This week’s episode of BBC’s Countryfile brought plenty of excitement as Adam Henson embarked on the tricky task of weaning a group of Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets. While moving his horse was straightforward, handling the pigs quickly proved far more challenging.
Adam explained his plan to viewers: “I’ve just backed the trailer up so that I can wean some Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets. What I’m going to have to do is open the gate and put a board in to stop them. Get the trailer completely ready and then load up what I can. Anyway, it could all go horribly wrong, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
As Adam began rounding up the animals, the piglets constantly disrupted his efforts. He was heard pleading with them: “No, no, no. Stop it! Back in, stay there, stay there!” Even nearby sheep seemed intrigued by the commotion.
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Although he successfully loaded the mother pig into the trailer, loading the piglets proved more frantic. One clever piglet even escaped through a gap next to Adam’s makeshift barrier, running mischievously among the sheep. Amused, Adam commented, “That was almost genius, but one escaped!”
After a tense chase, Adam recaptured the runaway piglet and returned it to its family. Before moving the piglets to their new home, he had to give them worming treatment. “Right, now this is where there will be some squealing. I might try and do it while they’re standing still,” he warned viewers.
As predicted, one piglet let out a loud squeal when injected, but Adam managed to vaccinate all of them successfully. Reflecting on the experience, he said, “I like working with pigs, but they can be quite difficult to handle sometimes. They’re very powerful!”
Countryfile continues to showcase the unpredictable realities of farm life, reminding viewers that even routine tasks can be full of surprises.