It's official.. pigs are noisy!

"Farmers have been ordered to wear earmuffs when feeding pigs - to protect them from 'dangerous' squealing", according to an article in a national newspaper this week. '

'An Essential Guide to Health and Safety (couldn't you just guess!) in Farming' warns that "large numbers of pigs .... can create noise levels of 100 decibles or above, especially at feeding time." The leaflet advises that farmers "Make sure any work ... is done during quieter periods."

I've always said that anyone going by our place at feeding time would justifiably think that animals were being slaughtered in cold blood! But ours are all outside and in small numbers so the sound of 400+ sows altogether indoors at feeding time must be deafening. It strikes me though that a better course of action would be to not allow farmers to rear pigs so intensively - the noise level is probably the least harmful aspect of such conditions.

Meanwhile, we have discovered a situation far worse than feed time for raising decible levels...... one of Delila's piglets, and it's not just Malibu but Sherry and possibly Whiskey too, continues to exit the pen in search of ....whatever piglets go in search of... the spirit of the woods probably. The night before last it was just before bedtime again. And again the trusty spaniels proved invaluable in helping 'round up' the offender. Then yesterday the Boss greeted me in the stables at feed time with news that "another piglet is out of the pen again". So, taking Gunner we went off to find the wanderer... who this time was frantically squealing and trying to jump up over or through, or climb under, the fence in order to get to her tea. I'm now becoming quite deft at grabbing a leg or two and swinging little swinelets back over the fence.................. which is difficult enough in itself but when accompanied (as it always is) by the sound of Samson, Precious, Delila and 6 other piglets screaming, snorting, grunting and squealing (whilst running around in high agitation) as anxiously and loudly as ever they can, it is (a)definitely deafening and (b) utterly nerve-wracking. And the cacophony continues for a good few minutes after the squealing swinelet is back with mum................

Thankfully the little Tots are to be weaned this afternoon so peace will be restored................. meanwhile, I'm off to get some super-efficient ear muffs.................