The recently released footage of workers at a slaughterhouse in Essex punching, beating and stubbing out cigarettes on pigs makes for extremely distressing viewing. Animal Aid should be applauded for documenting such horrific and illegal abuse, and exposing it to the public and relevant government authorities.
The fact that Defra has decided that it cannot prosecute such obvious violations of animal welfare standards – on the grounds that the footage was obtained by trespass – is incredibly frustrating. Moreover, it is not entirely clear that trespass has to serve as an absolute roadblock to prosecution. Given the gravity of the incidents, it certainly seems like a proper use of Defra's resources to pursue the case further.
In any case, recording and publicising footage from this and other slaughterhouses is not of value only insofar as it leads to the prosecution and punishment of the wrongdoers. It is also of value in that it makes us confront a much wider issue: the very processes by which our food is obtained.
After all, while the cruelties shown in the footage appear to be in breach of legal standards, it is worth reflecting on what those standards are designed to regulate: a process that is quite astonishing in terms of its scale and efficiency.
At bottom, of course, that process is a massive slaughter. But it is one that is planned, industrialised and breathtakingly efficient. It is an organised slaughter that successfully "processes" around 100,000 cattle, sheep and pigs every single day in the UK. Across the EU as a whole, 800,000 cattle, sheep and pigs are slaughtered every day for food. Moreover, despite the good work of animal protection organisations, and despite much talk of a growth in public sentimentality towards animals, these systems of industrialised slaughter are on the increase. For one, the efficient processing methods perfected in Europe and North America are now being adopted elsewhere around the globe, as the modern westernised diet grows in popularity. Indeed, global per capita consumption of meat has more than doubled between 1961 and 2007 and is expected to double again by 2050.
Even when legal animal welfare standards are met within these modern slaughterhouses, we must question the "humanity" of the process of which they are a part. Societies introduce animal welfare standards, quite rightly, because they recognise that animals such as pigs are beings that can experience joy and suffering in their lives. And yet, those standards regulate a system in which vast quantities of those sentient creatures are lawfully bred, confined, mutilated, fattened and transported in lorries to death on an assembly line. It is hard to see what is humane about such a process, even without deliberate beatings, burnings and other such cruelties.
Crucially, within the context of an industrial system designed to dispatch animals so routinely and in such massive numbers, it can hardly be much of a surprise that there are some workers who commit the kind of horrific cruelties exposed by Animal Aid.
I do not say this with the intention of excusing those individuals. Undoubtedly, those who commit such acts do so of their own free will and should be held accountable and punished as such. But at the same time, it has to be acknowledged that a system which reduces so many millions of sentient, social and intelligent animals to "units" to be dispatched on an assembly line is likely to have some undesirable consequences. Not least, the fact that these animals are sentient, sociable and intelligent is likely to be neglected or ignored.
To expect humane practices within a system that is so fundamentally inhumane is perhaps to expect too much.
Alasdair Cochrane guardian.co.uk,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/05/cruelty-farm-animals-slaughterhouse
Showing posts with label pigs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pigs. Show all posts
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Plague of ravenous mice eat farmer John Gregory's pigs
WHEN South Australian farmer John Gregory entered his piggery he could not believe what he saw - mice attacking his pigs.
Since he first saw them dining out on his prized stock he has been at his wit's end about how to get rid of them.
Now, as a desperate last resort, he is covering his pigs at a farm property in Wynarka, 130km east of Adelaide, in engine oil to protect them from the mice, with the rodents apparently turned off by the taste.
"The mouse problem got really bad in April," Mr Gregory said.
"We went away in the school holidays and when we came back we drove up the driveway and it looked like the ground was moving - there were hundreds of thousands of them."
Mr Gregory, 50, said he put engine oil on his 15 pigs to protect them from the sun about once a month.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Russian newsreader gets giggles over cannabis guarded by pot-bellied pigs
Alistair Potter - 12th May, 2011
Newsreader Tatiana Subbotina managed to get through a report about a marijuana farm in Canada - but only after corpsing, pretty dramatically, several times while trying to read out the story.
Fortunately for Ms Subbotina, the broadcast wasn't live so she got the chance to have another go after breaking down into fits of laughter when she told readers a cannabis farm had been guarded by a few different kinds of animals - including bears, dogs and pot-bellied pigs.
Unfortunately, that didn't change the fact she still found the entire story hilarious - so it took her several goes to finally make it through without collapsing into fits of laughter.
The story itself concerned a somewhat worrying find in British Columbia, Canada, where police uncovered a 2,500-plat cannabis farm that was being guarded by 13 bears.
Police also found 'a big dog' and 'a pot-bellied pig' on the premises, and it was the swine that caused Ms Subbotina such merriment.
'What the hell is a pig doing there?!' she exclaimed, after breaking down for a third time.
It seems the newscaster's laughter was infectious, as she was then repeatedly put off by studio staff off-camera failing to keep a straight face.
She eventually made it through, but still felt moved to crack a few jokes along the way (her particular favourite being about the bears sitting next to the marijuana plants and puffing on spliffs).
It's compelling watching.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/863138-newsreader-gets-giggles-over-cannabis-guarded-by-pot-bellied-pigs
Newsreader Tatiana Subbotina managed to get through a report about a marijuana farm in Canada - but only after corpsing, pretty dramatically, several times while trying to read out the story.
Fortunately for Ms Subbotina, the broadcast wasn't live so she got the chance to have another go after breaking down into fits of laughter when she told readers a cannabis farm had been guarded by a few different kinds of animals - including bears, dogs and pot-bellied pigs.
Unfortunately, that didn't change the fact she still found the entire story hilarious - so it took her several goes to finally make it through without collapsing into fits of laughter.
The story itself concerned a somewhat worrying find in British Columbia, Canada, where police uncovered a 2,500-plat cannabis farm that was being guarded by 13 bears.
Police also found 'a big dog' and 'a pot-bellied pig' on the premises, and it was the swine that caused Ms Subbotina such merriment.
'What the hell is a pig doing there?!' she exclaimed, after breaking down for a third time.
It seems the newscaster's laughter was infectious, as she was then repeatedly put off by studio staff off-camera failing to keep a straight face.
She eventually made it through, but still felt moved to crack a few jokes along the way (her particular favourite being about the bears sitting next to the marijuana plants and puffing on spliffs).
It's compelling watching.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/863138-newsreader-gets-giggles-over-cannabis-guarded-by-pot-bellied-pigs
Friday, April 29, 2011
Pigs have 'evolved to love mud'
Pigs have 'evolved to love mud'
By Victoria GillScience and nature reporter, BBC News
It is a true picture of contentment, and now a scientist is suggesting that a pig's love of mud is more than just a way to keep cool.
A researcher in the Netherlands has looked at wallowing behaviour in pigs' wild relatives to find out more about what motivates the animals to luxuriate in sludge.
His conclusions suggest that wallowing is vital for the animals' well-being.
The study is published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
It is already well accepted that pigs use wallows to keep cool. The animals do not have normal sweat glands, so they are unable, otherwise, to regulate their body temperature.
The scientist who carried out the study, Marc Bracke from Wageningen University and Research Centre, trawled the scientific literature for evidence of what motivates other animals to carry out similar behaviours.
He examined closely related "wallowers", including hippos, which spend their time in water to keep cool.
Dr Bracke also looked at other hoofed animals, such as deer. Although these animals do not wallow, they roll on the ground in order to "scent mark", which has an important role in attracting a mate.
That analysis has led Dr Bracke to propose that mud wallowing, like rolling, could play a role in reproduction in pigs.
But more fundamentally, Dr Bracke suggests the behaviour could have evolved in pigs' most ancient relatives.
"We all evolved from fish, so it could be that this motivation to be in water could be something that was preserved in animals that are able to do so."
For many animals, this would be too dangerous, because watering holes are ideal places for predators to ambush their prey.
"But pigs, like many carnivores, are relatively large animals with enlarged canine teeth, so they would be better able to fend off an attack."
So rather than pigs needing to cool down in mud because they do not have [functional] sweat glands, Dr Bracke thinks that they "did not evolve functional sweat glands like other ungulates because they liked wallowing so much".
Part whale?
"Pigs are genetically related to particularly water-loving animals such as hippos and whales," Dr Bracke said.
He explained: "It seems to me that this preference to be in shallow water could have been a turning point in the evolution of whales from land-dwelling mammals."
He concludes that the desire to wallow is probably hardwired and rewarding in itself.
"If so, wallowing could be an important element of a good life in pigs," said Dr Bracke.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Endangered species: Cull to be kind?
When breeding programs are successful, endangered species are saved from extinction. But if too many animals are born, zoos have to take drastic steps
By Gillian Orr
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
A debate was sparked last week when stories emerged that Edinburgh Zoo was planning to cull three of its red river hog piglets because they were "surplus to requirement". While the zoo has since stressed that it has no current plans to euthanise the animals and that the story was inaccurately reported, it did cull two other piglets last August.
While we are familiar with culling animals in the wild, the idea that this also goes on in zoos has proved much more controversial, it seeming at odds with the premise of breeding programmes. So why do zoos ever make the unusual decision of killing their animals?
The European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) is a type of population management for rarer species of animals that are found in zoos. One person is assigned a species and is in charge of producing a plan for the future management of it and co-ordinating its breeding through a process called "recommendation".
Recommendations are made each year on which animals should breed or not breed, and which individual animals should go from one zoo to another or on breeding loans. When faced with more animals, the EEP can recommend that the zoo cull the surplus, as happened last year.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Zoo explains why animals are allowed to breed even if they don't want any more: "While the red river hog is not currently classed as endangered, it is conservation-dependent due to excessive hunting in its natural habitat in West Central Africa. The category status of any animal, however, always has the potential to worsen in the future. Therefore, all zoos are advised that their animals should remain able to breed, as restricting natural breeding activity or administering contraception can prove detrimental to health and future reproduction. Of course, this often leads to new introductions to the zoo population."
As money can be scarce, rehousing is not always an option. "As a registered charity, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has to remain mindful of the resources it has available," the zoo says. "When we are unable to accommodate new additions to our facilities, rehoming is always our top priority, but there are various restrictions involved that make it easier said than done. Animals within the EEP zoo structure must be rehomed within it, or similar bodies within the developed world, to maintain control over their location and welfare. Many facilities within the EEP structure share a similar range of species and, therefore, are not in a position to accommodate more of the same."
However, animal charities have questioned zoo culls and the reasoning behind them. Libby Anderson, a director at animal protection charity OneKind, has said: "Each animal is an individual and I don't think they can possibly justify killing hogs simply because they are deemed surplus to the requirements of a breeding programme."
Population management of animals remains a complex and sensitive subject, but, happily for the three piglets, they are safe for the time being.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/endangered-species-cull-to-be-kind-2207350.html
 |
| Three little pigs: the red river hogs that were supposed to be at risk of being put down |
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
A debate was sparked last week when stories emerged that Edinburgh Zoo was planning to cull three of its red river hog piglets because they were "surplus to requirement". While the zoo has since stressed that it has no current plans to euthanise the animals and that the story was inaccurately reported, it did cull two other piglets last August.
While we are familiar with culling animals in the wild, the idea that this also goes on in zoos has proved much more controversial, it seeming at odds with the premise of breeding programmes. So why do zoos ever make the unusual decision of killing their animals?
The European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) is a type of population management for rarer species of animals that are found in zoos. One person is assigned a species and is in charge of producing a plan for the future management of it and co-ordinating its breeding through a process called "recommendation".
Recommendations are made each year on which animals should breed or not breed, and which individual animals should go from one zoo to another or on breeding loans. When faced with more animals, the EEP can recommend that the zoo cull the surplus, as happened last year.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Zoo explains why animals are allowed to breed even if they don't want any more: "While the red river hog is not currently classed as endangered, it is conservation-dependent due to excessive hunting in its natural habitat in West Central Africa. The category status of any animal, however, always has the potential to worsen in the future. Therefore, all zoos are advised that their animals should remain able to breed, as restricting natural breeding activity or administering contraception can prove detrimental to health and future reproduction. Of course, this often leads to new introductions to the zoo population."
As money can be scarce, rehousing is not always an option. "As a registered charity, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has to remain mindful of the resources it has available," the zoo says. "When we are unable to accommodate new additions to our facilities, rehoming is always our top priority, but there are various restrictions involved that make it easier said than done. Animals within the EEP zoo structure must be rehomed within it, or similar bodies within the developed world, to maintain control over their location and welfare. Many facilities within the EEP structure share a similar range of species and, therefore, are not in a position to accommodate more of the same."
However, animal charities have questioned zoo culls and the reasoning behind them. Libby Anderson, a director at animal protection charity OneKind, has said: "Each animal is an individual and I don't think they can possibly justify killing hogs simply because they are deemed surplus to the requirements of a breeding programme."
Population management of animals remains a complex and sensitive subject, but, happily for the three piglets, they are safe for the time being.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/endangered-species-cull-to-be-kind-2207350.html
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Boar piglet learns to moo with new cow family
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101105-30983.html
A wild boar piglet that strayed from its family has found a new home with a herd of Galloway cattle in the German state of Lower Saxony, learning to moo and even suckle from the cows for nourishment, media reports said this week.
Seven weeks ago, the wee hog showed up on a meadow owned by cattle farmer Bodo Bertsch near the village of Waake, he told Die Welt on Thursday.
They were shy at first, but since then his 14 cows and 12 calves have accepted “Freddy” as a member of their herd, Bertsch said.
The boar’s favourite member of the herd is “Rula,” from whom he rarely strays.
A farmhand discovered the boar, now estimated to be about four-months-old, in a meadow among the herd in September, Bertsch said.
“At first we could hardly believe it,” he said.
But in the following days, the piglet could be seen trotting around the field with the cows, and Bertsch, believing it to be a male, dubbed him “Freddy,” though he now believes the animal may actually be female.
Bertsch told Die Welt he has spoken with a number of experts about the unusual occurrence, and none had heard of such a friendship between cows and boars.
Egbert Strauß, deputy leader of the IWFo institute for wild animal research in Hannover, agreed.
“But pigs are clever,” he said. “The animal obviously lost his sounder and searched for a new one.”
Groups of wild boar sows and their young are called sounders.
Freddy seems to feel comfortable in her new home, eating grass like the cows and attempting, albeit with limited success, to imitate their mooing, Bertsch said.
She has also joined a calf in suckling from one of the cows, and when the cows bed down, she snuggles up next to them, he said.
Just how bovine the porcine pretender has become will be put to the test in mid-November when the herd will be transferred to their winter meadow.
“I’m interested to see whether Freddy marches onto the cattle trailer with the Galloways,” Bertsch said.
The Local/ka
A wild boar piglet that strayed from its family has found a new home with a herd of Galloway cattle in the German state of Lower Saxony, learning to moo and even suckle from the cows for nourishment, media reports said this week.
Seven weeks ago, the wee hog showed up on a meadow owned by cattle farmer Bodo Bertsch near the village of Waake, he told Die Welt on Thursday.
They were shy at first, but since then his 14 cows and 12 calves have accepted “Freddy” as a member of their herd, Bertsch said.
The boar’s favourite member of the herd is “Rula,” from whom he rarely strays.
A farmhand discovered the boar, now estimated to be about four-months-old, in a meadow among the herd in September, Bertsch said.
“At first we could hardly believe it,” he said.
But in the following days, the piglet could be seen trotting around the field with the cows, and Bertsch, believing it to be a male, dubbed him “Freddy,” though he now believes the animal may actually be female.
Bertsch told Die Welt he has spoken with a number of experts about the unusual occurrence, and none had heard of such a friendship between cows and boars.
Egbert Strauß, deputy leader of the IWFo institute for wild animal research in Hannover, agreed.
“But pigs are clever,” he said. “The animal obviously lost his sounder and searched for a new one.”
Groups of wild boar sows and their young are called sounders.
Freddy seems to feel comfortable in her new home, eating grass like the cows and attempting, albeit with limited success, to imitate their mooing, Bertsch said.
She has also joined a calf in suckling from one of the cows, and when the cows bed down, she snuggles up next to them, he said.
Just how bovine the porcine pretender has become will be put to the test in mid-November when the herd will be transferred to their winter meadow.
“I’m interested to see whether Freddy marches onto the cattle trailer with the Galloways,” Bertsch said.
The Local/ka
Boar piglet learns to moo with new cow family
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20101105-30983.html
A wild boar piglet that strayed from its family has found a new home with a herd of Galloway cattle in the German state of Lower Saxony, learning to moo and even suckle from the cows for nourishment, media reports said this week.
Seven weeks ago, the wee hog showed up on a meadow owned by cattle farmer Bodo Bertsch near the village of Waake, he told Die Welt on Thursday.
They were shy at first, but since then his 14 cows and 12 calves have accepted “Freddy” as a member of their herd, Bertsch said.
The boar’s favourite member of the herd is “Rula,” from whom he rarely strays.
A farmhand discovered the boar, now estimated to be about four-months-old, in a meadow among the herd in September, Bertsch said.
“At first we could hardly believe it,” he said.
But in the following days, the piglet could be seen trotting around the field with the cows, and Bertsch, believing it to be a male, dubbed him “Freddy,” though he now believes the animal may actually be female.
Bertsch told Die Welt he has spoken with a number of experts about the unusual occurrence, and none had heard of such a friendship between cows and boars.
Egbert Strauß, deputy leader of the IWFo institute for wild animal research in Hannover, agreed.
“But pigs are clever,” he said. “The animal obviously lost his sounder and searched for a new one.”
Groups of wild boar sows and their young are called sounders.
Freddy seems to feel comfortable in her new home, eating grass like the cows and attempting, albeit with limited success, to imitate their mooing, Bertsch said.
She has also joined a calf in suckling from one of the cows, and when the cows bed down, she snuggles up next to them, he said.
Just how bovine the porcine pretender has become will be put to the test in mid-November when the herd will be transferred to their winter meadow.
“I’m interested to see whether Freddy marches onto the cattle trailer with the Galloways,” Bertsch said.
The Local/ka
A wild boar piglet that strayed from its family has found a new home with a herd of Galloway cattle in the German state of Lower Saxony, learning to moo and even suckle from the cows for nourishment, media reports said this week.
Seven weeks ago, the wee hog showed up on a meadow owned by cattle farmer Bodo Bertsch near the village of Waake, he told Die Welt on Thursday.
They were shy at first, but since then his 14 cows and 12 calves have accepted “Freddy” as a member of their herd, Bertsch said.
The boar’s favourite member of the herd is “Rula,” from whom he rarely strays.
A farmhand discovered the boar, now estimated to be about four-months-old, in a meadow among the herd in September, Bertsch said.
“At first we could hardly believe it,” he said.
But in the following days, the piglet could be seen trotting around the field with the cows, and Bertsch, believing it to be a male, dubbed him “Freddy,” though he now believes the animal may actually be female.
Bertsch told Die Welt he has spoken with a number of experts about the unusual occurrence, and none had heard of such a friendship between cows and boars.
Egbert Strauß, deputy leader of the IWFo institute for wild animal research in Hannover, agreed.
“But pigs are clever,” he said. “The animal obviously lost his sounder and searched for a new one.”
Groups of wild boar sows and their young are called sounders.
Freddy seems to feel comfortable in her new home, eating grass like the cows and attempting, albeit with limited success, to imitate their mooing, Bertsch said.
She has also joined a calf in suckling from one of the cows, and when the cows bed down, she snuggles up next to them, he said.
Just how bovine the porcine pretender has become will be put to the test in mid-November when the herd will be transferred to their winter meadow.
“I’m interested to see whether Freddy marches onto the cattle trailer with the Galloways,” Bertsch said.
The Local/ka
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Pig bites thief to save hens
17. 09. 10. - 17:00
Croatian Times
A chicken thief had a nasty surprise after he was attacked by a pig as he tried to make off with a bag load of hens.
The thief was making his way out of the farm in Donja Dubrava after cutting off the heads of six chickens and stuffing them in a bag when Dodi the pig ran over and sank his teeth into the man’s leg.
The thief escaped but proud pig owner Elizabeta Radmanic said: "The loss could have been a lot worse if Dodi hadn’t come to the rescue."
http://croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-09-17/13831/Pig_bites_thief_to_save_hens
Croatian Times
A chicken thief had a nasty surprise after he was attacked by a pig as he tried to make off with a bag load of hens.
The thief was making his way out of the farm in Donja Dubrava after cutting off the heads of six chickens and stuffing them in a bag when Dodi the pig ran over and sank his teeth into the man’s leg.
The thief escaped but proud pig owner Elizabeta Radmanic said: "The loss could have been a lot worse if Dodi hadn’t come to the rescue."
http://croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-09-17/13831/Pig_bites_thief_to_save_hens
Pig bites thief to save hens
17. 09. 10. - 17:00
Croatian Times
A chicken thief had a nasty surprise after he was attacked by a pig as he tried to make off with a bag load of hens.
The thief was making his way out of the farm in Donja Dubrava after cutting off the heads of six chickens and stuffing them in a bag when Dodi the pig ran over and sank his teeth into the man’s leg.
The thief escaped but proud pig owner Elizabeta Radmanic said: "The loss could have been a lot worse if Dodi hadn’t come to the rescue."
http://croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-09-17/13831/Pig_bites_thief_to_save_hens
Croatian Times
A chicken thief had a nasty surprise after he was attacked by a pig as he tried to make off with a bag load of hens.
The thief was making his way out of the farm in Donja Dubrava after cutting off the heads of six chickens and stuffing them in a bag when Dodi the pig ran over and sank his teeth into the man’s leg.
The thief escaped but proud pig owner Elizabeta Radmanic said: "The loss could have been a lot worse if Dodi hadn’t come to the rescue."
http://croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-09-17/13831/Pig_bites_thief_to_save_hens
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Wild boars must be contained or declared an invasive species
RIGHT: Feral pigs are a threat to agriculture. (Michigan Wildlife Conservancy)September 07. 2010
By most accounts, free-ranging feral swine are as much of an ecological threat as Asian carp. Leading agricultural and natural resources organizations in Michigan are worried enough to want them eradicated and banned from the state, but that would shut down at least 40 game ranches whose owners collect as much as $2,000 apiece from hunters eager to stalk and shoot them on the ranches.
A balanced approach that avoids putting these entrepreneurs out of business seems like a better option, provided the owners are willing and able to keep the critters contained. Such an undertaking would require stronger state regulation of the hunting ranches, the cost of which should be fully covered by user fees. Taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize private hunts or pay for the disease and damage caused by feral hogs that escape.
Feral swine can be hunted at all times outside of the ranches on private land. If they are to be shot on public land, hunters must have a small game license.
Michigan residents already have been saddled with a $415,000 tab for actions to protect local pork production facilities when 19 wild hogs were diagnosed with Pseudo rabies (PRV) at a private hunting facility in Saginaw County in 2008, according to Michigan United Conservation Clubs.
There are an estimated 5,300 feral swine on the loose in Michigan and the population is growing, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Some escaped from hunting ranches, others from hog farms. They have easily adapted to Michigan's wilds and now are producing offspring that compete with other animals for food. They threaten the spread of PRV, brucellosis and other devastating diseases to $500-million-a-year pork production industry.
The United Conservation Clubs are among organizations pushing to have feral hogs listed as invasive species, which would simply outlaw them. A club official says the group believes the swine already meet legislated criteria for listing as an invasive species. Michigan's Natural Resources Commission considered doing so on Aug. 12, but held off after hearing from game farm owners who said they've invested millions setting up their operations and obtaining wild boar from Canada and elsewhere.
A popular YouTube video features hunters with wild boar they bagged at Bear Mountain Lodge near the Upper Peninsula's Negaunee. They compare the experience to stalking Russian boar in Siberia, a cutting-edge hunting adventure these days. Three Republican House lawmakers are proposing legislation to keep the ranches in business with increased state oversight. The bill would require ranch owners to pay a $1,000 fee every three years, install tougher enclosures, test all of their boars for diseases and keep detailed records of each animal.
The problem is that stronger enforcement proposed in the bill would cost $2.3 million a year, according to DNR estimates -- far more than the $40,000 or so the proposed fees would raise over a three-year period. With the state budget more than $1 billion out of whack, taxpayers can't afford to make up the difference. If the disparity can't be resolved through higher fees, invasive species listing might be the only alternative.
http://detnews.com/article/20100907/OPINION01/9070303/1007/rss07#ixzz0yrSZpaHy
Wild boars must be contained or declared an invasive species
RIGHT: Feral pigs are a threat to agriculture. (Michigan Wildlife Conservancy)September 07. 2010
By most accounts, free-ranging feral swine are as much of an ecological threat as Asian carp. Leading agricultural and natural resources organizations in Michigan are worried enough to want them eradicated and banned from the state, but that would shut down at least 40 game ranches whose owners collect as much as $2,000 apiece from hunters eager to stalk and shoot them on the ranches.
A balanced approach that avoids putting these entrepreneurs out of business seems like a better option, provided the owners are willing and able to keep the critters contained. Such an undertaking would require stronger state regulation of the hunting ranches, the cost of which should be fully covered by user fees. Taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize private hunts or pay for the disease and damage caused by feral hogs that escape.
Feral swine can be hunted at all times outside of the ranches on private land. If they are to be shot on public land, hunters must have a small game license.
Michigan residents already have been saddled with a $415,000 tab for actions to protect local pork production facilities when 19 wild hogs were diagnosed with Pseudo rabies (PRV) at a private hunting facility in Saginaw County in 2008, according to Michigan United Conservation Clubs.
There are an estimated 5,300 feral swine on the loose in Michigan and the population is growing, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Some escaped from hunting ranches, others from hog farms. They have easily adapted to Michigan's wilds and now are producing offspring that compete with other animals for food. They threaten the spread of PRV, brucellosis and other devastating diseases to $500-million-a-year pork production industry.
The United Conservation Clubs are among organizations pushing to have feral hogs listed as invasive species, which would simply outlaw them. A club official says the group believes the swine already meet legislated criteria for listing as an invasive species. Michigan's Natural Resources Commission considered doing so on Aug. 12, but held off after hearing from game farm owners who said they've invested millions setting up their operations and obtaining wild boar from Canada and elsewhere.
A popular YouTube video features hunters with wild boar they bagged at Bear Mountain Lodge near the Upper Peninsula's Negaunee. They compare the experience to stalking Russian boar in Siberia, a cutting-edge hunting adventure these days. Three Republican House lawmakers are proposing legislation to keep the ranches in business with increased state oversight. The bill would require ranch owners to pay a $1,000 fee every three years, install tougher enclosures, test all of their boars for diseases and keep detailed records of each animal.
The problem is that stronger enforcement proposed in the bill would cost $2.3 million a year, according to DNR estimates -- far more than the $40,000 or so the proposed fees would raise over a three-year period. With the state budget more than $1 billion out of whack, taxpayers can't afford to make up the difference. If the disparity can't be resolved through higher fees, invasive species listing might be the only alternative.
http://detnews.com/article/20100907/OPINION01/9070303/1007/rss07#ixzz0yrSZpaHy
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Family send pet pig to canine obedience classes
Fred Attewill - 31st August, 2010The Louden family weren’t keen on having a dog as a family pet so they chose what they thought was the next best thing – a pig.
They get a few strange looks when they take Patrick out for a walk but to them he is a ‘joy to be around’ and is even taking obedience lessons.
‘It’s like having a fourth child – he is brilliant, the kids are great with him and he’s great with the kids,’ said mother-of-three Catherine Louden.
‘He stays in the house, but cannot get up the stairs because he only has little legs and is a bit heavy.’
And she says he ‘socialises a lot more with different people’ since attending lessons at the Happy Dogs obedience school in Hurworth in Co Durham.
Former police dog trainer David Davies was more than happy to have Patrick, from nearby Shildon, join his classes.
‘Catherine contacted me and said she had been turned down by about ten dog trainers but I was very interested,’ he said.
‘He has come on leaps and bounds in the six weeks I have had him and is a joy to teach.
‘Initially I did not know she meant a pig, I thought it was an awkward dog when she said it was “a pig”.’
Mrs Louden said it was the family’s love of the film Babe that inspired them to chose a pig as a pet.
‘We have three little boys so we let them pick the pet we were going to get. They love the film Babe and we are not keen on dogs so we went with a pig. He has never gone for anybody and is rarely in a bad mood. He is a very placid pig.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/839618-family-send-pet-pig-to-canine-obedience-classes
Family send pet pig to canine obedience classes
Fred Attewill - 31st August, 2010The Louden family weren’t keen on having a dog as a family pet so they chose what they thought was the next best thing – a pig.
They get a few strange looks when they take Patrick out for a walk but to them he is a ‘joy to be around’ and is even taking obedience lessons.
‘It’s like having a fourth child – he is brilliant, the kids are great with him and he’s great with the kids,’ said mother-of-three Catherine Louden.
‘He stays in the house, but cannot get up the stairs because he only has little legs and is a bit heavy.’
And she says he ‘socialises a lot more with different people’ since attending lessons at the Happy Dogs obedience school in Hurworth in Co Durham.
Former police dog trainer David Davies was more than happy to have Patrick, from nearby Shildon, join his classes.
‘Catherine contacted me and said she had been turned down by about ten dog trainers but I was very interested,’ he said.
‘He has come on leaps and bounds in the six weeks I have had him and is a joy to teach.
‘Initially I did not know she meant a pig, I thought it was an awkward dog when she said it was “a pig”.’
Mrs Louden said it was the family’s love of the film Babe that inspired them to chose a pig as a pet.
‘We have three little boys so we let them pick the pet we were going to get. They love the film Babe and we are not keen on dogs so we went with a pig. He has never gone for anybody and is rarely in a bad mood. He is a very placid pig.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/839618-family-send-pet-pig-to-canine-obedience-classes
Monday, August 23, 2010
Pig wrestling canceled after porkers elude capture
Aug 22, 11:05 AM EDT
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) -- A pig wrestling competition at a county fair in northern Montana has been canceled after the porkers eluded fair officials trying to round them up for the event.
Fair office manager Shirley Embleton says the wild pigs spend the year on a 10-mile free-range property along the Marias River and about 30 are captured the Friday of the scheduled event.
But this year, fair officials were only able to locate one boar, despite flying the river. The event was postponed until Saturday, but neither the landowner nor fair officials could locate the absent pigs.
Embleton says next year, organizers will devise a new plan to locate and capture the animals earlier in the week.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_MISSING_PIGS_WRESTLING
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) -- A pig wrestling competition at a county fair in northern Montana has been canceled after the porkers eluded fair officials trying to round them up for the event.
Fair office manager Shirley Embleton says the wild pigs spend the year on a 10-mile free-range property along the Marias River and about 30 are captured the Friday of the scheduled event.
But this year, fair officials were only able to locate one boar, despite flying the river. The event was postponed until Saturday, but neither the landowner nor fair officials could locate the absent pigs.
Embleton says next year, organizers will devise a new plan to locate and capture the animals earlier in the week.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_MISSING_PIGS_WRESTLING
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Odd dream about flying pet pig inspires Nessie Project member's followup for ArtPrize 2010
RIGHT: A smaller mockup of the SteamPig for ArtPrize. The sculpture will be a 55-foot-long, 25-foot-high and 25-foot wide and made of the same foam that made up Nessie's body.Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 5:57 AM
Rachael Recker | The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Thomas Birks, a member of the Nessie Project team, remembers what could have been his first clue for his ArtPrize 2010 entry.
Birks would bring Cecilia, his potbelly pig, to visit his art deco Loch Ness monster, "Nessie on the Grand," that was a popular attraction in the Grand River during last year's arts competition.
"All of a sudden, the attention would come off Nessie and be on the pig," said Birks.
Nessie last year took sixth place and won $7,000.
Thanks to 2-year-old Cecilia, and what vivid dreams may come from owning such a pet, Birks conceived his ArtPrize 2010 entry, titled "Parcifal, The SteamPig," which is part floating ship, part flying machine, in the body of a pig.
Birks dreamt about his pet pig one night, flying and doing laps around the kitchen as she was strapped into a harness with Da Vinci-like wings.
"What was peculiar about it was that she seemed so happy and proud," Birks said.
Joachim Jensen, one of the other four Nessie Project team members, was sold on the dream. The two are embarking on what will be a smaller but more complicated and detailed sculpture than Nessie.
"This is going to be a bigger job, I think. I would say it's about three times the work," Jensen said. "I have a feeling I'm going to be at least as excited about this as Nessie."
The SteamPig pays homage to, well, Cecilia, even though the face resembles an Indonesian boar. But it also tips a hat to Grand Rapids' history in machinations, such as steam engines, as well as the Steampunk art movement popularized in the '80s.
Parsifal was named after a wandering knight of King Arthur's round table and the subject of Wagner's opera. It now has its own myth that can be read at steampig.com. It will be a 55-foot-long, 25-foot-high and 25-foot wide sculpture made of the same foam that made up Nessie's body.
The sculpture will weigh between 7,000 and 8,000 pounds, and contain about 60 pieces and 1,500 rivets. Jensen believes it ultimately will cost "a lot more" than Nessie -- more than $100,000.
The piece, which will be displayed in the parking lot of The B.O.B. facing Van Andel Arena, will be raised about 10 feet off the ground to dissuade the curious from climbing on it. ArtPrize attendees will be able to walk underneath it and stare into its lighted ribcage, displaying the wheels and machinations of a steam engine.
Painter Michael Knoll of Michael Knoll Paint and Design, will be painting the "earthy, old and dirty" colors of what's supposed to be a more than 100-year-old flying pig. Knoll also painted Nessie.
Work began last weekend on the actual sculpture at a downtown warehouse. Jensen looked anxious, but excited.
Said Jensen with a grin: "The chainsaws are sharp. They're ready to go."
http://www.mlive.com/artprize/index.ssf/2010/08/odd_dream_about_flying_pet_pig_inspires_nessie_project_members_followup_for_artprize_2010.html
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Cow Gives Birth To A Pig: Photo
IN Zimbabwe, a cow has given birth to a pig. (You don’t get this with cloned beef, readers!)Mr Tinos Mberi of Chatsworth, Masvingo, was amazed. He regains his composure to tell us:
“The whole body and size was that of a piglet. The nose and mouth was like that of a pig, except that it did not have a hairy body.”
How did this come about? Maybe the piglet as trying to crawl in and not come out? Mr Mberi has his own theory:
“I think it is the work of some black magicians. How can anyone explain such a horrible occurrence? It is the work of black magicians who are trying to scare me off the land.”
Masvingo Provincial Veterinary Officer, Dr Ernest Dzimwasha, offers his version of the happening:
“It was simply a deformed calf that looked like a pig. Some deformed calves may look like monsters and we also have some that are known as bulldog-calves. These may look like a bulldog but it’s all due to deformities, just like in human beings.”
A calf thing looks like bulldog!? It’s the ultimate dog food. Get Kim Jong-Il on the phone. We have a solution!
http://www.anorak.co.uk/255047/strange-but-true/cow-gives-birth-to-a-pig-photo.html
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Lucky pig made honorary citizen
RIGHT: Zhu Jianqiang the lucky pig, who survived for 36 days buried in the rubble of his sty by drinking rainwaterA lucky pig in China who survived the deadly earthquake of 2008 has been spared ending up as a meal - after being made an honorary citizen.
The pig, named Zhu Jianqiang, was destined for the butcher before the devastating earthquake struck China in May 2008, claimign 68,000 lives. He was buried under the rubble of his sty, and only pulled free a month later after 36 days without food.
Now Zhu - whose name apparently means 'strong willed' - is being thrown a 're-birthday' party by villager near Chengdu to mark his survival, and being made an honorary citizen.
They believe the fortunate pig brings them good luck.
'He is a good omen for all of us. He survived by drinking rainwater and eating charcoal and now he lives the life of a small god. It shows that if we get through adversity we can also be a lucky swine,' explained one villager.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/831050-lucky-pig-made-honorary-citizen
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sheep Or Pig? Curly Coat Causes Confusion
12:35pm UK, Saturday April 17, 2010Kirsty Donald, Sky News Online
The arrival of three curly coated creatures has caused confusion among visitors to a zoo.
The woolly animals may look like sheep but believe it or not they are actually a rare breed of pig.
Buddy, a male, and two females, Porsche and Margot, were brought to Tropical Wings Zoo in Essex as part of an education and breeding programme.
The pigs in blankets - officially known as Mangalitzas - originate from Austria and Hungary.
They have a small genetic link to the native Lincolnshire curly coat, which died out in Britain in 1972, an expert at the zoo said.
"Buddy has blond hair which is almost white, so people really do believe he is a sheep," said Denise Cox, education co-ordinator at the zoo."Everybody who walks past them stops because they want to know if they are pigs or sheep.
"We've got them here as part of a breeding programme to make sure this fascinating breed does not become extinct."
And the project could be working already, with hopes that the zoo could be experiencing the pitter-patter of tiny trotters before too long.
Ms Cox said Porsche is showing the early signs of being pregnant although it is still too early to confirm whether she is expecting.
Another sheep-pig hogged the limelight last month when actress Emma Thompson took a curly-haired companion to the premiere of the latest Nanny McPhee film.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Sheep-Pigs-Mangalitzas-Cause-Confusion-At-Tropical-Wings-Zoo-In-Essex/Article/201004315607324
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Police accuse woman of having sex with horse
POSTED: April 28, 2010
CLYMER - An Indiana County woman has been charged with having sex with a horse, state police at Indiana said Tuesday.
Dovie Lee Kerner, 46, of Plumville also allegedly had sex with other animals including a dog and a pig, court documents state.
The investigation began in November 2008 when it was reported by two officials from the Humane Society of Indiana County, police said.
One of the officials said she received a phone call from a confidential informant who asked her if it was illegal to have sex with an animal. When told yes, the informant said he had a video on his cell phone of Kerner having sex with a horse, court documents state.
Because of Kerner's alleged sexual activities with other men and animals, the informant, who had dated the woman, and his Jack Russell terrier both contracted sexually transmitted diseases, court documents state.
Kerner is charged with two counts each of obscene and other sexual materials and performances and disorderly conduct and one count of sexual intercourse with an animal.
The charges were filed before Magisterial District Judge George Thachik. No preliminary hearing date has been set, according to online court records.
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/529344.html?nav=742
CLYMER - An Indiana County woman has been charged with having sex with a horse, state police at Indiana said Tuesday.
Dovie Lee Kerner, 46, of Plumville also allegedly had sex with other animals including a dog and a pig, court documents state.
The investigation began in November 2008 when it was reported by two officials from the Humane Society of Indiana County, police said.
One of the officials said she received a phone call from a confidential informant who asked her if it was illegal to have sex with an animal. When told yes, the informant said he had a video on his cell phone of Kerner having sex with a horse, court documents state.
Because of Kerner's alleged sexual activities with other men and animals, the informant, who had dated the woman, and his Jack Russell terrier both contracted sexually transmitted diseases, court documents state.
Kerner is charged with two counts each of obscene and other sexual materials and performances and disorderly conduct and one count of sexual intercourse with an animal.
The charges were filed before Magisterial District Judge George Thachik. No preliminary hearing date has been set, according to online court records.
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/529344.html?nav=742
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Meet the Genetically Engineered Pig With Earth-Friendly Poop
Meet the Genetically Engineered Pig With Earth-Friendly Poop
Posted: 02 Apr 2010 12:05 PM PDT
Enviropig-ModelCanada has approved for limited production a genetically engineered, environmentally friendly pig.
The "Enviropig" has been genetically modified in such a manner that its urine and feces contain almost 65 percent less phosphorus than usual. That could be good news for lakes, rivers, and ocean deltas, where phosphorous from animal waste can play a role in causing algal blooms. These outbursts of algae rapidly deplete the water's oxygen, creating vast dead zones for fish and other aquatic life [National Geographic]. All living creatures need phosphorus, as the element plays an important role in many cellular and organ functions. Domesticated pigs get their daily dose from corn or cereal grains, but not without a struggle. These foods contain a type of phosphorus that is indigestible to the pigs, so farmers also feed their pigs an enzyme called phytase to allow the animals to break down and digest the phosphorus. But ingested phytase isn't as effective at breaking down phosphorus as phytase created inside the pig would be, so a fair amount of the element gets flushed out in pig waste. That waste, in turn, can make its way into the water supply [National Geographic].
To fix this problem, the scientists tinkered with the swine's genes to make the pig produce its own phytase in its salivary glands. When the cereal grains are consumed, they mix with the phytase in the saliva, and throughout the pig's digestive tract the enzyme works to break down the phosphorous in the food. With more phosphorus retained within the body, the amount excreted in waste is reduced by almost 65 percent, say researchers.
The researchers who created the Enviropig say it's not just eco-friendly, but it also cut farmers' feed-supplement costs. If the pigs eventually become common, they could also help U.S. farmers comply with "zero discharge" rules that forbid pork producers from releasing nitrogen or phosphorus runoff.
The Enviropigs will be raised only in controlled research settings in Canada for now, and experts say transgenic pork won't be landing on your late anytime soon; the new biotech pig will face years of safety trials to see if it should be approved for commercial production and consumption in the United States and Canada. No transgenic animal has been approved for consumption as of yet. But in 2008 the FDA announced approval of the first human health product made from a genetically engineered animal. The goat-derived anticoagulant, ATryn, is used for the prevention of blood clots in patients with a rare disease-causing protein deficiency
Posted: 02 Apr 2010 12:05 PM PDT
Enviropig-ModelCanada has approved for limited production a genetically engineered, environmentally friendly pig.
The "Enviropig" has been genetically modified in such a manner that its urine and feces contain almost 65 percent less phosphorus than usual. That could be good news for lakes, rivers, and ocean deltas, where phosphorous from animal waste can play a role in causing algal blooms. These outbursts of algae rapidly deplete the water's oxygen, creating vast dead zones for fish and other aquatic life [National Geographic]. All living creatures need phosphorus, as the element plays an important role in many cellular and organ functions. Domesticated pigs get their daily dose from corn or cereal grains, but not without a struggle. These foods contain a type of phosphorus that is indigestible to the pigs, so farmers also feed their pigs an enzyme called phytase to allow the animals to break down and digest the phosphorus. But ingested phytase isn't as effective at breaking down phosphorus as phytase created inside the pig would be, so a fair amount of the element gets flushed out in pig waste. That waste, in turn, can make its way into the water supply [National Geographic].
To fix this problem, the scientists tinkered with the swine's genes to make the pig produce its own phytase in its salivary glands. When the cereal grains are consumed, they mix with the phytase in the saliva, and throughout the pig's digestive tract the enzyme works to break down the phosphorous in the food. With more phosphorus retained within the body, the amount excreted in waste is reduced by almost 65 percent, say researchers.
The researchers who created the Enviropig say it's not just eco-friendly, but it also cut farmers' feed-supplement costs. If the pigs eventually become common, they could also help U.S. farmers comply with "zero discharge" rules that forbid pork producers from releasing nitrogen or phosphorus runoff.
The Enviropigs will be raised only in controlled research settings in Canada for now, and experts say transgenic pork won't be landing on your late anytime soon; the new biotech pig will face years of safety trials to see if it should be approved for commercial production and consumption in the United States and Canada. No transgenic animal has been approved for consumption as of yet. But in 2008 the FDA announced approval of the first human health product made from a genetically engineered animal. The goat-derived anticoagulant, ATryn, is used for the prevention of blood clots in patients with a rare disease-causing protein deficiency
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