On December 31, the agriculture department started to welcome litters of piglets. Sophomore Chloe Thacker’s pig, Betty, was the first to give birth and had 12 babies. Following that day, 48 other piglets were born, and more are still expected. Ziggy, owned by sophomore Elizabeth Workman, had a litter of seven on January 4, and Pepper, owned by junior Jalyn Engleking, had four on December 30.
Students involved in PHS agriculture have the opportunity to help with raising the piglets. During school, students feed and clean their pins. When school’s out, the owners care for them and pay for their needs.
“Our pigs and vegetables are a very small piece of the food supply, but they can make a giant contribution towards helping people understand where their food comes from and ensuring more people are educated and can help protect this vital portion of our great nation’s future,” said agriculture teacher Cory Scott.
After the piglets develop and mature, students will sell some at an auction and keep the others for the upcoming 4-H fair. The gilts that were bred could either be sold with the piglets or taken home to breed again next year.
As the piglets age, other students are allowed to visit them if the teacher allows. Another option to watch the pigs is to download Smart Meye. The information on how to get started is on the Paoli FFA Facebook page.
Story by Jozalyn Kempf