Looks like a pig rustler.......

Rustling has started up again. The media blame it on the recession. Cattle, sheep, chickens... and only last week a large producer 'lost' 500 young pigs ...... So it would be reasonable to jump to the conclusion that this suspicious character is our very own pig rustler...... the way he appears to be keeping his head down and lurking round the perimeter of Delila's pen..........

Yesterday Linda (who loves pigs) popped round with her husband and sister-in-law (who's up from Town for a weekend in the country) to show them the new (as yet still un-named) piglets. They've been by far the boldest and most adventurous piglets we've had so when Nick popped his head round our door and said:

"The piglets are out." we thought he meant 'out of the ark'. But what he meant was out of the pen! By the time he got back to the woods, Delila had called the explorers back to her - except for one which Nick lifted over the fence, which caused Mum to get very anxious and grunty! Linda promptly proclaimed she "wouldn't sleep a wink" for worrying about the little ones getting out and lost or hurt!

Well - what's a chap to do?

Since the babes had presumably climbed through the stock wire where there was no chicken netting lining it (well - there had been but it was of Chinese origin and the previous occupants of the pen had long since destroyed it), he offered to do a quick fencing job enlisting sister Sammy's help. Not that we were worried about the little ones getting out so much as Delila following them if they couldn't find their way back in. Didn't want them repeating the adventure that Ginger and her little brood had a year or so back when they went off down the lane in search of the Nasty Giant..........

In no time Nick and Sammy (no point going to the country if you can't take part in typical country pursuits, is there?) had the fence sufficiently reinforced for Linda's peace of mind. Clearly Delila had shared Linda's concerns because the fencing was no sooner completed than she came over and allowed Nick to rub her back - her way of saying : "Sorry I grumped at you earlier!". Then she made a nice wallow under her water bowl by pushing lots of wet mud up at the newly reinforced fence....... Now, it occurs to me that maybe she encouraged the little ones to cause a bit of mayhem just to achieve her own devious ends? Delila Devious? Never.

And then, having satisfied herself that the wallow was adequate, she went and had a quick word with Samson - but only they know whether that was for reassurance or to hatch another little plan between them..... after all, Samson has already dug a big hole under the dividing gate - plenty big enough for piglets to pop through......

For all we know, they are happily going to and fro when we're not looking.... Pig Paternity rights and all that.........