How to enjoy winter pig keeping

Linda Aldous says success is all in the preparation and in your clothing!

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Before too long, the hot, dry days of summer will be a distant memory. Instead, we will be faced with endless mud, frozen water, frost or even snow. Winter is a glorious time of looking forward to the festive season, new life, when things seem a little quieter and calmer and as long as we have prepared for the winter months, all should go well. Now is the time to put all in place, ready for winter. The better we prepare now, the smoother things will be, although pigs will test everything to the nth degree

Firstly, you must make the choice between keeping your pigs outside, or moving them inside. If you are considering moving your pigs inside they will obviously be better protected from the weather as it's easier to control the conditions they live in with an indoor environment. But it does involve more work when it comes to mucking out and keeping the pigs happy.

If you are keeping your pigs outside, the areas we all need to look at are: - clothing, fencing, water bedding and shelter, feed, access and farrowing.

CLOTHING (FOR YOU!) MUST KEEP YOU WARM

Being a delicate bunny, I'm not keen on the cold, so I have a set of thermals, good waterproofs - trousers, coat and gloves and decent wellington boots. The mud on our smallholding can reach mid-calf, so tall boots are a must for me. If you have the right clothes, the weather doesn't matter. I love standing on our land admiring the views, whatever the weather.

FENCING

Now is the best time to check, double check and even triple check your fencing. Pigs will always find the weak areas and there is nothing worse than repairing fences in the rain and snow. Check for any signs of rotten posts and rails, loose stock wire, or the tiniest gap.

BEDDING AND HOUSING