The joy of pigs

[FernieB]

Having a fairly boring day of cleaning, supermarket shopping etc. Just put the boys in their indoor run in the kitchen with a brand new box and big paper bag. I reached over to give Scruffy a tickle and he gave a big squeak and ran 3 laps, popcorning all the way. That's why I love pigs - just so funny.

[fortifiedwithtea]

her head? I mean my head. Now that really would be impressive if I could scream someone else's head off

[fortifiedwithtea]

My new girls were very keen to try pumpkin but disappointed with the taste. It must have been Fatimus that 'hogged' it al last year

Pumpkin pieces has been slowly gnawed down to the skin but I would say the verdict is meh.

BTW we had no trick or treaters So we've had to eat a whole tin of Heroes by ourselves. Such a shame Mind you we did go out to Hylands House fright night so were not home until 7.20pm. Not surprising we didn't get little kids but were surprised not to get teens either .

70 last years fright night is on Youtube, bear in mind its for families, I screamed her head off when a masked character crept out the bushes beside me. I was a jabbering wreck after that and DD2 was glad I came because it made the night more fun

[FernieB]

Maybe I am a very cruel person but I like that idea .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

A very very mean person would put SmoothPig in the tumble dryer and let him run round (like a giant wheel affair) to trim him down.

Put it on a cool setting, real fur can shrink .

Not that I would recommend or condone this sort of behaviour.
But with GPs it doesn't harm to remind them of things , like spatchcocked roast guineas in Peruviand market food stalls

[FernieB]

Geese can be very fierce and if they nip you it's very sore as I know . Didn't put me off geese though - I'd love some, and sheep and goats and pigs ........ Don't think they'd all fit in the kitchen though

Back to my little pigs - they are in the conservatory but it's pouring down and very loud in there so I'm going to move them into their cage in the utility where the tumble dryer is going, so still noisy but warmer. Not having much luck with Smoothpig's diet. He just lards about and won't move unless there is no other option.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I've had enough trouble re-allocating the boars to somewhere that's
a - safe from trees and
b - satisfies their very spoiled and judgey demands

(hence why they are in the garage)

I would not fancy rounding up a load of irate chooks in a Force 9 gale

I've sometimes had a read on the Chicken Thread for winter weather ideas and thought "gosh they are more work than guinea-pigs"

I reckon I could train my capybara to bark and bite (when I get one)

[KRITIQ]

Oh 70, do get some chickens. A dear friend in London has 6 lovely ladies and every time I visit, I take back the most delicious eggs. I recently checked my deeds and I am not allowed chickens! Well, I'd have to kiss goodbye to all my plants if I did have them, but I just don't like the idea that I can't have them if I want.

I would also like a Capybara and a Patagonian Cavy pretty please - actually a couple. Have always fancied having a small lobster as a bet, not sure why. I am having to exert amazing will power not to get more animals.

Oh, I've heard geese make far better guard dogs than, um, well dogs do.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My schoolmate had a small-holding (farm) when I was a teenager. (They had ducklings quite cute but wriggly and covered in ducky do and geese)
I was lolloping through the yard, as you do, when I just caught a white shape. I thought it was the flipping gander and I leapt a 5-Bar Gate . No idea how.
It was her dog, a real dope-on-a-rope type, Totally un-goose like.

When the DC were little I had to take them to feed the ducks/geese and not grimace too much.

Swans are just unbearably smug "Oh we belong the the Queen"

Romford Brewery is now a shopping centre

[fortifiedwithtea]

70 many,many years ago I worked in an insurance office within smelling distance of Romford Brewery after awhile none of us could smell it . Honestly, we got used to it

I love the sound of ducks in the morning. At our last house our neighbour got ducks 'cos her BFF the other side had ducks first. The two sets of ducks used to talk quack to each other over the garden fence

[FernieB]

70 - just curious, why ducks? I understand why people don't like geese and swans as they can be bad tempered, but ducks are just funny.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

No geese

Geese swans ducks in that order are my most unfavourite creatures.

AFAIK the brewery restriction was because of Romford Brewery but that's gone now so I might be ok to fire up a still.

The mining - the risk of subsidence on clay soil

The pigs ....well you just wouldn't would you

(Chickens are allowed though)

Must investigate the capybaras though. One of those to snuggle would keep my guineas warmer than any Pet Hottie .

[dotty2]

That's a very specific restrictive covenant! So geese and a distillery would be OK?

I like the idea of living in the Good Life though. I'm up for the dungarees.

[FernieB]

Capybaras are fab. So cute. If it wasn't impossible I'd like a dragon - could ride on it so no need for a car and no worries about parking.

Shame about the open cast mining 70 - that could have been a nice cottage industry. I could have lent you Current Bun to dig you a big hole and get you started.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My house deeds prohibit me from
Open Cast Mining
Running a brewery
Keeping pigs

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Never mind pigs (as in pork not cavy)

I want a CAPYBARA.
Good sized like a dog.
But none of the offensive dog pooh. (I expect capybaras do massive droppings though)

And they look pleasingly smug

[FernieB]

I'd love a 'proper' pig but don't think it would go down too well with the neighbours. I'd also like sheep and a goat . Sadly we only have enough lawn to keep the GPs happy so the rest of the menagerie will have to wait.

[killpeppa]

haha. no I just hate hearing
'peppppa pig snooooort'
everyday of life- sigh.

that's cleared up my confusion! I was thinking that you lot were living in a series of 'the good life'

[dotty2]

Which presumably wouldn't find favour with you, given your nn??

But yes, all guinea pigs here.

[killpeppa]

are yous all talking about guinea pigs?!??!

everytime I see a pig thread I think-
'whooaw pigs (of the pork variety) are becoming popular!'

[dotty2]

I love those photos! We were struggling for someone to look after our GPs last week for half term and did think for a little while about taking them on holiday with us. In the end what clinched it for me was that I couldn't face phoning the cottage owner and saying 'you know you say x cottage allows dogs, well, would it be OK if I brought my guinea pigs instead'.

Our outdoor GPs are becoming part time indoor pigs at the moment - probably moving over to full time sometime over the next couple of weeks until the spring. I don't like the mess and disruption, but it is fun seeing a bit more of them and them being more part of the family.

[KRITIQ]

Hee hee, it was a bit of trick photography with the loch photo - they weren't actually close at all :) I did have to grab a leaf that DBoar2 started chewing, but they didn't think much of the moss.

Sister cat doesn't get to "encounter" the pigs without maximum supervision (easy to crop out those hovering hands!) Our late cat showed no interest in them (apart from giving them dirty looks!) but she will sit on the chair by their cage and watch them. They aren't the least bit bothered and she only gets to do this when we're in the room - otherwise the living room is closed off to her full stop.

Alias, I think you are probably right about your dog (who sounds gorgeous in any case!) that it's probably too risky. If we couldn't separate the house into separate "pet zones," we'd have just stuck with the pigs, and that of course would have been cool (but the kitty is alot of fun :) )

[aliasjoey]

When I'm sad, I go and look at the guinea pigs in Pets At Home, and it always cheers me up. Coincidentally, I was there today (I mean I don't just go to look at the pigs, I was buying dog food as well!) and they had my favourite kinds - Abyssinians. 2 white and one grey. I spent 15 minutes happily choosing which of them I'd have.

But my dog. Not a chance he's supposed to be a poodle, but obviously has some terrier in him. I think he has a high prey drive. His favourite game is tug, not fetch. I don't think we could train him, it would be too risky.

I'm so jealous of you guys and your piggies...

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Ahhh those hogs are so photogenic KRITIQ

Love the one of them by the loch "Is moss edible for guineas? "


Love the little sisters ears

(I did think "OMG she's got a sow with two boars, is she mad ". But I reckon the cat would be safe)

[FernieB]

Just been showing your photos to my DDs, KRITIQ. We love them. We did feel that perhaps the GPs looked a bit worried by their proximity to the loch. Also, your cat (beautiful coat) looks overly interested in your GP whilst the GP seems unperturbed.

[KRITIQ]

Hi everyone! Sorry not been around much lately and hope you are all keeping well. The boars have a new "little sister" who's been taking up quite a bit of my time, amongst other things. (Don't worry - photo v carefully supervised!)

All 5 of us went away for a lovely weekend in the Trossachs - weather was awful though. Here's little sis and here's the boars grazing in the rain and posing by the loch.

Oh my, what would be included in this Christmas Calendar? I'm not very good at technical things like that, but I could manage to find 12 images to download and pop on your own calendar. Would that do? Having said that, would be great if other folks could do the same with snaps of their swine as there are some gorgeous piggies on pigmumsnet! :)