So most of The Shire babies have arrived for this year. I have only two sows in breeding, the red roans Posy and her daughter Primula, two of my best sows. Prim recently won a couple BOBs. One of them is in with Chess and the other is in with Podge I think.

Those four I have trouble with. I should paint their ear numbers on their behinds, LOL, so I dont have to squint at ears. Posy and Prim are mother and daughter. One has a blaze so you'd think it'd be easy to tell them apart but I always forget who has the blaze and have to turn to my Web site!

Begbie and Podge are father and son. Yes, their markings are different enough I can tell them apart, but again, I forget who's who! CRS disease bigtime!! Those two and Chess have really nice coats and Begbie and Podge are big besides.

Then there's the little, um, rape victim, LOL. The self red sow was stupidly put by me into the junior boars' cage and I didn't notice til I heard her screaming. She's old enough that the breeding isn't unduly risky, and the boar is the oldest one, he has a really good coat but is a roaned red broken, so not my ideal choice of colors to put together. In fact I was hoping for an excuse to sell him, but his coat is just too nice and his conformation is good too, and he's out of some of my best pigs. I'll breed him a few times and see what he produces before I place him.

The other boars in that cage are all showable colors and I'm waiting to see how their coats turn out. Then I'll keep and show the best.

The next show coming up is Fulton, NY. I have bunch of baby Texel boars to find homes for, and maybe some Teddies--gotta check who's ready to wean.