Goodbye Etheldreda

The last couple of attempts at artificial insemination with our breeding sows have been unsuccessful. I've recently had another go with our youngest saddleback gilt (Edyth) who is a year old. If I have got the all-important timing right then, other things being equal, the 4th November will be a day of great expectations.

Edyth's mother, Etheldreda, has been having problems, however. She has developed lameness for some time now. Her hoofs are not over-grown which is a common cause of such, nor has she any lesions in the sole of her trotters. More often than not Ethel walks leaning on her ‘elbows’. She is clearly far from comfortable. Looking at the way she walks and the way she struggles to heave herself up to stand on all fours, suggests to me an arthritic problem - so no quick fix.

The vet has been several times and thinks this might well be the case. Despite medication her condition has not improved. This is not good news for her. None of our livestock are pets. They are either for meat, sold on or kept as breeding stock. In Ethel's current  condition I would not want to get her in pig. Being unproductive in this way, and  also probably experiencing much discomfort, means she has to be culled. I doubt Etheldreda has the ability to climb a trailer ramp to take her to the abattoir and in any case has been treated with an annual wormer which which has a 70 day meat withdrawal period. This means she won't be returning as sausages but instead dispatched and collected by a fallen stock company.

The deed was done today. A premature end to a beautiful pig.

Edyth won't be on her own though as she will have her aunt, Ermindreda for company and hopefully she will have some off-spring to join her in the autumn.

Etheldreda in younger times