Quirky News
Sun cream saves piglets' bacon
Farmers in Cumbria are applying sun cream to the delicate ears of three piglets to stop them turning into crackling in the sunshine.
The trio are Belgian Pietrain pigs, noted for their white piebald skin and big ears which can easily burn in hot weather.
Named Queen, Diamond and Jubilee, the two-month-old piglets live at the Lakeland Maize Maze and Farm Park at Sedgwick near Kendal.
Pig skin is very similar to human skin and because the piglets are so young their ears aren't used to the plus 24c temperatures.
Farmer Graham Wadsworth, 41, said: "White skinned pigs can get sunburnt quite easily so when we are quick enough to catch them we're putting sun cream on their ears especially.
"We're also making sure they have mud baths which is a natural sun screen for pigs. The irony is the pigs are white we don't want them to go red because it'll make me blue - perfect for the Jubilee.
"They're proving very popular with our young visitors because they're inquisitive, playful and love to come up close for a scratch."
what do you think?
dawn mckenna
awwwwwwwwwwwww
john lonsdale
PMSL
movvi
Utter rubble! I was doing this to my pig, Wig, over 20 years ago when I was 12. They can develop cancer very quickly on their piggy ears. Alas, my efforts were in vain as, before any illness could befall beloved Wig, my dad and his butcher pal dispensed with her rather unexpectedly. I also recall having to put sunscreen on a particularly unpleasant white cat we had as well. Their ears become crispy if you don't!
Gary Corbett
They will only get crispy in the oven anyway
gengisken1227
2:54pm on 24/5/2012
From now on I'm telling the Mrs, when I come into the house, muddy from the garden it's a natural sun screen.