The Life of a Factory Farm Pig

Photo credit: Barbara Barbosa

The term "pig" is often used in a derogatory way to describe someone who is a sloppy, dirty, selfish, overweight, lazy, over eating hoarder. 

But, why?

Pigs are beautiful, intelligent, misjudged, misunderstood animals. 

Their intelligence equals that of a dog and a 3-year-old child. 

They are not solitary. They live in small packs and like to huddle together in a pile for comfort and warmth. (Pig Pile!) 

Pigs are good parents. They snuggle and sleep nose-to-nose with their piglets until they mature. They have keen auditory and olfactory senses and can hear and smell their piglets from a distance. 

Pigs are also not dirty animals. They wallow and roll in mud for survival. They have no sweat glands and coating themselves in mud helps regulate their temperatures. The mud also acts as a sunscreen and repels insects, since pigs have only thin coats to protect their skin.

Pigs get a bum rap for no reason. And people should stop using the word "pig" in a derogatory way. 

Photo credit: Brett Sayles

 

Now that we know a little about pigs, let's take a look at how pig are bred at factory farms. 

 

Photo credit: farmsanctuary.org, CC BY 1.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The above picture are pigs in gestational crates. These are metal cages that do not allow pigs to walk or turn around. They are used by factory farmers to "nurture the animals and protect them ... during pregnancy." 

Do these pigs look nurtured and protected?

Pigs are kept in these crates for their entire 4 month gestation. Then, they are moved to a "farrowing" crate to allow their newly born piglets to nurse from the mother pig who is trapped on her side. 

Here is a cow in a farrowing crate, nursing her piglets:  

Photo credit: Alisha Vargas from Reno, NV, US, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Normal weaning of piglets takes 2 to 3 months, but factory farm piglets are taken from their mothers at 4 weeks. The mother pig is then returned to the gestational crate to be impregnated and start the process all over again. 

This horrific pattern continues for the entire life of the pig, which is usually around 3 to 5 years. 

Photo credit: Maqi, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

While I am not a vegan, I am starting to take a hard look at how animals that are supposed to nourish and sustain me and keep me healthy are being treated.

I have decided that I will not ever eat any food or use any products that come from pigs, because I no longer want to be part of this pig breeding process. That is my personal choice and that is my right. All of you can make your own personal choices and do what is right for you. 

Photo credit: Alex Agrico

Peace to Pigs

 

Sources: 

https://www.mspca.org/animal_protection/farm-animal-welfare-pigs/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_pig_farming

https://www.humanesociety.org/animals/pigs