The eight little piglets in my photo are five days old today. When I took the photo last Sunday, they were only just three days old, and they were sucking their lives away. If they are male piggies, they will be 45 days old or thereabouts when they are taken to the market to be sold as suckling pigs. The females may be reared to the age of 270 days before they are sold to the Embutidos factory to be made into Sobrassada, Butifarrón or Camaiot. Mallorca’s gastronomic delights are at their best when Porc Negre (black pig) is used. Give it a try, just do not to think of the little suckers.

If you are interested in agriculture, animal husbandry and the art of raising black pigs, you might want to earmark Dijous Bo next month, in Inca. A Concurso Morfológico de ‘Porc Negre’ Mallorquín will be held there on November 18th, now for the 19th year running.

The photo was taken in Felanitx, Spain. The date: October 24th, 2010. The time was 13:22:41.