Sunday 28 April 2013

Pig Update

Hi all,
Along with mum and dad, I have been away in Newcastle for the past week - which is when the pigs started deciding to escape their pen, which was quite distressing! Dad would get a call a day from a concerned villager who noticed that the pigs were out, which meant that we had done something wrong with the fence AND we weren't there to fix it! Because the electrical generator was on the ground, when the rains came the generator shorted out and destroyed itself. The pigs realised the fence was no longer electrified and decided to escape. Thanks to Michael O'Connell, who noticed and went out and bought a new generator and set the fence up again (I will be sure to reimburse him!!). Also thanks to my oma Michael Vaneijk and my auntie Leah Vawser for looking after them while we were away, and thank you to everyone who walked past and noticed something not quite right and called us or tried to help! The support from the village has been astounding, and I feel happy that so many people are coming through the farm to visit the pigs - there must be at least a dozen people visiting a day! Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, even with the pigs escaping, and it makes me grateful that I live here.

The day we got back from Newcastle, mum, dad and I strung another two wire fences into the spare holes in the droppers, and we have added an extra electric wire to the already existing electric wires. We have also replaced the generator with a stronger one with a faster pulse, thanks to my other auntie and mentor Phaedra Reynolds, which should do the trick! As of today, since the new generator, the pigs have not escaped!

Also, they were very itchy for the last few days, and we noticed lice on their backs, so this morning dad spread diatomaceous earth around their pen and over them, and when I fed them this afternoon they were not itching at all.

Can I please remind people that only fruit and vegetables are suitable for the pigs. I have noticed that people have been feeding them teabags and mouldy food. It looks like some people have given them the contents of their compost bin - only fresh fruit and veg please! Secondly, please make sure if you can that the farm gates are closed so that IF the pigs get out again, they cannot completely escape - the gate at Bowering Hill end is regularly left open! Thirdly, please no running or making loud noises around the pigs because they could get scared.

Thank you all,
Aarod

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