Stoneyford Heritage Meats

Spring always brings a long list of jobs on the farm, and one of this week’s tasks was moving Honey & Mustard, our Berkshire pigs, down to their summer paddock. It took a few hours of setting up electric fencing and shifting their hut to the bottom of the field, but they’ve now settled in well.

I always find moving pigs a mix of anticipation and relief—anticipation because there’s always the potential for an escapee mid-move, and relief when they finally trot into their new space without incident! Thankfully, Honey & Mustard were fairly cooperative, and after a few cautious sniffs and some excited grunting, they got straight to work exploring. Pigs are naturally inquisitive animals, and within minutes, they were happily rooting around, turning over the fresh ground in search of anything edible.

Having them in a secure, well-fenced area makes management much easier, and it’s a real relief to have a proper setup for them going forward. This is just the first step in a bigger plan—later in the summer, we’ll be building a concrete pad and more permanent housing in this area so they can be kept here all year round. While their current electric fencing setup is working well, having a dedicated pig area with solid infrastructure will be a game-changer. It will make feeding, watering, and general care much more efficient while ensuring they have a comfortable and secure environment year-round.

In the next couple of weeks, once we have the new pig house built, the Oxford Sandy & Black pork pigs will also move down to join them. Having all the pigs in one designated area will make daily routines so much easier, from feeding to cleaning and general monitoring. Managing pigs becomes significantly more straightforward when they are in one place rather than scattered across different fields.

Seeing Honey & Mustard happily settled in their new paddock is incredibly satisfying. There’s something special about watching pigs enjoy fresh ground, tails wagging as they explore their new surroundings. They waste no time getting to work, turning over soil, foraging, and generally making a mess—just as pigs should!

This move is a step toward a more structured and sustainable pig-keeping system on the farm. While there’s still plenty to do, having a clear plan in place makes all the difference. I’m looking forward to seeing how this setup works in the coming months and making further improvements as we go. For now, Honey & Mustard are more than happy, and that’s the most important thing!