Three little pigs.

We bought three 8-week-old female Wessex Saddleback slips.

Wessex Saddleback pigs are listed as 'critically endangered' by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia. Until the 1930s the Wessex Saddleback was one of the more popular pig breeds then they almost disappeared with the advent of modern intensive piggeries, replaced with leaner, fast maturing breeds. They became extinct in Britain, only surviving in very small numbers in Australia and New Zealand. There are less than 100 registered sows in the world. Recently Wessex Saddleback embryos were sent to Britain to re-establish the breed.

The Wessex Saddleback does well when free range, produces excellent pork and is very quiet and good-natured.

We took a trip up the Tamar with the trailer behind the Polo and picked up the three pigs. They arrived home carsick in the trailer, a little sad looking but settled into the stables for the night.  Pinky, Perky and Petunia. It is a mistake to name farm animals, as there seems to be an unwritten law that you can’t eat any animal that has a name. These pigs will be the start of our breeding herd. We just have to locate an unrelated Wessex Saddleback boar.

The great escape.

After a couple of weeks in their paddock the three pigs discovered they could escape by walking up the cattle-loading ramp. Once out they had almost endless options, down the road, head for the hills or bolt for the river. Our intrepid trio decided instead to walk up to the house and waited patiently on the lawn outside the kitchen window. They were happy to see us and went straight back to their stable as soon as I opened the door for them.

The pigs are now about 18 weeks old and growing fast. They are fat as fools, very friendly, come when they are called, follow you around like a dog and love a belly rub.