Victoria returns to The Black Banana

 Four days or so after weaning, the Sow comes back in season and is ready to entertain the boar. Victoria's little 'Alberts' were successfully (for us, if not them!) weaned on Wednesday so we decided to move her back to The Black Banana on Friday to give them a few days to reacquaint themselves before he starts leaping all over her.

First though we had to move Merkel the Ferkel, aka Mrs Merkel, away from Banana to her farrowing pen as she is due shortly before Easter. Her new pen had a bespoke house in it - new and unused - but it wasn't built with her in mind and we felt it might be a little small to share with piglets. So a bigger house had to be moved first.
 Gunner and The Big Boss supervised operations  and in no time at all - thanks to John and his Manitou - a had-been-redundant ark was soon in place and furnished with plenty of fluffy straw to welcome Mrs Merkel.

Pigs are funny things. She's been happily mucking about with Banana these past few months but when the gate was opened and a feed bowl rattled under her snout she was away without a backward glance.  I don't think he

 noticed her leave either - too busy with the little bit of feed Linda had put down to distract him. Mrs Merkel didn't exactly hop onto the trailer but it was not a very long job to persuade her up the unfamiliar ramp. Transportation to her new premises took all of two minutes - hardly time to empty her bowl really - but when we let down the ramp she happily trotted out and ran the 20 or so metres to her new pen. And kept on running... round and round, up and down, inspecting the new neighbours and admiring the view.  She's seen nothing but mud and trees for a few months so it must have been a real treat to feel firm grass

 under her trotters.
Then she settled down to the serious business of eating.
Saturday morning we could see her from our bedroom window (a first) happily mooching about in the early morning light - rootling here and there, pursued by a little flock of birds doubtless after any little morsel she might have overlooked. As if!

Having successfuly moved Mrs Merkel we turned our attention to the Beuatiful Blonde Victoria. She's been cooped up in the stalls since

before Christmas so she was not unhappy to leave. Again, it took a little coaxing to get her up the ramp onto the trailer but at the other end she trotted off and positively charged up the path to her old pen....... and kept on charging....and then floundering as she sank in the mud! We let out a collective "Ohhh" as her beautiful blonde coat became offset by black mud. She didn't seem to care at all. She galumphed round the whole pen. We opened the gate separating her from Banana and in no time he was all over her: "So very pleased to have you back again" I believe he was saying - or was it something a little more earthy!  In no time at all she was a piebald piggie but she didn't seem to care. They clearly recognised each other and soon settled down together ..... Saturday morning they came running out of their ark like they'd never been parted......... and by this (Sunday) morning they were running rings roud each other as he was gamely trying to leap on her back....... won't be long before she's in the family way again......