Pigs


Pigs were part of the commercial enterprise at Manor Farm between 1935 and 1981.

Edward Matthews kept twenty Saddleback sows at West Lane and bred them with a Large White boar.  The piglets were reared at Manor Farm and in two yards at Park Farm. 

In those days the swill was collected from local pubs, cooked in stable rooms and mixed with milled barley to feed the pigs.

Fred expanded the pig enterprise and moved production to Coast Hill Farm in 1967, with 50 - 60 Large White Landraise sows producing two litters per year.  Fred milled his own wheat and barley and mixed it with 'Taymix' a liquid feed which was pumped round to each pig pen.

The pigs were mostly sold to 'Walls' in White City and hauled to the slaughterhouse by King Bros.  Once a year, along with thousands of other pork producers, Fred would be invited to London to be entertained at Grosvenor House or other hotels as thanks for their meat production.

For a time, the pigs went into Chitty's in Dorking, after 'Walls' went broke.  Towards the end of the 1970's pig production costs were increasing and with further changes in the industry, this side of the business was wound up in 1981.

For some time, our boys, the great grandchildren of Edward Matthews have shown an interest in keeping pigs, and it was during spring 2008 they saw an advert for weaners for sale and persistently asked to buy some.

Eventually we agreed to three piglets. A Gloucester Old Spot boar was chosen by George and named Percy and two Black Berkshire gilts were chosen from a different litter by Edward and Christopher. They named the girls, Prudence and Phoebe.

The three piglets were housed in a barn until they had grown large enough to move out to a field; this was not only stock fenced but also had an electric fence to prevent the pigs from digging their way out.

The months passed and the pigs grew to maturity. Percy successfully mated with the gilts and our first piglets for 28 years were born in February 2009. A few litters were born a year which were sold as weaners or the meat sold direct from the farm.

The children helped care for the pigs; feeding, creating wallows, scratching percy's tummy, being on hand at farrowing time, checking on the new arrivals and reading all about pig keeping. This is an education in itself!