Yabby, Celivia, thanks but I am sure there is someone with far more experience than me that could do a better job. Maybe someone a little more 'mainstream' would have more impact.

Nicky, saddlebacks are considered rare but they are available. They are one of the old breeds not use commercially because they lay down a lot of fat.

Yes, all pigs have very individual personalities. They are as intelligent as dogs and can be trained just about as easily. Pigs have quite a vocabulary too. When you spend enough time with them you pick up the idea of what they are trying to say. They love routine and do not like it if you change things on them. It always amazes me that they know exactly what time the shed is opened for 'dinner' and will be there waiting. Wont bother any other time of the day. (Sows I am talking about)

We make sure that a few weeks before our pigs go to market that they are brought in to smaller, close paddocks and herded and weighed weekly, not just because we need to know, but so that they are used to the extra contact and will not stress when that time comes. Our pigs just seem curious about their surroundings while the intensive pigs seem scared and stressed.

Yabby

PF Its certainly is a good idea. There are no other Free Range pork Farmers I see around that have williningly spoken out about Animal Welfare.
I am sure you also would enjoy seeing the smaller rural little guy benefit from it. Voiceless and Animals Australia have far more funds than us however we would be happy kick it off with a donation and ask everybody to support it.

I will stop posting or having anything to do with the idea if it makes PF and AA happy. That a promise.


Anyway Yabby Celivia PF everyone its certainly the best thing that could ever happen towards animal welfare and the smaller real deal farmers in this country.

Yabby could help you and maybe we could funds him for his time until hopefully your both rich and famous along with many other small Free Range Farmers working under your guidence.

Yes Yabby Yes.

Good on you.

Please do think about it PF. Your the best chance the animals have .

There are so few of you.

Promise I will donate and vacate whatever you want.

Come on Animals Australia Voiceless Animal liberation and the other forty organisations out there.

The answers sitting right in front of our noses.

Yabby is right. Can we please all work together for the animals and small regional farmers sake.

Thanks for all the support guys! Certainly has given me something to think about. Not sure how you go about something like this, but no doubt I can find all that out.

I will expect ideas for a title from you lot :)

What about umm let me see

"Free Range Pigs" -farming happy, healthy pigs
the natural way

Hello all. It looks like we are all agreed on something! PF, you obviously put an enormous amount of thought and care into what you do, even down to making the animals more used to people when they need to be. If not a book, what about a website? Either would be great, because I think the time WILL come when the community as a whole will reject the intensively farmed "products". Pigs are certainly fascinating animals; I wish I had more scope to be more involved with them. Do you get sad when you have to send them off to market? I think I would. I found the story on the Saddleback pigs - apparently, a litter (is that the right word?)has been born at a school in Launceston in Tasmania. The teacher interviewed said that school children had really "off the wall" ideas about where chicken and eggs come from - basically, they haven't got a clue about where meat generally comes from, much less battery hens and broiler chickens. He advised the children not to name the piglets, because he felt that they had to recognize that they would (eventually) be sent off to market. It was a charming story really.
PF, I think if you wrote your book or your website as empathetically as you have written about your pigs here, it would be a huge success.
Go for it!
Nicky

Thanks Nicky. yes, I feel a little sad for each pig. I actually avoid eye contact with them on the day they are loaded for market. It probably sounds silly, but pigs have almost human like and very expressive eyes. I do know though, that they have had a good life while in my care. No stress, no fear, free to behave as any pig should.

I do have a website but posting it has caused problems in the past. There is another site http://freerangepork.com.au that lists a few free range pork farmers. I will let you guess which one I am :) They are all dedicated farmers.

A lot more should be done to educate children about were their food comes from and that farm animals are not pets. (well, ok, some you cant help but get attached too) I believe that next year, in NSW anyway, it will be brought in to primary school teaching. A very simple version, milk comes from cows not cartons and woolworths does not manufacture eggs etc.