"My farming practice is geared toward farming for profit but I have no intention of getting into pigs. We've thought often of buying and raising our own swine for self-consumption but I've always put it off because well, they're pigs. Not my favorite livestock. They're stinky, messy, and carry countless bacteria."
"But then these four came up for sale at a really good price..."
"First the pigs. I learned that I hate pigs. This is my one and only time I will ever raise them. That said, I've gotten more used to them than I did at the beginning...."
"Pigs are filthy, disgusting...well, pigs. I can't keep up with their pen. I took these photos right after I cleaned and laid a new layer of straw in their pen. If I didn't, I wouldn't get the chance to get a good clean photo again until I mucked out their pen once again."
"The pigs are getting fatter. Especially Pork Chop, he's always been the biggest and the one we plan on eating ourselves. I'd estimate he weighs a good 150lbs. Won't be long now."
Farmer Peg is also a romance writer, Peggy Ann Craig. Peggy sometimes runs a "win a date contest" http://peggyanncraig.blogspot.ca/
Farmer Peg reads Cold Antler Farm, and comments occasionally. Farmer Peg is very down to earth. A real farmer in my view. Peg wrote in her November (2015) post,
"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."
Sounds like farmer Peg exclusively keeps her pigs in a stall with no outside access. Doesn't matter what breed of pig they all shit and piss. Perhaps she should have considered that before confining 4 pigs to a stall.
Keep any animal confined in an area that small and it will soon become a mess...as in hours and certainly within 24 hours.
Horses that are confined to a stall for just half a day require daily cleaning. Yes, you do the stalls everyday. Standard practice.
Horse, cow, human.
That's like bitching about a dog being filthy because it's kept in a crate it's entire life and never let out to poop or pee. An animal can't hold its waste for a lifetime.
I think farmer Peg had unrealistic expectations of her pigs. Expecting not to have to clean a stall daily that 4 rapidly growing constantly eating animals call home is ludicrous.
How long has she had animals in general?
I'd expect her comments from a first year 4-hers parent.
Raise pigs outside where they belong and it's not a problem. Raise pigs modeling a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) and you'll need a waste management plan.
Common sense.
I agree with Farmer Peg...pigs aren't for her, and neither are any other animals she raises in a manner that require daily cleaning maintenance.
To raise pigs in a stall you should love cleaning stalls.
Sounds like this picture doesn't apply to farmer pegs pigs that never had an opportunity to be outside or soil anywhere but a stall.
I think it's interesting (and sad) you automatically think it's an issue with the animals (breed or feeding). When there's a problem with animals the first thing I analyze is the person.
This woman is spreading misinformation based on the most limited experience...this is her first and last time raising pigs. Not exactly well versed in making generalized statements about pigs.
What her words say to me is she doesn't like cleaning up after her animals. Its that simple. Pigs aren't stinky and messy unless CONFINED because they are animals and create waste.
Guess how many times I had to clean waste out of a hut with pigs on pasture? Never. Not once in 9 months of -/+ 250 pigs on a breeding farm. From day 1 pigs eliminate outside their sleeping area.
Guess how many times I had to clean the stall my personal pigs used in addition to a large outdoor pen? Never, not once.
"Christmas Ham I know I've said that I've curved my impulse buying, and I have, really, but we brought home four piglets yesterday.
My farming practice is geared toward farming for profit but I have no intention of getting into pigs. We've thought often of buying and raising our own swine for self-consumption but I've always put it off because well, they're pigs. Not my favorite livestock. They're stinky, messy, and carry countless bacteria.
But then these four came up for sale at a really good price. Now, I don't need four pigs but in order to get the deal, I had to buy them in a group of four. I'll probably sell the extra's to someone or raise them myself and sell the meat. So, technically, it is a small money making scheme. Though I don't think much if any. But since pigs are a fast growing animal, I knew it would be a short time commitment. They should be ready for butcher right before Christmas. This year, we should have our very first home raised Christmas ham. Now that's exciting. Almost enough to make me tolerate their presence."
Let's count the red flags...
1 - buying animals on impulse. Never a good idea
2 - buying more animals than you're interested in for a group package. Again, not the recommended reason to bring a certain # of animals home.
3. Calling them stinky and messy before owning pigs. This means she did zero research or only has experience on factory farms or CAFO which are torture chambers for pigs who live in the exact opposite conditions nature intended (above a manure lagoon of their own waste).
4. Almost being able to tolerate their presence. Don't get animals you can't tolerate.
No animal, especially one as sensitive and intelligent as a pig deserves to be in an environment where it's not tolerated.
Farmer Peg says pigs are filthy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it depends on the breed, and what they eat?
"My farming practice is geared toward farming for profit but I have no intention of getting into pigs. We've thought often of buying and raising our own swine for self-consumption but I've always put it off because well, they're pigs. Not my favorite livestock. They're stinky, messy, and carry countless bacteria."
"But then these four came up for sale at a really good price..."
http://farmerpeg.blogspot.com/2015/08/christmas-ham.html
"First the pigs. I learned that I hate pigs. This is my one and only time I will ever raise them. That said, I've gotten more used to them than I did at the beginning...."
"Pigs are filthy, disgusting...well, pigs. I can't keep up with their pen. I took these photos right after I cleaned and laid a new layer of straw in their pen. If I didn't, I wouldn't get the chance to get a good clean photo again until I mucked out their pen once again."
http://farmerpeg.blogspot.com/2015/09/updates.html
"The pigs are getting fatter. Especially Pork Chop, he's always been the biggest and the one we plan on eating ourselves. I'd estimate he weighs a good 150lbs. Won't be long now."
http://farmerpeg.blogspot.com/2015_11_01_archive.html
Farmer Peg is also a romance writer, Peggy Ann Craig. Peggy sometimes runs a "win a date contest" http://peggyanncraig.blogspot.ca/
Farmer Peg reads Cold Antler Farm, and comments occasionally. Farmer Peg is very down to earth. A real farmer in my view. Peg wrote in her November (2015) post,
"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."
http://farmerpeg.blogspot.com/2015/11/november.html
Sounds like farmer Peg exclusively keeps her pigs in a stall with no outside access. Doesn't matter what breed of pig they all shit and piss. Perhaps she should have considered that before confining 4 pigs to a stall.
DeleteKeep any animal confined in an area that small and it will soon become a mess...as in hours and certainly within 24 hours.
Horses that are confined to a stall for just half a day require daily cleaning. Yes, you do the stalls everyday. Standard practice.
Horse, cow, human.
That's like bitching about a dog being filthy because it's kept in a crate it's entire life and never let out to poop or pee. An animal can't hold its waste for a lifetime.
I think farmer Peg had unrealistic expectations of her pigs. Expecting not to have to clean a stall daily that 4 rapidly growing constantly eating animals call home is ludicrous.
How long has she had animals in general?
I'd expect her comments from a first year 4-hers parent.
Raise pigs outside where they belong and it's not a problem. Raise pigs modeling a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) and you'll need a waste management plan.
Common sense.
I agree with Farmer Peg...pigs aren't for her, and neither are any other animals she raises in a manner that require daily cleaning maintenance.
To raise pigs in a stall you should love cleaning stalls.
Sounds like this picture doesn't apply to farmer pegs pigs that never had an opportunity to be outside or soil anywhere but a stall.
I think it's interesting (and sad) you automatically think it's an issue with the animals (breed or feeding). When there's a problem with animals the first thing I analyze is the person.
DeleteThis woman is spreading misinformation based on the most limited experience...this is her first and last time raising pigs. Not exactly well versed in making generalized statements about pigs.
What her words say to me is she doesn't like cleaning up after her animals. Its that simple. Pigs aren't stinky and messy unless CONFINED because they are animals and create waste.
Guess how many times I had to clean waste out of a hut with pigs on pasture? Never. Not once in 9 months of -/+ 250 pigs on a breeding farm. From day 1 pigs eliminate outside their sleeping area.
Guess how many times I had to clean the stall my personal pigs used in addition to a large outdoor pen? Never, not once.
"Pigs are filthy, disgusting...well, pigs"
DeleteThis pisses me off.
It is such an ignorant and uneducated comment.
"Christmas Ham
DeleteI know I've said that I've curved my impulse buying, and I have, really, but we brought home four piglets yesterday.
My farming practice is geared toward farming for profit but I have no intention of getting into pigs. We've thought often of buying and raising our own swine for self-consumption but I've always put it off because well, they're pigs. Not my favorite livestock. They're stinky, messy, and carry countless bacteria.
But then these four came up for sale at a really good price. Now, I don't need four pigs but in order to get the deal, I had to buy them in a group of four. I'll probably sell the extra's to someone or raise them myself and sell the meat. So, technically, it is a small money making scheme. Though I don't think much if any. But since pigs are a fast growing animal, I knew it would be a short time commitment. They should be ready for butcher right before Christmas. This year, we should have our very first home raised Christmas ham. Now that's exciting. Almost enough to make me tolerate their presence."
Let's count the red flags...
1 - buying animals on impulse. Never a good idea
2 - buying more animals than you're interested in for a group package. Again, not the recommended reason to bring a certain # of animals home.
3. Calling them stinky and messy before owning pigs. This means she did zero research or only has experience on factory farms or CAFO which are torture chambers for pigs who live in the exact opposite conditions nature intended (above a manure lagoon of their own waste).
4. Almost being able to tolerate their presence. Don't get animals you can't tolerate.
No animal, especially one as sensitive and intelligent as a pig deserves to be in an environment where it's not tolerated.