well, this one looks like it is halfway there anyway.
Looking back on it, I have learned quite a lot since our pigs Elsie and Myrtle had babies in July. Here is a random selection of those things:
Little piglets are unbelievably cute;
Mother pigs play no role in giving birth to their babies, other than popping them out. It is completely up to the piglets to get themselves clear of the membrane in order to start breathing, to keep out of the way of the sow so they don't get squashed, and to find their way to the milk supply - all in all quite a treacherous start to life. I suppose that the high casualty rate is the reason they have so many in one litter;
Piglets grow unbelievably quickly;
Apart from flopping onto their sides every so often to feed them, mother pigs do not appear to give their babies any other maternal care;
Pigs can't count, or at least if they can, they don't realise or care when another pig's offspring decides to take up residence with them;
When the calves are removed from their mothers on a farm near here we are literally kept awake at night by the noise of the mothers bellowing for their lost babies. In contrast, mother pigs almost smile when you remove their babies from them at eight weeks of age. ;
Piglets do not appear to miss their mothers when they are separated from them;
There is absolutely NOTHING cute about 'teenage' pigs. They are quite simply aggressive eating machines which are liable to bite you if you go in with them, and squeal like something out of a horror movie from when they first see you until they are fed; and
Adult female pigs, even sisters like ours, can not be reunited to live together after they have had babies. They fight.
Back to school today for the kids - quite a shock to the system for them. And me.
Yes he certainly looks as if he is on "Lift off " But aren't they still look gorgeous !! and as happy as pigs in mud (sorry !!!!)
Love your observation diary on pigs -- a lot of interesting facts here -- never realised how non-maternal and caring the mother is !
No wonder they call selfish people pigs! Lovely capture Jan and thanks for the information all about pigs. I obviously didn't know much about them before
Love your observation diary on pigs -- a lot of interesting facts here -- never realised how non-maternal and caring the mother is !