NextBackA couple or three large white sows and a boar were kept to supply piglets to be fattened for sale at market. These were housed in the two sties next to the cowshed. The piglets were weaned and despatched to the bottom of the rickyard to be fattened up for market. During and after the war food was scarce including animal feed. Whilst delivering the milk we would collect the left over and rotten food scraps left out by customers. These were then emptied into the swill bin on our return to the farm. The swill bin was about three feet round and five feet tall with a tight fitting lid. This was connected to the steam boiler which then steamed the food, sterilising it to an acceptable level. The bin could be turned on its axis and buckets of edible swill then fed to the pigs. The pigs really went mad for this treat of rotten bread, cabbage leaves and anything else which had gone into the mixture. Like most things on the farm it stank! Swill boiling has now been banned for some innocuous reason, pigs must now be served a balanced diet, given a knife and fork, taught to sit at the table and taught to keep their mouth shut when eating!
Mrs H, not having the benefit of kids, focused her maternal aspirations on a pig, as opposed to the usual choice of a dog. Most litters of piglets throw out a runt. A ne-
