PB1 and PB2

At last we have some pigs - not the breed of choice just yet but certainly, they're pigs; they bark and grunt and squeal. We've been keeping an eye on the internet sites that deal in such things for hobby farmers and last week on our way home from the funeral we called in and had a look at some Berkshires (my pork of choice) in the Brisbane Valley. Then yesterday we visited our friends who have the pig farm that supplies young pork to a restaurant. After much discussion and inspection we came home with these two and will fatten them and kill them around the end of May. They are a Landrace/Large White cross. We decided to start with a few porkers, just to get used to having a few pigs before getting into the breeding game. Their names are Pork Belly 1 and Pork Belly 2.

Getting PB1 out of the trailer.

Squuueeeeee.......

PB2

The Three Amgios formed a welcoming party of sorts.

They were very interested in proceedings.

In a few weeks we will go back and pick up another two little Berkshire/Essex Saddleback cross for fattening - they needed a few more weeks on their mother. I didn't get a photo of them but one is a startling gingery/black colour. The Essex Saddleback pig originated from the East Anglia district in England and the Wessex Saddleback was from the New Forest area. The Wessex was originally a cross between two indigenous old English bacon pigs - the Hampshire and the Sussex. Later, the Essex and Wessex were crossed to produce the British Saddleback.

Our pig farm friends have a purebred Berkshire sow about to give birth; they will keep one of the females for us and she will be our first breeding pig.

I know it's corny but I can't resist - happy as a pig in.......