Pigs Suffering Just Too Much.....Theresa

[Guest guest]

At 09:42 AM 4/9/2008, you wrote:

Theresa,

thanks so much for your post....even though I usually take what peta and

groups like that say with a grain of salt, I figure at least some of if

may be true. Sounds logical to me that spaces would be confined, as it's

a money issue....I didn't get the sense, though, that they were talking

about smaller operations - only the big ones where it seems shortcuts are

taken to improve quantity....While I don't like what some big places do,

I can see the logic from their side as to why they do it.

Got a question, since this and other things you've posted clearly show

you know a lot about these things.....the article from peta said they

remove the young pigs teeth - so, it's actually the tusks? Pigs are like

other mammals, right? They get baby teeth, then adult teeth? So, they

remove or file down the tusks? It doesn't seem as though filing would be

economical from their standpoint, although I can see smaller operations

doing that. The article implied - no, I think it actually said - they

remove the piglets teeth. The way they wrote it, it sounded as though

they did it pretty much at the same time.....docking the tails,

castrating and the teeth - that really isn't logical, is it? Pigs teeth

don't get dangerous until they've gotten their second set? So, how would

a big operation handle that?

Have seen how piglets are castrated, and I know that it's a real quick

sort of one, two. Cut, squeeze, then out. then off they go...I'm sure

it's not comfortable, but it didn't seem the piglets suffered

much...........and, I agree - it wouldn't make sense to anestisize

(sp?)...that's simply not practical.

I really appreciate what you said - as soon as I read your post, I

realized I had done what I'm always cautioning people not to

do.......*smile* Accept something because it hit me emotionally -

and not doing research on it........ For some reason, and I can't explain

why, that particular post from them just really hit me. And I got a very

emotional reaction........It actually embarrasses me a bit - I know

better. And, I'm always telling people not to do what I did....It just

proves what I keep saying - that select facts and the choice of words can

put a spin on a subject. That, while some of the facts may be true,

presented the way they were, makes them not true

I agree about what you're saying about the reasons for going vegetarian

or vegan - it's a big step, and one should do it after considering all

the steps. People know a lot more now than they did when I was in my 20s.

Back them, I knew a couple of people who actually got ill, because they

didn't eat enough protein and so on. But, I'm not convinced it's the

healthiest things for a growing body to do....

Just one more question about the pigs - I got the sense that they were

talking about adult pigs getting pneumonia - was that wrong? I mean,

about thinking they were talking about adult pigs?.

You said peta kills animals...how so? What did you mean by that?

Oh, and your place sounds precisely like the type of place where I would

like to buy meats, produce and so on. And, think it's a wonderful thing

that you're homeschooling. No doubt, your son well be better educated

than most of the kids that are coming out of many of the public

schools........the issues you raised, were the same ones I raised when my

kids were young, 20 years ago..........Parents have to stop dumping the

learning and training of their kids on others...Even if they go to public

school they need to keep on top of what's going on. Which a lot of

parents don't. Then, they're shocked when little Johnny comes home with

certain attitudes. If I told you some of the things I've heard, you'd

want to laugh and cry at the same time....

Thanks again for sharing on a subject you are so clearly knowledgeable

about...........and for reminding me how easy it is to get swayed or form

an opinion as a result of a well-crafted piece.......

Lynn

 

first, pigs are usually weaned

around 6 wks....I've been in smaller

commercial operations, where we buy 8-12 wk old piglets, and

even though I'm not big on confinement raising, not a SINGLE

piglet we've ever bought, or SEEN (we go inside the places)

have had pneumonia. I don't doubt it's possible, but it's not the

norm. the tips of their tusk teeth, and the ends of their tails are

cut

off, or else they rip each other with their teeth, eat tails, after all,

they

are not on wide open ranges, and even if they were, they'd still

fight at times, to the death. that is done, to prevent injuries,

which

can lead to life threatening infections...in the wild, they die, in

captivity, they go on antibiotics, or they practice prevention...

they are castrated, and not put under. they make noise, as soon

as you restrain them...from being restrained, as soon as you leg

go, either just letting them go, or castrating them, which takes

minutes, they shut up...of course, we could put them under, risk

losing some to that, and have that in the meat we eat, too. in the

wild, boars will kill each other, fighting for the right to breed...

same would happen in confinement, plus hormones influence our

meat's taste...so that castrating helps prevent all of that..

the sows are in farrowing crates, and they can lay down, but it

keeps them from crushing their piglets. unless they are spread

out over a large area, and deeply bedded with straw, this will

happen. so the confinement works. and none of the sows I've

seen, have ever had *large sores*, etc...

 

if they were to go to each sow having a HUGE area to raise her

young, etc...your food prices would go up even more, and people

would really scream...not everyn one can afford organic, or even

cares. it would be nice, but it doesn't have to be law. if people

cared

enough, and would pay the higher price, it would happen.

 

Peta lies, period! peta takes some of the worst examples, and

claims they are the norm. or stretches the truth...peta kills animals,

 

who listens to peta...peta wants all domestic animals dead...one

generation and gone...no meat eating, no horse back riding, etc...

no pets in your house!

 

if someone wants to be a vegan, fine...but, they shouldn't be lied to,

 

coerced & tricked into it. of course, if people weren't so far

removed

from their food sources, such as the days when they raised their own,

 

and hunted for it, we wouldn't have this mockery going on.

 

when I see pre teens, making the decisions to go vegetarian or vegan,

 

and the parents do nothing, I'm thinking, who's the parent here, and

who

has the education, and who allows this crap in the schools...and

just

reconfirm, for myself, I'm sure glad I homeschool, and my son misses

all this brain washing that happens in schools. no more reading,

writing and arithmatic, but let's teach the kids how to live their lives,

 

how to vote, give animal's rights, accept NO morality issues, when

it

comes to people...

 

Theresa (proudly raising our own milk, meat, eggs, veggies, fruit,

and

teaching hunting, harvesting, self skills, and life skills, as well as

the

*3 R's*!)

 

Bob, Theresa & Benjamin Wegner

Novelty Farm

St James MO