Google that statement.
You will find unlimited resources and articles acknowledging that if given a choice through sufficient space pigs won't soil their own living area.
The people who say pigs are filthy and smelly are highlighting their animal husbandry practices which by definition (filthy and smelly) are very poor.
It amazes me the misconceptions surrounding pigs. Pigs are considered dirty when they are one of the cleanest animals while we invite dogs in our homes and beds that eat shit and roll in shit.
The mind forms it's own reality and it is so often far fetched from the truth.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-joy-of-pigs-smart-clean-and-lean/2126/
Hi Meredith, love the picture, by the way. Especially the pig with the vacuum cleaner. Shouldn’t that vacuum be a wet-dry model? Little piggy is in for a shock otherwise.
ReplyDeleteOkay, now for some perspective. All across America this morning, parents are yelling at their kids, "your room looks like a pig pen", even though most of these parents have never seen a pig pen, or even seen a live pig. Pigs are dirty, fat, lazy, smelly - its part of our culture.
Religion. Okay, this is just information. I eat pork, and I love bacon. I am certain readers of your blog know more about pig-eating and religion than me.
Wikipedia: Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_restrictions_on_the_consumption_of_pork
And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. - Leviticus 11:7-8
Deuteronomy reiterates what Leviticus states on pigs. And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass. - Deuteronomy 14:8
Meredith: "I think it's interesting (and sad) you automatically think it's an issue with the animals (breed or feeding)." No, I don’t "automatically think" about pigs. I asked a question. I read two farm blogs with completely different information about pigs. So I posed the question. I’m not getting pigs anytime soon (if ever), so whether pigs are clean or dirty, doesn’t matter to me.
Having mucked-out horse stalls in my youth, it makes sense that pigs confined in a stall would need daily mucking. Maybe this is not obvious to certain people.
So you have your work cut out, Meredith. Educate the world about pigs.
I misinformed status quo is what the masses are made of.
DeleteFarmer Peg is akin to a nurse blogging about taking care of a filthy idiot when the patient is paralyzed and has dementia or memory loss.
It doesn't add up or make sense. Don't work in a field you hate! Don't generalize someone who needs to be cleaned as a filthy person because they trust you to clean them.
I can't wrap my head around it. Animals are at their owners mercy. If they are filthy and disgusting...look at the owner.
"Don't work in a field you hate!"
DeleteWow, how intolerant! A good number of people work jobs/fields they hate, because there is no other viable choice, and they have obligations to meet.
But that does not describe Farmer Peg. She loves farming, and she might get to love pigs with some instruction about pasture vs stall etc.
Farmer Peg: About Me
"I live a simple life on a small acreage farm. Newly separated, I have ventured into this crazy industry of farming sheep, horses, goats and whatnot, along with my partner/daughter Farm Girl, along with her four dogs. We live on a beautiful farm in southwestern Ontario along with my youngest child, The Boy. I am a romance writer by day and enjoy horseback riding, photography, the great outdoors, hiking, reading, and hanging out with any of my kids. Life may be simple, but I love every minute of it."
http://farmerpeg.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html
Have some compassion Meredith. Peggy's husband left her, and abandoned his duty to raise his offspring. Farm Girl is a young woman but may not be quite fully independent yet. The Boy is about 14.
"A lot has been going on that I really haven't found the time to blog. I'm now working on a chicken farm full-time to help with expenses. My ex had cut me off support payments without notice. I had to scramble to make rent, selling most all my belongings to do so. But I'm back on track now and I've started legal action against ex. Farm Girl bought her first car. Isn't it cute?"
"In the livestock department, we haven't increased in number there yet, but we sold all our chickens after I got the job at the chicken farm as bio-security reasons demand no cross-contamination of birds. But that was okay, as they weren't laying anymore and were just another mouth to feed."
http://farmerpeg.blogspot.com/2015/11/november.html
Compare and contrast how Peggy dealt with a financial setback, and how JW typically begs and begs for money: No begging from Farmer Peg, she sold stuff, and got a farming job. If you notice, there is no tip jar or donate button on her site either.
So please have some compassion for a fellow woman farmer, who is a little down financially because the ex split and apparently failed to obey the support order.
If you can't tolerate the presence of kids don't work with children. If you can't tolerate older folks don't work with the elderly.
DeleteI absolutely wouldn't have anyone who couldn't tolerate the presence of a loved one provide care for them.
Are you really comparing a woman complaining about pigs to elder abuse? WTF is wrong with you?
DeleteWhere do you get the idea that because Peg complains about pigs that she is mistreating/neglecting them??? That is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I've read on this blog....but it probably won't be the most ridiculous thing I've read for long, because you're upping your level of ridiculousness every day.
Are you equating intolerance to abuse?
DeleteI never said anyone was abusing anything.
You insinuated that because she didn't like them that she would provide substandard care.
DeleteGenuine care vs an intolerable?
DeleteI know what I'd pick.
Maybe I'm biased but I've seen how animals are treated when the caretakers can't tolerate them.
Obviously she is tolerating them, because she still has them.
DeleteEveryone has his or her own opinion. Even when pigs are given plenty of space, their waste still smells way worse than horse, cow, or sheep poop. That's my own opinion. You may not agree. That's why it's great Farmer Peg can have her own blog with her own opinions, and you can have your own blog with your own opinions. Doesn't mean either of you is wrong, it just means you're different.
ReplyDeletePig poop is the worst smelling manure in farming. Pigs like to get away from their droppings, but so do we!
ReplyDeleteIf a farm smells like waste theory are either operating with animals over the carrying capacity of the land or have a poor waste management plan...or both. That's my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOver 20 years working with agricultural and companion animals on a daily basis and have yet to discover a species whose waste smells good.
Shit stinks.
Meredith, Pig shit stinks the worst. That's me saying this being more than twice your age and being on farms with pigs and cows, sheep and goats. It's because of their diet, not because they are gross animals. Horse manure is not offensive at all. Cow plops are not really smelly, but gross to step in. Sheep and Goats are the easiest to clean.
ReplyDeleteNo one is saying pig shit doesn't smell. All poop smells.
DeleteAre we rating poop from least smelly to smelliest now?
My shit takes that cake. I have the worst smelling poop, much worse than pigs!
Diet plays a role in the smell of poop. Carnivores are the worst..,then omnivores, last is herbivore.
Poop smells. That's why we remove it from our immediate environment...from people to pets and livestock. No one wants to live in their own waste.
"No one wants to live in their own waste."
DeleteMeh. I've seen dogs play in their own crap (GSDs in K-9 training). My sheep don't care if they shit in their bed. Neither do my goats. Cows will gladly lay in their own crap. Rabbits use a litter box willingly, or use one corner of their pen. Pigs usually prefer one area of their pen, but not always. Some pigs pee and poop in their wallows and then roll in it. I saw a gilt once drink pee from a barrow peeing. Some horses are absolute slobs in their stalls, and will happily piss and shit in their stall even though they're not closed in and could easily go out in the pasture. Some horses are very neat in their stalls and will not go in it unless closed in. You can't put ALL of something in the same box.
No need to get all bent out of shape if someone doesn't feel the same way you do about pigs.
The concept of crate training puppies is to not give them more space than necessary to prevent them from using one area to soil while sleeping in another.
DeleteVery true...horses, cows, sheep, goats, alpacas, task etc will sleep in their own crap.
"Pigs usually prefer one area of their pen"
Exactly.
Messy rooms should be called horse stalls, it would be much more appropriate.
What does the smell of poop have to do with how clean an animal is?
ReplyDelete"What does the smell of poop have to do with how clean an animal is?"
DeleteBecause the bad smell originates from uncleanliness. A pile of pig shit is unclean, stinky, and comes from a pig.
And just to respond to an earlier post about why people give money to help a caged dog, and not caged livestock. People donate to help a dog recover and find a lifetime home. Pigs (livestock pigs), if they recover from abuse, they become well enough to kill for food. That upsets people who become emotionally involved with livestock.
If recuse dogs were sent to China as food, after being rehabilitated, people would back off support, in my view.
Are you aware of the huge movement in America to stop the eating of dog meat in other countries?!
DeleteWhat is done to animals regardless of species should be a concern to every one emotionally involved in animals.
The purpose of a life doesn't impact if it should or shouldn't be abused, neglected, or denied basic needs and rights.
How is eating dog any different than eating pigs? Both are four legged-animals killed for food in different parts of the world, where eating such animals is socially acceptable.
ReplyDeleteNo, most Americans recoil at the thought of eating dogs. Yet we euthanize millions of dogs each year for our own convenience and other such. Why not send the dog meat to Asian dog-meat markets, to feed hungry people?
Dog Days in China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/opinion/05iht-edcohen.html
"Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you. Give me a pig. He just looks you in the eye and treats you as an equal."
"Churchill’s view has some scientific basis. Pigs are smart and sociable. They’ve had a pretty bad rap, however. Two of the world’s great monotheistic religions — Judaism and Islam — prohibit their consumption. Generally, the notion of pigs as pets seems bizarre or repellent."
How can eating humanly raised pork be right, given Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_restrictions_on_the_consumption_of_pork
How is eating dog any different than eating a beef cow? Cows are sacred in India.
See Cattle in religion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_in_religion
"Due to the multiple benefits from cattle, there are varying beliefs about cattle in societies and religions. In some regions, especially Nepal and most states of India, the slaughter of cattle is prohibited and their meat may be taboo. Cattle are considered sacred in world religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and others. Religions in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Israel, and ancient Rome held similar beliefs."
In the United States we eat beef cows, but not horses. The French eat horse, like other Europeans.
http://www.leidenpsychologyblog.nl/articles/why-we-eat-cows-and-sometimes-horses-but-not-dogs
Rabbits. Who can kill and eat a cute, friendly bunny? A number of people kill and eat rabbits.
All animals are fit to eat.
No animal is fit to eat.
Isn’t eating an animal the worst form of animal abuse?
Do plants feel pain when we cut them down for food?
All legitimate arguments and interesting views.
DeleteWhen I was much younger an exchange student from Norway our family hosted brought horse meat. I cried.
Totally different mindset now. Dog, cat, horse, rabbit, cow, pig...it's all the same.
The idiot defense lawyer told the judge yesterday I would be better suited to work at a zoo where animals didn't die. He doesn't get it. A humane life with a swift death for food is preferable to a lifetime caged for entertainment.
I raised and slaughtered pigs before Ayrshire.
The man is a moron.
All legitimate arguments and interesting views.
DeleteWhen I was much younger an exchange student from Norway our family hosted brought horse meat. I cried.
Totally different mindset now. Dog, cat, horse, rabbit, cow, pig...it's all the same.
The idiot defense lawyer told the judge yesterday I would be better suited to work at a zoo where animals didn't die. He doesn't get it. A humane life with a swift death for food is preferable to a lifetime caged for entertainment.
I raised and slaughtered pigs before Ayrshire.
The man is a moron.