided that it is not fair on Doris to keep her with the herd. We are looking for a forever home for her where she can retire and spend the rest of her days snoozing in the sun or cuddling up with a companion in a lovely warm house.

Sniff....

..poor little Barney didn't make it neither...

Day 4

Whilst mum is having her breakfast Barney takes a nap in the sun....

Barney is a dinosaur....

Or so he thinks.... just over 24 hours old he follows mum outside and explores the world... suppose he feels a little lonely in the house as his brother didn't make it... :-(

Goats have settled in well

Goats are happily browsing around their field, enjoying the sunshine and are wondering what that white thing is on the other side of the fence...

Surprise of the day !

 

I did wonder why Doris wasn't coming out for her dinner...

And there she was with 2 tiny piglets !

Happy Piglets

The remaining piglets from our "A" litter, Alexander, Andrew and Amy have moved up into the field together with Angy. Getting them up to the field was quite a task as they kept running back to the horse box. Unfortunately Angy is still a little skittish and the three kept following her as she is bigger and "must know better". But we got there in the end and they happily munched their dinner and explored their new home whilst the chickens enjoyed a little extra entertainment.

The Goat Whisperer

Ann has spent a lot of time with the goats.
First we couldn't get anywhere near them.... and now....

Pygmy Goats

Our latest additions:

Angy is here

Finally Angy has arrived.
She didn't like being in the crate and tried to dismantle it for most of the journey.

Finally out of the crate, getting lost in the green stuff.

Look, I found water, dad.

Dad, she's not sharing her food with me !

Angy got accepted quickly and joined the line of piled up piglets.

Piglet Videos - Day 10

Piglet Videos - Day 8

Piglet Videos - Day 6

Piglet Videos - Day 5

Piglet Videos - Day 4

Cute, cuter, the cutest...

Piglet Videos - Day 3

Piglet Videos - Day 2

Piglet Videos - Day 1

Gretel's first litter

Last night Gretel had her first litter of beautiful little piglets. She had eight but one did not make it. The remaining seven all seem fine, wriggling about like little worms.

A wife for Hans

I have been looking for a nice ginger girl for our registered boar Hans. Although we have 2 girls for him it seemed a shame not to be able to register any of the offspring.
Thankfully a nice lady in Yorkshire has decided to let me have a perfect little gilt that she was going to keep herself. She was named Angy and we will be able to pick her up on the 12th of June...