Pigs and Myths

Pigs do not eat anything and everything. Pigs are not dirty. Pigs do not smell. Pigs are not stupid.

Humans are stupid.

Having watched a programme on television last night on BBC1, I would have believed the opening statements. Countryfile stated that pigs eat everything. Well Countryfile, unless you starve your pigs they do not eat everything. They are exactly the same as humans. They have preferences. In fact, there is an awful lot like humans about pigs. But, they do not make inane pronouncements about humans. In this respect they are a lot more intelligent.

I rear pigs. I am the small holder the pig farmer on your programme spoke disparagingly about. I am the pig farmer that he assumed would feed pig slops. Actually, I would not feed my pigs the crap most humans eat. The processed, full of salt, full of hydrogenated fat, full of colourings, full of stabilisers, full of preservatives that you probably eat whilst you feed your pigs a combination of genetically modifed soy and maize.

My pigs enjoy a mixed diet of barley, organic pig nuts and fruit and vegetables from my local vegetable shop. They gallop around an acre, rooting and grazing on grass and weeds. They are curious, nosy, interested and moody.

They are unbelievably clean. When they are not confined in a concrete factory, they do not smell. They make a point of going to the furthest part of the field "to do their business".

They all like different foods. I have had pigs that adored strawberries and melons and wouldn't touch broccoli. I have had pigs that loved broccoli and cauliflower and turned their snouts up at pears, apples and kiwi.

They are sociable and they make distinct noises. I am able to distinguish some of them but I am not fluent in "pig speak" yet. I'm getting there.

I respect my pigs. I love my pigs.

I kill and eat my pigs knowing that they have had the best life pigs can have and I know what they have eaten.

Feed pigs slops by all means but make sure the slops are what you would be prepared to eat.

The Pig Idea is a good one but not all slops are good.

Another glaring inaccuracy Countryfile came up with was that feeding pig slops was the cause of the BSE crises. It was not. BSE was caused by feeding cattle with meat and bone meal. Cattle are vegetarian, they do not eat meat!