[Gpdd] SILLY. Dunya's trick

[Penny Charlesworth]

Mieke, that's a good way to catch Dunya without stressing her.

I do something similar with the Piggyfriends. In the summer, if it is fine day and I am at home, they go out into the garden in pens. The boars in their 4x4 pens are easy to catch, especially if I sit on the grass with a carrot, when most of them will climb up on my lap.

The girls have a 12x12 enclosure with several shelters and lots of drainpipes to run through. Some of them are not so keen to come back in at the end of the day, particularly when there is still grass to be eaten but the reluctant ones will often hide in a pipe so that I can't see them. 

Then it is easy to pick the pipe up with the piggy inside, both hands over the ends of course, and carry pipe and piggy back into the house. The pipe can then be placed into their indoor pen and they can walk out when they wish. Sometimes two piggies will hide together, which makes bringing them back even quicker.

Even a visitor, unused to picking up a "wriggly piggly" can confidently carry a pipe full of piggy in to help.

Gulliver always reminds me if I am late with a meal. He will jump up on to his sleeping box, which is a cardboard wine box - the kind that hold 6 bottles - put his paws on the top of the pen and shout at me until the food arrives. He is spokespig for the whole herd and always naps on top of his box so as to be first to see what happens and alert the others.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.