Mrs Harris has been breeding pigs for 10 years

Carol Harris runs a business keeping rare Tamworth, Berkshire and Kune Kune breeds at her home in Welshpool, Powys.

But she said her animals were never intended to 'bring home the bacon', she just wanted her enterprise to break even.

Her book, A Guide to Traditional Pig Keeping, is published this month.

Mrs Harris and her husband Paul, moved from London to Wales 15 years ago. They set up a few businesses from their smallholding, but it was not until Mrs Harris spent a night away from home 10 years ago that she had the urge to keep pigs.

The pigs become your friends and sometimes it's hard when it's time to go to the abattoir Carol Harris

"I was away from home and in a hotel and this television programme started about someone with rare breeds," she said.

"I returned home and mentioned it to my husband who had watched the same programme. I've always liked pigs and within about six months or so we started keeping them."

Defra says there are 5m pigs in the UK, 600,000 breeding pigs and Wales makes up just 1% of UK pig production - England 82%, Scotland 10% and NI 7%.

Of her new book, she added: "I'd written a few other books about various things and initially wanted to do a book of cartoons about pigs.

PIG FACTS There are 5m pigs in the UK, but only 1% are in Wales, according to Defra Mrs Harris keeps three Kune Kune pigs as pets She says pigs are intelligent and not dirty

"I went to a few publishers but there wasn't a great deal of interest. I eventually found one and they suggested a book about traditional pig keeping."

Mrs Harris, who left the Arts Council in 1986 and became an image consultant, said her decision to run a piggery was more out of love for the animals than making money.

"I've always liked pigs. I just hoped that they would pay for themselves", said Mrs Harris.

"It was not the intention for the business to be a money-spinner.

"The pigs become your friends and sometimes it's hard when it's time to go to the abattoir, but on other occasions when you have so many that they're knocking you over you're quite glad some are leaving."

Mrs Harris still also works as an expert on image and body language and is the author of a self-help book called Think Yourself Slim.

Her latest book is more towards fattening up - helping people who want to become breeders and dealing in everything from showing to sales and marketing.