Comments on: The Pig Man Cometh

By: laur

laur — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:38:53 +0000

I am a city person, thru no fault of my own. But , can somebody tell me how that sweet Sausage isn’t biting that lovely industrious man in the butt? He’s sitting on the pigs chest, I see that…but when he leans forward to do the , um…extrication, then doesn’t that give Sausage some motivation to up and attempt an ‘eye for an eye’ maneuver ?
just wonderin’
Suzanne, I love this stuff. I know that the reason we aren’t as aware of what we eat, or allow all sorts of chemicals and junk in our food growing culture is beCAUSE we don’t know what it means to do it the right way. We got duped along the way.
laur

By: Keeku77

Keeku77 — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:31:46 +0000

Suzanne, thank you so much for your blog! As someone in the process of beginning a small homestead farm of my own with very little experience (only some farmer friends), I so value the honesty of your posts and lack of sugar coating about what needs to be done and the less blissful aspects of farm life. This particular post was very enlightening and although I already know I am too weak yet to even consider raising pigs, I will at least know what to expect in the event I am stronger in the future. Reading your blog with my morning coffee is one of the highlights of my day. Thank You!

By: Suzanne McMinn

Suzanne McMinn — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:45:09 +0000

Lizt, usually you do it within the first few months. Not within a week, though! Well, we’ve never done it within a week and I don’t know anyone who has done it that early. I didn’t know you could do it that early. I’ll remember that. Thanks.

By: Lizt

Lizt — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:39:57 +0000

I’d be interested to know how old Sausage was. I’ve moved from the UK to France and it seems different countries have differnt policies for castrating animals. Here(France) Pigs are done within a week (very fiddly!) Very interesting article – good for you to put it up.

By: Emma Dorsey

Emma Dorsey — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 17:23:13 +0000

I am so happy to read this cite. We too are starting a small farm in GA, I have a few muscovy ducks, chickens and pigs at the moment. We are expecting our first litter of piglets at the end of the year! We were just discussing the fact that we will have some castrating to do here and are not sure if we should hire someone to show us the first time or read up on it and do it ourselves. We have a pig that was the runt that I saved that had already been castrated when I got him he is growing but very slow. he will be going to slaughter soon.
Thanks for sharing!
Emma D.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:49:45 +0000

I can understand not wanting extra sausages around but man that’s gota hurt.

By: LK

LK — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:20:21 +0000

Up here, they band both piglets and calves when they are very young. It depends on the farmer, but usually calves – 3 days to 3 months, and piglets within the first week.

The pigs will scream even if you touch them. It has nothing to do with castration. Banding is much simpler…something similar to docking lamb’s tails.

By: LK

LK — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:15:31 +0000

“Anyway, when we had our pony colt gelded, the vet told us that it’s supposed to be good luck to throw the testicles over the barn roof. Ever heard that one?”

I’d hate to be on the receiving end (on the other side of the barn) of that one.

My husband is making me put this joke on here…now, be warned, it won’t be for all…

There is a Frenchman working for a farmer. One day, they are castrating the bull calves. That night for supper they had beef fries. A few days later, they castrate their pigs. That night, they have pork fries for supper. The next day, they finish chores early and the farmer tells the Frenchman he can go in early and get ready for supper. A few minutes later, the Frenchman comes running out of the house, jumps in his truck and drives away. The farmer asks his wife why he left so quickly. His wife says, she doesn’t know but that he asked what was for supper and she had replied french fries.

I warned you.

By: Lacey

Lacey — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:34:25 +0000

I just came across this post as one of the “more posts you might enjoy.” You know, I had livestock in highschool-not too long ago- and this was my livestock too, not my fams, but just mine, and I do not remember ever castrating my pigs. I guess it had been done before I got them or maybe they were made into dinner before it was necessary …? I have, however, castrated bull calves and banded sheep, much the same way Annabelle’s tail was banded (we did tails and testicles at the same time).

I laughed out loud at the people who suggested a vet and sedation, mostly because that’s what a vet would do if you suggested it- Laugh out loud. At you.

Way to go Suzanne for being one of the people who understands that 15 minutes of a crappy day is worth the other benefits it provides those animals. Poor people: “Oh, I could never eat those (poor, well-cared for, free-range, organic) animals; I get all my meat at the store.” Yep- those animals-also castrated- and living horrible lives in tiny, filthy, cement cages. I hope someday I can be self-supporting and practice sustainable farming like you. For now I have to content myself with buying from those who do and are.

I simply love this blog.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:58:02 +0000

We raised pigs for a while. My daughter loves animals. So I expected it may be hard on her. We told our daughter (age 4- a the time) that we were raising them to eat. We explained to her where bacon from the store comes from, and that animals should be raised with kindness and compassion but there comes a time for them to pull their own weight at the farm, which is to provide food for our family. It didnt seem to bother her. Breakfast morning she said, “Moma, our pig sure does taste good”!