Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Lets start with the bad news, get it over and done with, we had to have a pig put down last week. It was one of the saddleback crosses and we're pretty sure he was poisoned. There are a couple of yew trees in the pigs enclosure, which we knew were poisonous, but animals generally know to avoid them. However, one of the trees had some of its root exposed and, as we've been feeding the pigs under the trees to encourage them to forage, we think they probably ate some of the root too.

Ed checked the pigs in the evening and they were all fine but by the following morning most of them were off colour and lethargic and one was very ill (disorientated and struggling to breathe properly) so Ed called the vet who diagnosed poisoning and gave him an injection to fight the symptoms. Unfortunately the pig didn't improve and so was put down at lunchtime that day. Fortunately the other pigs seem to have recovered with no lasting effects. The only pig not to be ill at all was Roger, the smallest Oxford Sandy and Black, I'm taking it as proof she's the cleverest (Ed thinks it's because she's the smallest and not allowed near the good food!).



It was a really sad experience, even though they're going to die soon anyway, and we both felt awful. But we live and learn, and won't make the same mistake again.

The good news...I've finally got a job in the South West. Ed and I have been living apart for nearly three years, firstly with him away during the week, and for the last 18 months with me only at home at weekends so it's really exciting to be contemplating living together again though I'm sure there are going to be a few teething problems while we sort out the tv schedule and the dishwasher loading rota!! One of the most exciting things is the increased flexibility it will give us to start growing our meat production business and hopefully start looking at farmers markets, grants for a cutting room etc.