The exams are all over, 3 days off and I'm back on the farm. The pig farm. There was quite a crowd of us students. All four of us: Me, Beth, Cynthia and Bronwyn all appointed to follow 'Flash' the stockman for the week (That's Pongo the dog too):
There were lots and lots of pigs: big pigs, little pigs, tiny pigs and a few boy pigs. All smelling equally as sweet, we explored the realms of keeping pigs. All the sows were kept in a big pen with the male boars. Once they were nearly due to farrow, they were transferred to the farrowing sheds where they gave birth to lots of piglets (average about 10 or 11). Here they stayed until the piglets were weaned. The piglets then went on to be fattened and the sows back to the sheds for a wee rest and then are inseminated again.
We all had a great week and learnt quite a lot about everything from training a pig to feed from an automated system to Artificially inseminating a sow whilst sitting on its back. When a sow is on heat, it has a 'standing reflex'. In the presence of a male, if you press on its back it will stand rigid to theoretically allow the boar to mount. This also turns out to be a useful tool for a stockman to determine exactly if the sow is ready to be artificially inseminated. If so, then you can carry on and inseminate the sow with handy fresh sperm in a packet from AI company and take a nice warm seat on the back of a pig. (Not only very convenient but also makes AI easier as the sow stands better and imitates a boar too).
Another discovery from our week here was that pigs have piglets much easier and more simpler than sheep have lambs. They just get on with it! However, saying that, we did get a shot at delivering a few little pigs as there was a sow having trouble. It was very different to lambing too! The passage was much narrower and piglets are a lot more difficult to guide out when in a pickle. Even so, we all successfully got at least one piglet out into the world. Hoorah! There may be a video to follow when Beth returns to bonny Scotland with her camera.
All in all it was a really fun week and it helped with my lack of pig contact. The only downside? Trying to keep the pig smell in your coat on the way home on the bus. Sorry all the people on the number 7!
