Pigs...

senileturtle

PM Me for link since MSE Towers find education offensive.

John Sakars (maker of the video) has made several new videos showing the realities of factory farming (click on his youtube profile for the rest).

I'm sharing it simply because I think it should be shared. Not forcing you to watch it, but it would be for your benefit if you do. Knowledge is power, after all.

I've no interest in this turning into a debate either. I just think people need to know.

Anywho, posted it in this section as less likely to end up a circular argument like it would in DT. Hope mods don't mind.

heretolearn_2

This is an Australian farm.

I only buy British pork. Still far from perfect, but welfare laws and standards are different here, and higher than in most of the world. No sow stalls (as shown in this video), for example, in the UK since 1999, the rest of Europe only banned them this year. Castration is also unusual in the UK although done in most of Europe (without anaesthetic).

I'm all for improving farm animal welfare but in the UK we need to be looking at our own welfare standards and problems, not Australian ones, and buying BRITISH meat.

senileturtle

It may be an Australian farm, but I think the video is poignant in it's message. I can provide you with plenty of videos of UK farms if you prefer?

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_factory//2920/ - three farms of many. Pigs, UK, farrowing crates, dead pigs, etc. Quite similar to the video I previously put.

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/f/CAMPAIGNS/blog//4//?be_id=415

Quite sure British is best? Or that farrowing crates/sow stalls are not used?

And castration is actually common in the UK without anaesthetic. I unfortunately have had experiences on farms that show all to well the brutalities that go on.

In short, doesn't matter what country it is. Factory farms all do similar things. Regardless of the laws of that country.

wiogs

Not sure how it benefits me in anyway watching it.

senileturtle

It benefits you because it gives you knowledge to make an informed decision on what and where you buy your food. Factory farms provide most of the worlds meat. The only way to ensure total welfare standards is to visit the farm yourself un-announced and buy from them if they are up to par.

wiogs

Watching that video did not "benefit" me.

"The only way to ensure total welfare standards is to visit the farm yourself un-announced and buy from them if they are up to par."

Visiting a farm and buying from them, or not, will do nothing to raise standards.

gettingready

I stopped eating meat in December last year.

Not going to preach here but.... I myself decided it was hypocritical of me to say I love MY animals and eat others.

They all want to live and all animals are/can be "cute".

I am working on giving up dairy too - did not have any eggs since March this year. swapped miolk for soya milk, butter for soya butter, cheese for tofu etc etc. Still not quite there yet but working on it

moggymutt

Well done gettingready, I went vegan 31 years ago. (and I've lived on a dairy farm for a year so saw exactly what went on)

My pigs and sheep are 'pets' and I would no more eat them than my dogs.

Person_one

gettingready wrote: »

I stopped eating meat in December last year.

Not going to preach here but.... I myself decided it was hypocritical of me to say I love MY animals and eat others.

They all want to live and all animals are/can be "cute".

I am working on giving up dairy too - did not have any eggs since March this year. swapped miolk for soya milk, butter for soya butter, cheese for tofu etc etc. Still not quite there yet but working on it

I don't think its hypocritical to eat some animals and keep others as pets. Just like its not hypocritical to kill some as pests and disease carriers while encouraging others to come into your garden. All animals are different and we have a different relationship with all of them.

My dogs eat meat, so do I. Although they eat a lot more than me because I'm poor! :rotfl:

senileturtle

Person_one wrote: »

I don't think its hypocritical to eat some animals and keep others as pets. Just like its not hypocritical to kill some as pests and disease carriers while encouraging others to come into your garden. All animals are different and we have a different relationship with all of them.

My dogs eat meat, so do I. Although they eat a lot more than me because I'm poor! :rotfl:

I think the point he was trying to get at is it's hypocritical to claim to love animals whilst eating some and petting others.

The way he said it though using 'my animals' doesn't infer hypocrisy, just the disturbed relationship we have with other species where we will treasure a being that can give the same love and affection as one we eat (i.e. pigs are much like dogs in their behaviour and according to studies "smarter" than dogs). Lambs also 'wag' their tails like a dog and enjoy being petted if they learn to trust humans.

moggymutt

I can vouch for the intelligence of sheep. My disabled one comes into the house at night, to a bucket of sugar beet and a bowl of coarse mix. Last night she totally uncharacteristically grabbed hold of my dinner that I was trying to eat, and tipped it up all over me. Only later did I realise that I had forgotten her coarse mix.