[Gpdd] MISC Nesting material

[Penny Charlesworth]

Whilst eating my lunch just now, I watched a tv programme about Longleat, a zoo park in England. The presenter showed us the Pet Corner, where there was a herd of piggies in a little Piggy Village and the animal keeper was concerned about some of the piggies having bald and sore spots on their backs. He explained that piggies can get mites etc. but then told us who the real culprits were. Not mites but jackdaws!

One morning, a keeper saw jackdaws pecking chunks of hair from the poor little piggies and flying off to use it for nesting material.

To protect the piggies, the keepers collected hair from the camels, which were moulting, and placed it in wire baskets around the piggy enclosure and the jackdaws were seen helping themselves from here and leaving the little piggies alone.

Perhaps those of us who put their piggies outside had better watch out for jackdaws! In spring, when birds are nesting, I put all of my piggies' hair combings into a wire basket for birds to help themselves but I have never seen them taking it directly from the piggies' backs.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.