Swiss Chalet (Pig Sty!) Completed!!!!!

Today  we finished our piggys new home. 

Now it is a little imperfect, we can all see that, but it cost nothing other than time. So I rate this a success.. Before we moved them in, we baby proofed the enclosure. Now we didnt go as far as baby monitors and stair gates... but we did sure up the electric fence making it tought so as no one could get little trotters stuck in any loops and then be unable to escape the shock.. Threw out some rocks that would have made for a very uncomfy night sleep. Then filled up there bedding with good quality clean straw. Oh and of course double check for any missing tools, well nearly all our tools are missing due to over active kids and one big one (Joe) but none are missing in there new enclosure...We had a debate on who was going to test the strenghth of the electric fence but whilst in mid discussion Sheba our G.S.Dog was a little too inquisitive and just touched it with the side of her nose... what a scream, i've never seen her move so quickly, poor thing I dont think she'll make that mistake again.

It was fun moving the pigs we considered a few options..

  a) Risk getting eaten by Mini pig by going into  her nest to collect all five babies - put them in the dog cage and some how carry them over to the new quarters. (They are heavy little critters!) The thinking behind this was that Mini pig would hear them and follow there calls to her new home.. We decided cosiderable stress could be brought on this way and discounted it. Oh also we could have got severly hurt if she didnt want us to do it.

b)Let them all free and hopefully they wouldnt get too distracted by all the dangerous things all over our site and keep close to mom while she followed a bucket of food. 

Mmm well we hadnt finished filling in some very deep drains so that could have been disasterous.

 c)Which is what we finially went with .. We opened the door to her bedroom showed her the bucket of food, whilst she was distracted we scooped up one piglet closing the others in and carried it in front of her whilst I hearded her from behind, she was an angel, walked perfectly all the way from one end of the farm to the other. We tipped out her food and then quickly carried the remainder one by one to her.

We discovered that if you hold them loosley and soothe them, the usual screams (Ear piercing!!) that normally ensue didnt happen..

So what to you think of this place then...Shall we stay???

There are 2 girls (gilts) & 3 boys (boars).

Pig in boots!!!! 

This is to show you the size of them at 1 day old, but dont be thinking they stay this small, they grow and grow and well just grow.

Mini pig the mom was one such cute little piglet that some one took on, in there house she was duely litter trained slept in the house and was spotless, but as she grew problems started, she loves rubbung and itching as do all pigs, its ecstacy to them, as she rubbed on all the furniture in her old moms house she used to tip it over move it eventually spoiling it.

In her desperation for a more normal piggy life she jumped out of a 2nd floor window amaizingly didnt get hurt but then gave Aberyswyth Police the slip for 3 weeks eventually.


She ended up at a rescue centre who conacted us and asked us to give her a proper pigs life.
 
She seems happy enough and is a very gentle 160 kilo pig at about 3 foot high.. Kune Kune's come from New Zealand and there name translates as short fat and round I believe. (They got that right!) using them for meat as they fatten at an incredible rate, which we can see from our little hybrids. 

We crossed her onto a Pietrain boar, these are the Arny of the pig world they are double muscled, same as the Belgium blue cattle. They are also known as Belgium blue pigs.

We felt the two extremes one being fat and short the other long, carrying no fat just a thin skin and masses of muscle should in theory produce an excellent small holders hybrid porker. Being hybrid they should have the vigor and extra boost of size.

Well I  can definatley recomend the cross as they are pure muscle, if only I understood more about genetics I would endevour to create the ultimate small holders pig, as they dont eat very much at all. and need mini pig sized housing.

But i have no idea how you would stabalise the type and then breed true to type.. oo thats all getting a little heavy is'nt it...? Any one that knows more please let me know...

Thats it folks for tonight I hope you like the pics and info....

come back tomorrow....