Saturday 6 October 2012

Pig Expectations

For those readers who have been worried frantic about lack of news of the Kilchoan Pigs during The Diary's two-week absence on holiday, the news is good.  As can be guessed from her size, Mrs Pig is due very shortly - she had ten little piglets on the last two occasions, but from her present proportions the next batch might be rather larger.  Hughie, her owner, will be moving her indoors shortly for the happy event, into new, improved maternity accommodation in his shed.

Mr Pig, as can be seen from this family snap, is terribly excited about the imminent event.  He doesn't know it but, while Mrs Pig is going through the pangs of childbirth, alone, he's been promised to another lady pig in the village, though The Diary understands negotiations with the lady pig's owner haven't been completed.

The pigs have done a great job on the bracken in the field below our house, reducing the land to the sort of swamp one associates with pigs.  Amongst other things, their efforts have....

....unearthed and scattered two interesting stone structures, probably the remains of old byres, though it would be fun if they turned out to be some sort of extremely rare Neolithic long barrow, of which this is.... or was.... the only known example in western Scotland.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the post! Really enjoyed reading about Mrs.Pig, she looks so gracious. Please keep us up to date with Mrs.Pigs news. I hope you and Mrs.Diary enjoyed your holiday. Do you raise any livestock of your own? Pigs are not only good use for meat and 'lawn-mowers' but also bring in quite a good income if the piglets are sold. With rare breeds so in danger, they need all the help they can get! Beautiful place is Kilchoan and they would really bless the scenery. I understand that the lisence to hold them and food and homing is expensive but they're such lovley animals.
    Thanks again,
    Morgana!

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  2. Hi Jon Mrs Pig is called Betsy and her nice warm shed is bedded down with straw as we speak ready for her coming in tomorrow and Mr Pig name is Bobby

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