15th January 2026

Trouble the pig  has piglets

An anxious night turned into an unforgettable journey for Trouble and her piglets.

Sunday evening saw the start of a long and worrying night for Trouble, our much-loved pet pig. Karen, Sophia and Tiger kept watch on CCTV as she went into labour, but as the night stretched into the early hours it became clear that Trouble was experiencing difficulties delivering her piglets.

Our vet attended and administered medication to help progress the labour. A couple of hours later, Trouble managed to give birth to one piglet. Later, the vet returned with a colleague to check her condition. They explained that, given the complications, the safest option for Trouble was an emergency caesarean section—but they were very clear about the risks. C-sections in pigs are particularly dangerous: anaesthesia can be risky, sows can go into shock, and post-operative complications are common. Piglets delivered this way may be slow to breathe, and there was a high chance that not all would survive.

Despite these warnings, the decision was made to proceed for the sake of Trouble and her piglets. During the operation, the vets delivered five more piglets, all of whom were initially not breathing. While the vets focused on the surgery, Sophia and Tiger immediately stepped in, tirelessly rubbing and stimulating the piglets to encourage them to breathe. Thanks to their determination and care, all six piglets were revived.

On veterinary advice, the piglets were removed from Trouble and are being hand-reared. As Trouble had not experienced the full birthing process and was understandably in pain following surgery, there was a high risk that she could reject or harm them. Sophia and Tiger have been caring for the piglets around the clock ever since.

Sadly, two of the piglets were very weak and, despite everyone’s best efforts, failed to thrive and passed away peacefully two days later. The remaining four are doing well and can already be seen running around, squealing and getting into mischief.

Trouble herself is recovering, though she remains uncomfortable following her operation and daily medication. At the moment she is making it very clear that she would prefer us to keep our distance! We are hopeful that over the coming week she will continue to improve and soon be back to her usual self—once again enjoying belly rubs from her farmers.

You can follow Trouble and the piglets journey on our social media channels, Facebook, Instagram & Tiktok @FramptonFarmKent