Excluded from school

Last year we sent a couple of young gilts to St Lawrence's School in Horncastle which caters for children who have special skills and/or needs. Sausage and Bacon, as they came to be called, returned to us at the end of their 'educational stay' the very model of the perfect Curly Coat pig. So much so that their photograph adorns our entrance porch.
Being asked for two more gilts this year, we were more than delighted to oblige. Whilst Sausage and Bacon went soon after weaning, this year's Intake were deliberately older because the time available to them at the school was considerably shorter and we thought it might be a little unsettling for youngsters - they'd only just be getting into their lessons when they'd have to stop. Thus it was that a Truffle and an Asteroid left here some 6 weeks ago.
"I think one of the girls is pregnant!" came the frantic call on Saturday morning. To say The Boss and I were surprised was an understatement. Between the phone call and going to see for ourselves an hour later we scratched our heads, consulted the wall chart (detailing the history of the whole herd), weighed up the possibilities and finally concluded that there was a very small chance that the Asteroid could have been impregnated by her brother in the depths of winter when we considered them far too immature for such behaviour.
"Clearly they found a way to keep warm through the cold snowy nights" opined Linda - "And him with a prolapse too!" Which was one of the reasons he was with two of the girls: he'd been getting pushed around by the other boys so we thought he'd be 'safer' with the two girls! And wasn't he just! The other reason he stayed with the girls longer than would otherwise have been the case was because of the inclement weather making it too difficult to move him. And, of course, we thought it would all be OK.

Piglets born at the school would have been wonderful for the children but not with the summer holidays fast approaching so it seemed best alround to bring the two girls home a.s.a.p. "Fancy being excluded from school for being in pig" I said to The Boss. When she found herself in the barn with a full bowl of food the little Asteroid was quite contented. Which was more than could be said for her Truffle companion, who spent quite a while looking up (literally) and down for her companion. Of course, the whole herd is now in quarantine for three weeks so hopefully she'll settle down soon because she's going nowhere else in a hurry.

Meanwhile, with needing to put the pregnant pig in the barn the duck who has been in there with her solitary duckling these past three weeks or so had to move to the outdoor pen with the bantams. The duckling was a bit confused about being placed in a deep bucket for his journey to the outside world - and I think mother duck was rather indignant too. But that was all forgiven when they realised they were outside with water to swim in. Mind you I had to swap the water bowl in the photo for a plant water tray because the duckling couldn't scrabble out. Poor thing, I found him squeaking for all he was worth and trying to jump out but his little wings are still to weak to flap. He's happy enough now in his tray though.