Peace restored

"So, what's the game plan?" we asked The Big Boss on Friday afternoon.

"We'll just pick them up and carry them down from the woods to the stalls" he replied nonchalently. For some reason the rest of us didn't think it would be quite that simple so we wasted a bit of time reviewing the options - loading piglets into trailer/loading Delila and piglets into trailer and separating them at the other end - and then agreed that we'd try the Boss's way as it seemed simpler --- if it worked.

And his ideas usually work.

Later in the afternoon we all convened in the woods.For once it was glorious weather for weaning piglets. Hot and sunny and not too quaggy underfoot in their pen. By the time I got there Linda had already bagged her first Little Tot: grabbed it whilst it was feeding and handed it over the gate to The Boss; within moments she'd done the same with the second, handing it over to Con and I caught up with the pair of them just outside the Stalls. The piglets were put down calmly on their welcoming clean bedding when there was a sudden cry of "Shut that door - Quick!" as they promptly scooted under the hurdle. They would have been out of that door like rockets and back to mum if Con hadn't followed instructions so promptly!

Delila and the remaining 5 piglets had got wise by now. It took increasingly longer to get hold of the little ones but Linda was well into her stride and totally focused on little legs.....! At one point she lunged across the mud in a manner that would have impressed the English Rugby Team selectors...... disregarding her liberal coating of muck still she got her pig! The only 'no go' area proved to be when Delila herded the final two into the ark and positioned herself in the doorway with fangs flashing! But she was tempted out with a large juicy tomato and eventually the final two piglets were reunited with their siblings in the stalls.

Mission accomplished: a few people liberally covered with muck but all pigs successfully in the right place.

Delila was a little distressed for half an hour or so but seemed truly relieved to be able to eat her tea in peace and quiet - she's 'done' her brood so well that she herself is almost sylph-like and needs a bit of feeding up. By the time I gave her some grass at dusk she'd calmed down and on Saturday morning it was :

"Piglets? What piglets?"

They too, although a little confused by their strange surroundings, seemed quite happy to sleep and sleep and eat ... and sleep...... although they are a little mistrustful of us! They'll perk up when they see their new homes later in the week........