We've had such a gorgeous weekend here in Yorkshire. The perfect weather for being outdoors, and getting stuck into making a home, for this little chap.
Yes we have two arriving next Saturday, and we need to get a move on.
This picture was kindly sent to us a few weeks ago, from our pig breeder. We are getting a pair of tamworth/old black weaners. A perfect cross breed, mixing a friendly personality, and dare I say it, with great taste .
Sorry- yes might as well get it out in the open, we will be sending them to the butcher at the end of the year. I don't know how, but I do know that whilst they are living with us ,they will be very happy pigs indeed.
This will be their run.
They have a greengage tree inside the fencing, to have a good rub up against.
The branches are already showing a good harvest.
Family and neighbours have all helped out .
Everyone has given it their all, even the little ones have done their bit.
The pig wire is on now, and it's starting to take shape.
This is how it looked on Sunday evening, we just have to make the pig ark now. I'll keep you posted x.
EDITED...Thank you for your support ladies I really do appreciate it. I knew this would be a controversial subject, and I am open to accepting criticism, and peoples opposing points of view x.
27 comments:
Oh how exciting Bertie!! Whatever you do don't give them names, we got our geese for the pot, a delicious christmas goose . . . . now they have been here about 5 years!!
Good luck and be strong!!
Such envy here! Lovely place for them to live Bertie and we would send them to the butcher too. It's all about giving them a good life firt though isn't it? Good luck x
Oh how exciting! There used to be a small pig farm near our cottage but sadly, due to working commitments, the owners have had to close it. (Long story but they bought the field next to their house and decided to raise a few pigs on it.) We used to love going to see them and feed them, especially the piglets. Look forward to seeing your pigs in situ!
Hen x
Don't know how you can do this. I really don't understand people who can keep animals, knowing that they are going to be responsible for their deaths. Then you eat these creatures, whose faces and personalities have become so familiar to you. Absolutely vile. You have certainly lost a blog follower here.
Take no notice of the comment above this. The main thing is you give them a good life. The best life they can possibly have, this is SO much more than intensively farmed pigs get. I know I've seen both sides of this debate.
Your pigs will live a brilliant life with friendship and love, and they will even recieve similar care at the end, more than some people get!!
Enjoy these new additions to your family, have lots of fun and enjoy the end product.
And this comes from a virtual vegetarian.
Sue xx
I used to live on a small holding and we reared our own food. Pork, Beef, Lamb and chicken. (as well as vegetables) I thought it would be hard, but you buy them for the reason you are, you know what they eat, your know they are happy. In turn you know what you feed your family. It teaches young children how live stock for meat SHOULD be kept and treated, free range and happy. Deborah is entitled to her own views, but in answer them, you will also be responsible for their happy and content lives.
(plus they taste great with Greengae jelly!!) ENJOY!!!!
The fact of the matter is not all of us are vegetarians. In an ideal world we would be, but that is not our history. One can argue til the cows come home about why we should all convert to vegetarianism now but I doubt it would result in us all converting.
If you are going to eat meat then the best possible way is to rear it yourself and make sure the animals have a natural and happy life. What you are doing is incredibly responsible and superb. If I could do this, I would but city living makes it a little hard.
You should be proud of what you are doing, those pigs will be the luckier ones. And I know when the time comes for them, it will be hard for you, despite everything. It takes a sort of bravery to do this sort of thing as well. Good luck! xxx
ooo what an exciting time for you -
i admire your energy im just to lazy to grow veg never mind raise pigs LOL
i do think that you are giving them a happy comfortable life before they visit the "butcher" and thats important rather than eating meat you have no knowledge of its background x
I'm a (Yorkshire) farmer's daughter and I'm right behind you. Its important to know how your food is produced, my family still sell to and buy from the local butcher. People should realise how intensively and cruely much supermarket food is produced and what a good job you are doing. Enjoy your time with your piggies and the end result.
How interesting to read everyones opinions about your new venture. I'm not sure what I think! I do think it's terrific that you are giving the piggies a good and happy life. I'm too tender hearted to raise animals and then eat them but then I do eat meat so I can see the contradiction. Good on you for being so open and approachable, I hope the piggies and your family enjoy some happy times together x
Hi Bertie, you are right everyone has got a right to their own point of view, it’s just a shame one person has to be so rude with theirs.
Could I do it? No, but I am such a softie when it comes too animals’, but that doesn’t make you wrong in what you are doing, if anything it makes me a hypocrite because I do eat meat.
I’m sure they will be really happy in their new home!!!
Love Lou xxx
Hi Bertie, just wanted to say how exciting you are going to have pigs! I would take no notice of the one commenter that felt they needed to be completely rude about something you decided to share on your blog.
Its all a part of life, and definatly not "absolutely vile" what a ridiculous thing to say. I hope that persons response doesn't put you off posting about them in the future. I personally would delete that negative comment as there was no need for it.
Anyway sorry to ramble on!
Good luck with it! XX Gem
You have obviously given this project a great deal of thought and then made the decision to go ahead. I think from the children's point of view, it is good for them to see where their food comes from. It will help them to grow up into responsible adults. We are kidding ourselves if we think we are above the food chain. We are not. God gave us canine teeth for tearing meat so we are supposed to use them. However, when the time comes to send the piggies to market, you will find it very hard. I have kept chickens and I know! Perhaps you will not want to eat your own piggies? We will see. Good luck with the project. They are lucky piggies to have such a good home, albeit with a time limit.
Blessings, Star
Wow! That was quite a strong response you got there - and I'm sorry you had to have it. People are clearly entitled to their own opinions but there are surely better ways of expressing them than that.
I know I couldn't raise my own pigs and I once had a boyfriend whose family had a dairy farm and even though he had grown up doing it he hated taking the bull calves to the abbatoir.
But you are definitely doing the right thing. I am a total hypocrite when it comes to meat - I eat it and love it but can't stand to see the carcasses at the butchers or really THINK about where it comes from. You, on the other hand, have a much better approach.
Sorry, long essay over now!
Lucy x
Good on you! from what I can gather a very brave decision. Take no notice of the daft comment about it being vile. I know they are entitled to their opinion but you do have to have things in perspective. I eat some meat and not others cant stand lamb and only eat ham or bacon on a pig! I know I am strange. I would probably say I would be a bit of a wimp when it came to the chop. But at the end of the day its better for you animals to of had a brilliant and happy life and not one cooped up with loads of other animals in appalling conditions.
Good luck with it all Bertie and look forward to seeing how it all pans out for you.
MBBx
I've just found you, after a chat on the phone with Lucy Locket!
I am totally behind what you are doing. You will be giving those pigs a happy and healthy life and you will know exactly what is in the meat. Far better than intensively produced pigs that need to be pumped full of antibiotics to stop them becoming ill, due to their totally unnatural rearing.
Well done!
I'll look forward to following their progress.
xxx
Hi Bertie, I think Deborahs comment was harsh. I personally couldnt keep pigs or any animal that would eventually be taken away because Im such a softie, but on the other hand I am a hypocrite because I eat meat and enjoy it (I used to be a veggie). I only eat meat if I can be sure it is from people like yourself who I know have given the animal a good life and it has been treated humanely at the end. Good luck with your venture, it sounds very exciting X
hey you....
here is my point of view.....
i am a very strict vegetarian and have been for most of my life - i do not wear leather, eat meat or fish, eggs and most dairy - i eat chocolate because quite frankly i cannot give it up ;)
i have SO MUCH respect for the folk that keep animals, give them a happy life and have them killed with as little stress as possible - it is the folk that criticise this and then trot along to the supermarket and purchase meat that was once a very unhappy animal that knew death was coming that i find hard to stomach....
i myself could not do it and am always beyond despair when our neighbours dispatch another animal for the freezer, but i know that not everybody wishes to follow a vegetarian path, and being strong enough to raise your own meat via happy healthy animals has to be the correct way to go - surely?
sooo
good for you if you can actually go through with it - enjoy the company of those sweet piggies until the time arrives for you to say goodbye - it is a choice you have made and one that i as a non meat eater totally understand :)
have a great week
t x
p.s - the new piggy home looks simply wonderful!
I think its very noble to keep animals treat them well, there is so much bad treatment i think people tend to bury their heads and not think about the process involved in eating meat. I also think it is good for children to learn these values. im sorry when people express their views in a horrible way too, felicity xx
Hi, I'm a new reader, But thought I should compliment you on broaching this issue. We got three piggys for the freezer but unfortunatly one got a huge in-operable hernia. But all was not lost, we got her butchered even though she was small (about 3 months). So Tasty! we ate 10 chops between 2 adults and 2 kids the first evening. The second evening we had a roast, even tastier. They are such fun too, we still have the other two (one for friends). Enjoy them when you get them.
Good for you, I don't know if I could do it because of that reason. Knowing them but I would rather feed my family food, knowing where it came from . We are looking into a local farm that raises them and we would buy it after it went to the butcher.
I took an archery hunting course and was certified through the state so I could hunt. (I haven't gone hunting yet) I use to get so mad at my dad when he would go hunting. Then I learned more about the life of Deers and how meat from the super market is raised and I changed my mind. Good luck with everything.
Tracy
ha ha , it reminds me of when we were teenagers and we lived on a smallholding and we had vietnamese pot bellied pigs we named them and everything . Then they had babies and they were so lovely like little black puddings running around! They grew up and got nice and fat and dad sent them off to the butcher, a bit later we had a full freezer, but not one of us kids would eat it and they tried hard to disguise it, but we knew!!!! :)
Wow....what a debate Deborah opened up!!
You've been tagged, call over to my blog for details.
Have a brilliant weekend.
Sue xx
Most of it has been said and I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said (with one exception) but then I grew up where we raised our own meat and they do have a much happier life if that is what one needs to justify what they are doing, plus you know what they have been fed! Good tip though - don't name them, otherwise you personalise them too much.
You have made them a lovely area to live.
I have tagged you on my blog if you'd like to take part :) XX
when are the pigs arriving , be sure to take plenty of pics !! can't wait!!
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