A Tale of Two Piggies

We own two Red Wattle Boars and although they both meet registration criteria and have all the important papers, they are as different as night and day.

You've often heard me yak about Mad Max and frankly it's unfair that he gets most of my attention but the reason for that is simple; his pasture is closer to the house.

Embarrassing but true. But the days of iniquity are over. Wally as in Wickham Farm Wally has been more than patient. It is his turn to shine.

Wally the Sophisticate

He came to us from Wickham Farm in Iowa over two years ago. Barely a year old at the time. He was unlike our current herd of Red Wattles in that he came from a different line, the long nose line of Red Wattles. I think he looks a little more sophisticated and well groomed covered in short fawn colored bristles whereas Wally is more wild and rustic looking with his curly blackish red hair. Think Robert Redford meets Jack Black.

Their differences go beyond the physical.

Mad Max gets worked up about one thing only...girls. And his "interest" lasts just long enough to get the job done. The he heads home, orders a Casey's Pizza,  curls up with a good cushion of straw and falls asleep until his next date. The earth can rumble, the sky can fall, you can saddle him and practice calf roping off his back but  the only think that gets Mad Max moving is feeding time and breeding time.

Mad Max is such a pig...always eating with his mouth open

Wally, on the other hand not only stays attentive during dinner AND the movie, he watches out for his harem all hours of the day and night. If he hears an odd noise outside his barn door he is the first to investigate, facing any potential danger before he allows his girls to venture out. If you happen to step between him and a sow in heat he snarls at you with a very clear "move it or lose it" growl.

Mad Max will allow you to rub his ears, his back, his belly and let you dress him in drag while Wally tolerates touch only briefly and then opens his mouth WIDE to remind you of the size of his tusks. He never actually tries to bite you but he likes to remind you that your tiny pea-brained head would make a great  Hors d'œuvre .

Mad Max is never clean, always covered in mud, dirt, grass or worse. Wally manages to sneak out for professional shave and facial masks on a weekly basis. I think he has convinced our local dog groomer he is just an overgrown blood hound.

They both do their jobs well, siring litters of 10-13, passing on their wattles consistently, gracing their offspring with functioning and numerous teats (its all about the teats you know)  and so they both have permanent positions here on South Pork Ranch. Because it's like they say, variety is the spice of life.

And a well formed wattle is worth it's weight in gold.