Woolly Jumper

Meet Big Red. He's one of Ginger & Mangal's 12th litter born on 8 May this year. He's always been a favourite - something to do with his colouring I expect but he's also a bit of a character and very fond of people.

He learns quickly too. At least, I think he does. After watching the spaniels leaping and bounding he got the idea that he could do that too. Especially at feeding time. A little leap and he could bound over the fence into the next-door pen where the pigs were being fed earlier than him. Handy.
 But Why stop there? If he could bound over a fence or hurdle into the next door pen, he could leap over any fence whether there was food on offer or not.  It was amusing - at first. But being greeted first thing in the morning by an energetic young boar running riot - and causing the whole herd to grow restless - is not amusing...................
These curly coats mature at a young age. There was a very real possibility that one of the young gilts would come into season and Big Red would be over the fence and into her pen quicker than a rat up the proverbial drainpipe!!!
Reluctantly, on Monday morning when he was gallivanting around the place, I dangled a feed bucket in front of his snout and led him to the barn for breakfast. He was happy enough - he was ready for food after running around for however long!
After breakfast he decided to jump over the barrier between him and his fellow hogs next door. They didn't appreciate his company and set about telling him so in no uncertain manner. Did I mention that young boars are also quite territorial?
It was 5 against one and Big Red didn't stand a chance. But he was too worn out to leap back - at least without a considerable incentive.
After he'd been bullied by the 5 for a couple of hours I fetched some more feed for him. That renewed his spring and he leapt up over the barrier - and got his back trotter stuck as he tried the spaniel kick-back method of gaining extra impetus...... A few nasty squealing moments followed. Lucky that he's a good natured chap because he let me heave him up off the ground to get the weight off, and thereby release, his back trotter.
He hasn't tried it again since. We've kept the barn doors to the outside world shut though just in case he gets the notion to try another leap.

I suspect he won't try: he's happy to have lots of human attention - loves having the top of his head or the back of his ears scratched and he doesn't have to squabble with anyone for his food. He's also well out of the mud now that the rains have returned....... A nice clean woolly jumper... just right for this time of year!