Absolutely Kathleen - those are my thoughts too !
Hen, I'm so glad you could say "No" - I've been worried about you !
You want a couple of little weaners you can lift and handle easily and you're right about buying a more rustic breed that puts weight on slowly, doesn't suffer too much from sunburn and can fend for itself outdoors. There are some great French breeds like the Gascon (Like our sow in the photo above) that are very easy going and gentle.
It's true that in the UK some forms of castration are illegal and of course it is cruel to cut little piglets without anaesthetic (I prefer the elastic band method) but to me it's even more cruel to keep pigs inside in metal crates for most of their lives. In France it's not illegal and if you're going to keep a male for as long as six months then listen to Kathleen and
never keep entire males until you're ready to breed or use AI.
You can normally get a good choice of weaners from this site :
http://www.leboncoin.fr/li?q=porcelets&ca=2_s&th=1&c=28&w=3&st=s&ps=&pe=&zz= Just type in your department number for a breeder near you. You can also ask in your
local Agri-coop, loads of people in France keep a few pigs.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.