Our first hog roast!

77kgs was the weight of our boy, first we had worried that he wouldn't be big enough, then we worried that he was too big!

Anyway, our first hog roast I must say, has gone very, very well. We managed to serve eighty rolls in an hour, many came up for seconds, some even thirds! And those rolls were full!

 Before long there was not too much left...

We also served homemade coleslaw and applesauce but unfortunately I didn't take any photographs of the salad table.  We were also approached about doing other events, so watch this space...

The day is here when we have to say goodbye to our lovely young boar.  He had to go first really as there are many young gilts that he would soon be taking advantage of...

He walked straight onto the trailer without any problems at all.

Our beautiful and friendly boy.

It's very difficult to get a good photograph of the cross breed pigs as whenever they hear us coming they rush to the gate.  That is where we feed them 

However husband has persevered as it is always nice to look back at them to reminisce.

  We never name the pigs but as it is quite a small set up it is quite difficult for them to remain anonymous as they all have their own personalities.  The pair of pigs that came first have lovely personalities and if they are not looking for food they are looking for a fuss.  They like nothing more than having a scratch behind the ear, it's quite funny to watch as their eyes roll and they melt into the ground with enjoyment. It doesn't seem long but the boar will very soon become a hog roast.  He has had a lovely life and when we feed them now we feel sad. We have always said that the day we don't feel this about one of our pigs then it is time to give up pig ownership.

The Saddlebacks.

The younger pigs are growing into lovely pigs .  They are really friendly.  Friends of ours brought their children to meet them and they loved feeding them.

 

We're proper farmers now!

We've become proper farmers now and the purchase of the new tractor and drum mower means that we can finally keep on top of the long grass. All we need now is some twine to tie up our trousers and we will be official!  Despite our continual trawl of the internet for something suitable we managed to buy the tractor locally, although the mower meant a scenic trip into the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.  The chickens, ducks and geese can't believe their luck as they hunt out the seeds and insects in the cut grass. It makes for very tasty eggs!

 

 

More new additions

Well, where to start...

 

First of all, we've some more pigs! Yay! 10 saddlebacks which now join the two Hampshire x Welsh. I can tell you that the pair are quite mischievous as the boar is already trying to climb over the gate for food! They are all friendly and are confident enough to enjoy a good scratch behind their ear.

 These two have already discovered that the strengtheners make an excellent scratching post...

Meet the two new additions

This is Beryl who is a Welsh pig.  She is the Mum to the two weaners that we went to fetch yesterday.

She is a feisty old girl and the two offspring that she has produced in her last litter are very confident and are already showing similar traits to their Mum. Normally if a sow only produces two in her litter she is off to be made into sausages but her owner Tom has decided to give her one last try,

They are crossed with a Hampshire, the boar looks like dad and the gilt is similar to Mum. This is a picture of dad Gerald.

Once we had got the weaners into the trailer they quickly snuggled down into the straw and went to sleep.

In England once there lived a big
A wonderfully clever pig.
To everybody it was plain
That Piggy had a massive brain.
He worked out sums inside his head,
There was no book he hadn't read.
He knew what made an airplane fly,
He knew how engines worked and why.
He knew all this, but in the end
One question drove him round the bend:
He simply couldn't puzzle out
What LIFE was really all about.
What was the reason for his birth?
Why was he placed upon this earth?
His giant brain went round and round.
Alas, no answer could be found.
Till suddenly one wondrous night.
All in a flash he saw the light.
He jumped up like a ballet dancer
And yelled, "By gum, I've got the answer!"
"They want my bacon slice by slice
"To sell at a tremendous price!
"They want my tender juicy chops
"To put in all the butcher's shops!
"They want my pork to make a roast
"And that's the part'll cost the most!
"They want my sausages in strings!
"They even want my chitterlings!
"The butcher's shop! The carving knife!
"That is the reason for my life!"
Such thoughts as these are not designed
To give a pig great piece of mind.
Next morning, in comes Farmer Bland,
A pail of pigswill in his hand,
And piggy with a mighty roar,
Bashes the farmer to the floor…
Now comes the rather grizzly bit
So let's not make too much of it,
Except that you must understand
That Piggy did eat Farmer Bland,
He ate him up from head to toe,
Chewing the pieces nice and slow.
It took an hour to reach the feet,
Because there was so much to eat,
And when he finished, Pig, of course,
Felt absolutely no remorse.
Slowly he scratched his brainy head
And with a little smile he said,
"I had a fairly powerful hunch
"That he might have me for his lunch.
"And so, because I feared the worst,
"I thought I'd better eat him first."

Roald Dahl

Some History...

Having raised three batches of pigs successfully, we thought it was time to get another batch of pigs. The first batch of pigs were Large White X Welsh...

the second batch were Middle White X Hampshire...

and the last but not least, batch three, Oxford Sandy and Blacks which are a rare breed.

The Oxfords were nearly extinct twenty years ago but they have come a long way from that now although still a minority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust list. These lovely pigs have got a good temperament and are a pleasure to own. We were particularly pleased with the rare breeds and have decided that we would like to continue to do our bit for the heritage of our pigs.

We have recently seen some Large Blacks in Kings Lynn, which are the rarest breed of all in this country. They fell out of  favour in the 60s and declined in numbers.