Chalk and cheese

Sleepy Sunday afternoon..........

I got my eye on you chaps so you'd better behave.....

Here's a sweet scene: big mama sow and tiny piglets all curled up together in the sunshine. Ginger looks as though she hasn't a care in the world. And why wouldn't she .... 6 bouncing little piglets all growing nicely and behaving like little piglets ought to.
 Most of the time!
Most of the time they're doing what young things should do - going off into the world and leaving the old lady in peace and quiet.

Out at last

From the age of just over 2 weeks they've been out exploring - bouncing around all over the place like young rabbits; visiting all the other herd members and generally making a nuisance of themselves everywhere but with Ginger. All she ever sees of them is sleepy piglets - and no wonder after all their exertions. The Bestest Gundog spends quite a bit of time explaining the rules to them. They don't listen, of course. Doesn't stop him though. He's nothing if not persistent. They just look at him and trot off on their merry way.
Meanwhile a little further down the path from the second picture, Delila is busy bringing up her little brood. In quite a different manner. Where Ginger is all relaxed, Delila is quite neurotic; where Ginger's piglets are everywhere, Delila's are nowhere. Whatever happened on that traumatic night when they were born has had a far-reaching effect. Delila guards them with her not-inconsiderable torso and when there's the merest hint of "something happening" she herds them to the back of their ark. They are 4 weeks old now though and it's high time they were out and running around all over the place. At least today she let them play outside their doorway but it's a far cry from the shenanigans that Ginger's piglets (just one day younger) are getting up to.  If they don't start leaving mum soon we are going to have an interesting time when it comes to weaning. Two litters could not be more different...... chalk and cheese.......