Blade the pig gave birth to 15 piglets on Saturday – believed to be a new world record for the Kune Kune breed.

Mother Blade is one of eight adult Kune Kunes owned by David and Dawn Stevens who have a small holding in Brinkworth.

Sadly a number of the piglets came out white after being starved of oxygen, and four of them died.

But the others responded to mouth to mouth resuscitation given by the Stevens and have since recovered.

“You just blow down their mouth or nostrils,” said Mrs Stevens who, with Blade, now has her hands full trying to feed the huge litter.

Mrs Stevens said: “Blade is having some difficulty feeding them all so I’m having to help out.

“We were expecting a big litter, she had 12 before but no one was expecting 15.

“The average litter is eight at the most.

“I’ve been told by the Kune Kune Society that this is a world record.”

The labour took most of Saturday with the first piglet arriving around 6am and the last being born at 4pm.

Mrs Stevens said: “It was a long day because of some complications.

“After seven were born the placenta broke off and we thought that was it.

“But there were still more to come and some of those ended up oxygen starved.”

Thankfully the rest are recovering from their ordeal.

Mrs Stevens is now trying to think of names for the ten sows and one boar.

She said: “My nephews are helping me out and coming up with some names.

“The ratio of girls to boys is good because girls generally sell for more.”

The pigs can be bred for their meat but the Stevens sell them as pets.

Mrs Stevens said: “They make wonderful pets, they are beautiful animals and have lovely temperaments.

“I also take them to the shows and train them.”

The piglets are for sale at £150 for a sow and £100 for a castrated male.