by Polly Festa
Last week I trekked all the way to West Virginia. “Why?” You may ask. Well, our good ol’ friend, the Red Baron (aka: the rather large, reddish coated Ossabaw hog in the barnyard) was purchased by another breeder, and in exchange, we purchased three young Ossabaw piglets–two girls and a boy.
Three Little Pigs, All Warm and Cozy
The proper terms for female and male piglets are gilt and boar, respectively. A gilt is a young female pig who has not had a litter of piglets. A boar is any uncastrated male pig. These newest additions to the farm’s Ossabaw hog breeding program are just wee little piggies of about four months. The boar is red and black–a rare color pattern in Ossabaw hogs. The gilts are black and white, and white and black. In about 6 to 7 months, these gals and guy should be ready to breed. But, for now, these babies are enjoying the good life with all the food they can eat and a nice warm heat lamp to keep away the winter chill.
Currently, the piglets are being housed inside the Livestock barn and can be seen with a guidance of a Foundation staff member. And while at first they were a little skittish around humans, with the help of staff and other barnyard visitors they’re getting over this fear. I am really excited and looking forward to getting to know these new additions to the Accokeek Foundation Livestock family!
(For more information about the Accokeek Foundation Livestock Breeding Program, please email or call Polly.)
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