Last conversation I had with marcus was that he recognised people wanted to keep pigs in a urban setting as does Richard Lutwyche in his book where he does say that it is ok to keep pigs in a garden as long as things were done properly. This of course should be the case, country or urban.
I have had many an argument with breeders on this and I try and see it from both sides.
In my opinion one of the problems is that the first thing that springs to breeders minds when you talk urban settings is that the pigs are kept in back yards with owners not having a clue about pig management and that they will probably be the next cause of a disease outbreak. And that city people are all morons who don't know about the ways of countryfolk and their animals. Now I agree this probably does go on, although lets hope there is no disease outbreak. But banning livestock from an urban setting won't ever stop the spread of disease. F&M both times did not start in a town, the first time it started with country folk. So to argue this point is fruitless. There is always going to be irresponsible people. But there is definately a place in the cities for pigs, chickens, bees etc.
However let me just put a few points forward.
a. People in cities are not always brainless when it comes to animal managment. many including myself when I lived in London come from the country and move to the city to get more money, however they still hanker after their own peice of the good life and care about the providence of their food.
b. Now lets take the place a pig would live in. London for instance has many large properties with gardens up to an half an acre, amply for keeping two pigs for the freezer for the short time required. Many of my country customers don't even have this much for their pigs.
c. Many urban pig keepers are more actively invlved in taking the pig from the hoof to the plate themselves. Unlike many smallholders who send their pig to the butcher to be butchered and will never smoke or cure themselves. Again many of my urban customers get the carcass back and smoke or cure their own meat as they are keen to do things themselves. Many also make their own bread and grow vegetables. Baisically they are keen to do the whole self sufficiency thing as far as possible
d. Without fail I have not come across an urban pig keeper who does not have the right equipment and the right paperwork. Obvously as I say there are people out there who are not doing things properly but so are there in the country. Many have been on pig courses, butchery courses etc. Many have the disposable income from the high wages to do things properly and spend the money with their country cousins thereby helping the very people who are criticising them to stay afloat.
e. There is just as high a risk of disease in the country as there is in the town, in fact a higher risk in the country. It is harder to hide a pig in a town but easier if you live on a farm. Two pigs in a town are more noticeable than two unaccountable extra pigs on a farm where to many people looking, they would just be one of the farm animals.
f. Many urban places we have delivered arks to are immaculate, beautiful fencing, everything tidied away. I know of many farms that are just s**t holes, pigs kept in broken down buldings, wire lying about etc etc, but hey thats ok as the pigs live in the country.
Most breeders will have sold a weaner or weaners to someone living in the town, we have sold quite a few over time and I would not hesitate to sell them again to those same people. I think it comes across as very insulting to the urbanites to say that they shouldn't keep pigs as pigs do not have a place in a city. Well they do. They inject money into those agricutural places on the edge of town which perhaps don't do as well fianicially precisely because they are on the edge of a town and more importantly by keeping pigs responsibly, they in some small way educate those around them on what is needed to keep animals. Neighbours often get inolved, looking after the pigs when the people go on holiday, or helping to make the suasages as one of my customer's neighbours did a while ago.
I have met some very BAD breeders in the country who I would definately not sell a pig to.
Sorry just to add, I am talking meat pigs not pet. I totally agree with all that is said about keeping pet pigs in a city for the rest of their lives and from experience seen, most pet pig owners treat their pig as they would a cat or dog, they don't bother with finding out what is legal etc, and many do not even know they are meant to have a movement licence. Pet owners certainly seem to have a different mindset from owners keeping pigs for meat
