11 piglets born at O.C. Fair now orphaned

The Orange County Fair welcomed 11 new family members Tuesday night.

Daisy, a bluebutt or Yorkshire mix sow, gave birth to 11 pink and black piglets, according to Cynthia Haritatos, an educational program leader at Centennial Farms.

Daisy died of an unrelated seizure Wednesday morning. She was 3.

Centennial Farms staff are bottle-feeding the new little ones milk from a cow at the farm about once every hour and a half. Workers are on hand around the clock to care for the piglets, who squealed and ran around with their umbilical cords still attached Wednesday.

The piglets may stay on the farm, go to organizations like 4H or Future Farmers of America, or be auctioned off, Haritatos said.

Daisy was the farm’s longest sow tenant. Her neighbor Honeydew, 1.5 years old, is due July 26.

Pigs’ gestation is pretty set at 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days, Haritatos said.

— Lauren Williams

Twitter: @lawilliams30