The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: manian on January 03, 2011, 07:34:02 pm
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is anyone watching the lakes tonight.
they have a piece in pet pig breeding!!!!
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What's the Lakes ???
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watching it now .... and this knowing the phrases "pet pig" and "micro pig" get my blood boiling before even hearing what is going to be said!
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I know what you mean little blue. My daughter told me her friends mom bought a micro pig for Xmas... My blood boiled when I learnt it was being kept on it's own. So cruel..
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What's the Lakes ???
its on itv 7.30 a tv programme.
.... and this knowing the phrases "pet pig" and "micro pig" get my blood boiling before even hearing what is going to be said!
i agree little blue
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Uh oh ! I'm NOT a micro fan >:( (in fact, I'm positively anti them and go out of my way to try and tell folk the TRUTH about them !)
BUT I'll watch the programme on i-player
I s'pose it'll be the 'founder' of the micro pig business up in Cumbria then - the one some of my fb friends are too well aquainted with ::)
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happy hippy i wont spoil your viewing by saying anything zip tightly closed
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AAAaaaarrrrgggghhhh - only halfway through and I don't know how much more I can watch ! >:(
I'll refer you to this thread for my views (saves me typing it all again ;))
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=11466.0 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=11466.0)
Grrrrrrr mini pig breeders - you've a LOT to answer for ::)
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Pfft !
Without putting all this time in ! (his words) aye right ! he shut his Tamworth in a trailer in the field and went back the next morning to see if she'd farrowed - that's NOT the way to do it >:(
And he's crying that they have to go - is that why he charges over £500 a piglet, cos he wants to keep them all ???
His paddock looks totally overstocked too, and I wasn't terribly impressed with his pig moving and handling ability - but then, not everybody can be as perfect as me ::) ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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you said it HH!
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and not forgetting his pig whispering talents
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Just watched this on itv player as thought id see what you were talking about,now i wish i hadnt,it was awful couldnt stop swearing at pc! just my point of view but i think the sad thing is everyone who watched it unless they know how it really works like us smallholders the tv public will think that its normal to shut a sow in a trailer for god knows how many hours to have her litter and to keep so many together in the same space. Crocdile tears i say.
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Yesssssss I forgot about that ! I'll need to tune in to see that marvel ::)
He can't be very good at reading their body language going by the reactions of some of his pigs towards him ??? let's hope he's better with the spoken word ;)
It makes me wonder though, I know what my pigs are saying by their grunts (as I'm sure most, if not all of us do) does that make ME a pig whisperer too or am I just piggin' mental ;D ;D ;D
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The bit that wound me up the most was he stuck the sow in the trailer and the voice over said all he can do now is to go home and to wait for the sow to farrow, then you saw him driving up to the field in the morning in full daylight then going to the trailer where the sow had had her litter to say that the piggets were far to big to sell to the public and they are 1hr 30 mins old,how would he know he wasnt there.
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yeah, all he can do is wait to the morning ??? I'm sorry, but that's b******* >:( all I can do is check my pig hourly, day and night from when the milk comes in until she starts to farrow and stay there throughout farrowing. AND mine are taken in a few days before to an easily accessible shed, with heat lamps and light (incase I, or a vet needs to intervene) and where was the sow's water in the trailer ? >:( And how come he, as someone who claims to care so much about his pigs, didn't know when she was due ? Or maybe he always waits til they're just about to drop before he moves them, given his less than ideal maternity unit - at the prices he sells piglets for he CAN afford a better set up :(
The bit that got my blood boiling (well, one of many >:() was when he appeared from an arc with a basket of tiny piglets, holding them at chest height as they tried to clamber out and was going on about how careful you've got to be with them -these extra special very small ones ! ::)
As long as shows like the Lakes keep putting on pieces about these mini mongrals without doing adequate research into what they are telling people, the public will continue to see these as an acceptable house pet and in a year to two years time rescue centres the country over will be bursting with maxi micros ! :'(
Ooooo rant over, I'm off to bed !
G'night folks :-*
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.....he charges over £500 a piglet......
Are you serious?? Like who on earth....? ???
OK, so I haven't watched the program, and I'm not going to now, but can somebody fill me in on the basics here? My understanding is that these are standard pigs selectively bred for 'smallness', which are then sold for high prices as pets - is this right?
So people really go through all the hassle of getting a CPH number etc, just so they can pay £1000+ have a pair of piglets running around at home? Am I missing something here, or has the world gone completely mad? :o
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What if we all write to the producers of the show and complain loudly, strongly explaining why the arrangements were so bad. And what sort of example does it give to new pig keepers. I thought it was illegal to keep any animal in a trailer overnight. Isnt he breaking the law? If so what about a mass complaint to DEFRA.
(Now I have broken my NY resolution already)
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now let us look at this constructively and at a distance
the first series was very good and no doubt had a high viewer count
there is going to be more on this as the series progresses
now the pigs themselves tammies crossed with pot belly(never yet seen a tammie with a belly like the one that was filmed)
yes happy hippy so much for selective breeding (if you are not first your last) all running together if he had he service date he would know the farrowing date what about the natural instinct to nest build and yes you are supposed to house them where they are going to farrow all he did was add to the stress she was suffering
the only tears were of joy was for the publicity he has obtained and not paid for it (in all probability he is being paid for appearing)
the new born piglets sh#te they were older than 1 1/2 hours old so much for selecting his breeding stock
now these piglets are sold not as pairs but singally now some points i have not covered because other posters have done
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My blood's still boiling this morning - and the facebook pages are heating up too ;)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/the-truth-about-minipigs/118404678171148 (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/the-truth-about-minipigs/118404678171148)
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didnt anyone watch "essexmas" (woteva it was called) bloke bought his girlfriend a micro pig 4 xmas, didnt look that small to me, kept in a crate in her house. poor thing, wont be there long.
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You've all said it all.
I was upset when I knew they were doing a piece on "Micropigs" but felt compelled to watch.
I'm just wondering whether, without the "Micropig" tag, the programmers would have accepted his practices so easily.
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http://www.pigsrus.zoomshare.com/1.html (http://www.pigsrus.zoomshare.com/1.html)
This is his site.
What i didn't like was the fact he was encouraging people to keep pigs indoors!!! as pets
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I'm sorry, but almost everything I've heard breeders advise about micro mongrals in terms of pig keeping is appallingly wrong and even on his own website he's being very economical with the truth ! An example :
The bit on the home page where he says "DEFRA'S INTERPRETATION OF A MICRO PIG IS A PIG THAT HAS BEEN BRED OVER GENERATIONS TO BE SMALLER IN ADULTHOOD THAN MOST OTHER SPECIES OF PIGS" is only partially copied from DEFRA's website - what the whole thing actually says is
"‘Micro’ pigs are not a recognised breed, but have been developed through selective breeding to create a pig that is smaller than those produced for commercial pig keeping. However, such selective breeding, as with other specialised domestic pets such as cats and dogs, can lead to animals which have genetic weaknesses or susceptibilities. A number of owners have also been caught out when their ‘micro’ pig has grown into a full size pig weighing 150-200kg. Because they have not had the facilities to care for an animal of this size they have had to make some difficult decisions."
Funny how he's ommitted to tell the whole truth, but that wouldn't be as public friendly (or profit friendly !) ::) Hell, I could set myself up with a tidy little franchise from "Little Pig Farm" for £10K and sell these micro's till the cow's come home if I wanted to - all their breeding stock comes from this 'founder' after all. But I've got a bit more sense and an awful lot more morals than these money hungry business people (because that's what they are - NO self respecting pig breeder would behave in this manner.
Ah, sorry - ranting again ! I really have to stop reading this thread ! ::)
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happy hippy your right they are mongrels
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At 3 months old Digby was smaller than our admittedly very large cat. At 18 months and 3 weeks he is taller than my friends falabella horse. He weighs more too. He was never supposed to be a mini pig, but could easily have been passed off as one when young.
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In answer to lillian's post about him probably being paid, and I hope I don't stop you from typing this time in disgust Lillian as indicated in a previous post. He would not be paid. I have done television work and you don't get paid, appearing on the show is usually considered reward enough. In all probability, he would have been approached or something would have gone into the local paper advertising for potential people. I feel he has done the trade no good whatsoever and it just reinforces what is already in the public domain, these pigs don't exist (did you see a small pig on the programme?) I personally think that the programme would have done more harm than good. You are obviously going to get morons who think they are cute and they want one, but on the whole there were no favours done.
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we have done television work as well we were paid although the last one we done was not paid i heard a while ago that you were into the mini pig market pigman is this correct friend of ours in the summer were determined to get a mini pig money no object the effort that went into diswading them from making a wrong decision was unbelievable yet they would not concider buying normal pigs
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There REALLY needs to be a high level programme (Watchdog or something similar) who are prepared to take on the 'micro' breeders to educate the general public - they have no reason not to think these breeders are right in all they say and do.
I've seen people advertise them for sale after owning them for a very short time and amongst other things they say in the ad that 'he enjoys mash and gravy' and another advocating feeding kitchen scraps - do these people not read the info that DEFRA send them ??? >:(
I have, and I know others have too, written to Watchdog about this subject, but haven't seen or heard anything to indicate they intend running a story :(
Without a major push to educate people to the probable pitfalls there will be thousands of these maxi micro's being rehomed in a VERY short space of time - probably just in time for Valentines when all the not so cute anymore and not so little piggies are replaced by the next celebrity gimmick ::)
Many of the breeders have had advertising bans slapped on them, so it amazes me that TV programmes are helping publicise what is (in MY opinion) an irreputable and irresponsible trade in live animals - a quick google of 'Little Pig Farm' or 'Valley of the Pigs' shows ALL the sides of the story - not just theirs >:(
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Lillian where on earth do you get that from, I have never owned anything smaller than a berkshire and never will. I am a traditional breed person. God don't people gossip. Pigs are for breeding and meat, not pets in houses. I hope that isn't being spread about, I will lose all credibility. :o
Just to add I have been working for the past nine months trying to get this trade stopped, writing to the media, getting the bpa involved and tradings standards as well as the NPA so you can rest assured my name will never be associated with keeping mini pigs unless they are ornements!
i have had numerous solicitors letters from the micropig people threatening all sorts if I didn't keep quiet, one even demanded £40,000 in compensation, so I am shocked to think this is going about. (in case anyone didn't already realise!!)
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sorry to hear about you personal battles i cant remember who or where we were informed at least you have the opportunity to to denounce it the letters are just saber rattling
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when i first heard about micropigs ( at the kids school actually) i thought they must be a certain breed of pig from another country, like the pot-bellied ones, when that craze hit years ago.
how can anyone expect a piglet coming out of a tammie cross be small? doesnt make sense. i thot the bloke in the programme was a bit odd, wudnt buy a pie off him, no matter a pig ::) :pig:
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dont believe all you see on TV. i live about 10 miles away from the place that breeds socalled micro pigs; and youre all right, he doesnt know how to look after pigs .ive heard one roumer that he has more piglets die than survive.and his pigs are very over crowded and filthy. his publicity could do him more harm than good hopefully!.
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I think it is common knowledge that alot of his pigs die and not just when he has them, some have died for unknown reasons soon after they have gone to the customer. I had one person ring up desparate for advice, her pig was ill and the vet didn't have a clue, however eventually the vet after reading up deduced it was a genetic disease. Unfortunately the pig died. How has he got away with things for so long, that was absolutely astounds me.
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What really shocks me is that, even with all the adverse publicity and maxi mini's that are showing up here, there and everywhere, there are TV programmes seemingly endorsing this trade. They only need to google micro/mini/teacup and do 10 minutes reading to know that all's not what it seems >:( They're either ignoring it cause it suits them to, or not spending any time on research ???
There's a mini pig breeding business for sale on ebay Pigman, see the thread 'please don't buy a mini pig for xmas' thread for the link to it !
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They even had two so called mini pigs on the sky 1 sports quiz show called 'A League Of Their Own' because David Beckham bought his wife two of them. :(
Ian
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I think it is common knowledge that alot of his pigs die and not just when he has them, some have died for unknown reasons soon after they have gone to the customer. I had one person ring up desparate for advice, her pig was ill and the vet didn't have a clue, however eventually the vet after reading up deduced it was a genetic disease. Unfortunately the pig died. How has he got away with things for so long, that was absolutely astounds me.
Your comments about the vet worry me. Our local vet was very up front about the fact she knew nothing about pigs.
We researched vets before we got our first pigs. There are very few in our area that can offer care for pigs. We contacted one before getting the pigs and got regsitered. We let them know when the pigs arrived and when they left so they were aware that we may call them during that period. We shall give them a call when we get our next ones.
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Vets do not spend as much time learning about pigs during their training as they do with other animals. So they are stumped when something unusual comes up. We had a litter from a tamworth die a few years ago, literally within two days of being born. The vet did not have a clue. We had a postmortom done on the last one which we had to knock over the head to prevent it suffering anymore. We told the vet we were doing this so it would not come as a shock when they did the pm. A few days later, he got the results back, had obviously forgotten what we had said and told us the sow had obviously lain on the piglets as this had a fractured skull duh!!! It was a very experienced breeder Brian Card who had had the same problems as us and lost quite a few litters before they found out the cause who told us what it was. So I don't have much faith in vets and pigs. We have heard of another vet who was called out to a sow who had given birth to four piglets but had been straining and straining, for quite a while so the vet in her wisdom thought she was prolapsing and sewn her up. She and the piglets still inside her died. Whether she had actually checked to see if there were any more piglets I don't know.
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what was wrong with the pigglets
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Well brian called it abbotstown e-coli, the milk was poisoning the piglets, there were no signs. The sow was healthy and well looking. The piglets just looked as if they had died in their sleep. You can inject the sow six weeks before farrowing then three weeks before, thinks that right, can't quite remember and that normally sorts it.
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.... that pr*ts on again!
Mrs Micropig nearly backed a truck over a load of weaners!! and he just stood there.... "woah, hang on!"
and is it really ok to keep that many pigs of all different sizes & ages all together?? ,aybe it is, but I wouldnt.
waiting to see the "smallest litter of micropigs" .... cross already!!
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I wanted to see them too >:( But hubby's banished me to the office ::)
Too much shouting and huffing at the telly - he said he couldn't hear it because of me :o Not that you need to be able to hear, to see what an idiot the guy is ! Walk up to a pig in the field, she doesn't like you and show's you this - whaddya do ? Well, most sensible people would leave the pig alone and go back later (or offer a treat to bring her round) what does this self proclaimed 'expert' do - pokes and prods at her, jumps about a bit and trys to get her to move ! Beggers belief, it really does.
Even my 7 year old was sitting there, giving it - you don't wanna do it like that.................... ! (wonder who she gets that from) ::) ;D
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OMG again
the angle of the ramp from the van was about 50 degrees!!!
and he parked to make it steeper......... they said it breaks his heart to let them go and hopes they are looked after!!!!!
grrrrr i suspect the vast sums of money helps!!!!!!!!!!!
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Did anyone else think the sow looked like she had a skin problem? Also no bedding in his specially built truck!
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Just found this
http://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/s/1407968_pigtastic__mini_pets_are_a_growing_concern#comments (http://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/s/1407968_pigtastic__mini_pets_are_a_growing_concern#comments)
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First time I had seen the program on TV, but what an idiot. All I can say is GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR >:(
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Did anyone else think the sow looked like she had a skin problem? Also no bedding in his specially built truck!
yes me and my family all commented on it!!!!
so much for 'caring'
manian :pig: :pig: :chook: :turkey:
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I'm not even going to start my whole rant again, I've not got the energy ;)
BUT for anyone who wants to comment to the programme makers - here's the email address viewerservices@itv.com
I would urge you to write to them with your views, concerns and point out how it's supposed to be done (my 7 year old knows more about pigs than this guy ::))
It's all very well us sitting here talking about it - if the programme makers don't know about it, they're going to keep on publicising mini-pigs. I'm sure they mentioned 'minature rare breed' pigs on last night's programme >:( :o Such lack of information, they've obviously NOT done any research into this subect - which is totally shocking and they are needing set straight, before every house, flat and caravan in the country has one :o
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I definitely agree write to the programme makers but dont expect a genuine response. I wrote twice from two different email addresses and got the same non comittal response each time. However the more people who do write the more chance of someone thinking twice next time.
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Vets do not spend as much time learning about pigs during their training as they do with other animals. So they are stumped when something unusual comes up. We had a litter from a tamworth die a few years ago, literally within two days of being born. The vet did not have a clue. We had a postmortom done on the last one which we had to knock over the head to prevent it suffering anymore. We told the vet we were doing this so it would not come as a shock when they did the pm. A few days later, he got the results back, had obviously forgotten what we had said and told us the sow had obviously lain on the piglets as this had a fractured skull duh!!! It was a very experienced breeder Brian Card who had had the same problems as us and lost quite a few litters before they found out the cause who told us what it was. So I don't have much faith in vets and pigs. We have heard of another vet who was called out to a sow who had given birth to four piglets but had been straining and straining, for quite a while so the vet in her wisdom thought she was prolapsing and sewn her up. She and the piglets still inside her died. Whether she had actually checked to see if there were any more piglets I don't know.
Sorry, i missed this Pigman - I think you were responding to me?
What I was trying to say is that we found a Pig Vet, not just a vet who will look at pigs, if that makes sense?