an iPhone pic because I didn't have my camera with me.
If they became pregnant during the first season they were with the boar the Elsie and Myrtle, our Oxford Sandy and Black pigs are due to farrow any day now. Elsie (pictured here) looks just about ready to go but we think that Myrtle might be three weeks behind her. They have been separated and Elsie is now in her new farrowing ark which had bars inside it which give the piglets somewhere to lie without fear of being squashed by their Mum. They are both looking really fed up and this morning when I went to feed them Elsie didn't come out so I sat on her doorstep and gave her a stroke on her belly and behind her ears while she grunted contentedly.
I am feeling a bit nervous about the whole process but last night we saw some people who breed pigs locally and they reassured us that they pretty much get on with it all by themselves. I was also warned to expect to lose some piglets which is the way it goes with pigs, but from what I had read I was expecting that anyway.
Looks as if she is saying - "Motherhood can be such a bother!".
Really looking forward to some pictures of the new babies ... they are so cute when young.
Really great shot that expresses her mood perfectly.
I hope it all goes well. When my dad was young, his family hag a pig and she had ten piglets on night and then ate all ten of them... I hope that doesn't happen to yours!
Hope it goes well for mother & piglets in this heat S o nice that you spent time to stroke & comfort her this morning 9 am sure you will be keeping a close eye on things until the happy eveny ---It may co inside with the Royal birth !!!!! have you got names ready ? hehehehe !!!
It looks like she is trying to bury her head in the wood chips and hoping it will all go away! Great shot and so looking forward to seeing the piglet pics.
Poor pig I feel for her in this heat.....I wonder if Kate feels the same!!!!!!
I used to love sitting up with the pigs when they were farrowing...so exciting when they pop out! They do seem to give birth very easily I must say so good luck!!
So if I read that correctly you don't actually know for sure that they're pregnant until/unless they give birth, is that right? How exciting. Hope all goes well.
@jewelsandbinoculars I'd say we have been fairly certain about Elsie for the last four weeks or so due to the changes in what Graham semi-professionally calls her 'underline' and I annoy him by calling her 'boobies'...
Really looking forward to some pictures of the new babies ... they are so cute when young.
Really great shot that expresses her mood perfectly.
I used to love sitting up with the pigs when they were farrowing...so exciting when they pop out! They do seem to give birth very easily I must say so good luck!!