Our sows are kept in groups with the boar
until they are ready to give birth, known as farrowing.
They dig, graze and generally laze about, and
if it gets too hot they begin to dig wallows which are muddy
holes filled with water.
They will then roll in the wallow, “hippo-style” and coat themselves
in mud which has a cooling effect as well as being a good sun block.
This is probably where the pig gets a bad name as being a dirty animal. In
fact they are the cleanest of all farm animals and have a separate toilet area
away from their bed.
At farrowing sows like some
personal space, so they have an individual hut in which to
give birth.
We provide our sows with everything
they need to create a bed as they would in the wild. They
enjoy making this and sometimes collect dried grass as well
as the barley straw that we provide.
This keeps them busy and interested
as they are intelligent creatures and can be destructive
if they get bored (ring any bells, parents?)
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