Tuesday 14 September 2010

A Few More Piglets

The Pig Syndicate is back in business again, with twelve 8-week old piglets in a field near the fire station. The difference this time is that, as well as the five Saddlebacks the members have imported, they have seven Tamworth/Gloucester Spot crosses bought from Dave Cash at Meall mo Chridhe - the brown ones take after the Tamworth boar, the white ones after the sow.

It'll take five to six months to bring the Saddlebacks up to a killing weight of 90kg, but not all are destined for the freezer. At least one of the sows will be kept as breeding stock for the future. The Tamworth/Spot crosses take a bit longer.

While they're fine-looking animals, and remarkably friendly, the Diary was horrified at his daughter's reaction when we went down to inspect them. "Oh Daddy, aren't they sweet? Please can we have one?"

A pig? Like the other pets she's left us with, sitting on the couch in the evenings enjoying Eastenders? Eating us out of house and home?

4 comments:

  1. Hi Jon
    We are very interested in joining the 'pig syndicate'. Please can you inform us how we get in touch.
    Thank You
    Chris Wilkinson

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Chris -

    I suggest you talk to Hughie MacLachlan - but I think the present set of pigs is all allocated.

    Jon

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tell her they are sweet tasting as well as looking, there's no better taste than free range pig.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Sharon -

    I'm certain you're right - but if we had one of those pigs it would be for life - the pig's life, that is. There's no way our daughter would sit down to a meal of her pet pig, however good the crackling.

    Jon.

    ReplyDelete