Castration -30 January 2017:

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In June 2016 one of our sows gave birth to nine live piglets -one of which got accidentally crushed by the mother before it was fully weaned. We kept two (boars) with the idea of breeding from them. The other six piglets we were able to sell without much trouble.

In December 2017 two of our sows gave birth to a total of fifteen piglets, within about a week of each other. Four of which were killed by the mother. Of the surviving eleven piglets 10 are males.

We don't like castration -but local people insist upon it (unless the piglet is for breeding). We managed to sell the only available male from the previous litter to somebody -but only as part of a "Now or Never" Job Lot deal -together with two females.

Local people complain of "Boar Taint" (a supposedly unpleasant taste that meat from non-castrated boars are supposed to have). However, it seems that some nationalities are more sensitive to this than others.

So, despite our own personal objections -it seems that if we are to sell our piglets -then they need to be castrated first.

However, one of the males also has a scrotal hernia - so we intend to keep it ourselves for meat, without castrating it, as a practical test regarding the taste.

On the 30th January 2017, the three males from the oldest litter were castrated.

We still have six to go.....

Hopefully, we can persuade people to buy non-castrated piglets.