[sausagesandcash]

I have a friend who's a vegetarian. She's a lovely, non judgemental, woman who is no stranger to throwing a steak in the pan for her husband (He often cooks for her too!). She would readily admit that she needs to take supplements to make up for what nutrients she doesn't get from eating meat. It's her personal choice, and I respect that. She doesn't try and force her ideas on me, and I don't force mine on her. That's the way it should be....in my humble opinion. 

[Hilarysmum]

As Anirbas 123 admits to signing on here just to state her views on our pig production and has not commented further is it possible she is a troll?

[doganjo]

troll being a better word for guest!  Have seen these beasties on other forums and they do untold harm sometimes!

[Fluffywelshsheep]

I am mainly a vegaterian but not a strick one, If i produced my own meat then i would eat it !!! The problem is that some people just see the words 'people eating animals' and they go off on a tangany but they don't stop and look and think, The reason why lots of people are smallholer are for the fact that they don't like the way that some commercial farmers treat their animals.
i wouldn't call these people trolls just missgiven and they could direct their energies towards better things. they should direct the 'bad' energy toward the bad companies and goverment that agree with the bad companies

[Hilarysmum]

Well said, although it would be nice if she were able to have a discussion put her point of view listen to ours, etc. without just coming on for one rave then disappearing.

[sausagesandcash]

Seconded. It's hard to have respect for someone who does a 'hit and run'. 

[xxmillyxx]

OMG please don't wish her to come back LOL

She needs to go to nursery school remember finger painting waiting LOL

[Hilarysmum]

 

[Fluffywelshsheep]

lol do you know what they person has acually put their email address on their profile,
I don't think they have got the hit and run thing down to par !!!!

[pegusus pig]

I had the kids so i could carry on finger painting!! its so much fun!! as are mud pie, splashing in puddles and our number one favorite is a water fight!! What it is to be a kid!!!

People like her make my blood boil, yes she's allowed her oppion but when there is so much cruelty and suffering in the world she would be better using her energy to try and help something that really needs her help. I have allot of friends who are vegetarians or vegans, and spend many a night having decisions on this subject. At the end of the day we are meat eaters and we provide what we eat, taking account for the wellfair of the animals in our care.

 Hopefully she gone and chained herself to a tree so we wont be hearing from her again!!

[Malc]

I've just been to check the pigs. I gave one lad a scratch behind his ears and a back rub. He squeaked with pleasure. Next week I'll take him to slaughter knowing he's had a decent, happy life with plenty to eat, somewhere warm to sleep and space to behave naturally.

The point is that he wouldn't have had that life if we didn't eat meat. He wouldn't have existed.

I'm weary of arguing about the negative effect of vegetarianism and veganism on the environment. Organic farming in the UK would virtually collapse without livestock production and, in time, much of the land would produce less and less until it became a chemical desert - ask any East Anglian wheat baron whether he's getting the same yields as 20 years ago.

Sabrina or whatever her name is a coward taking a pop at us small-timers when, as Dan said, she would be better spending her time campaigning against factory farming.

. . . and, for what it's worth, I'd go for Saddlebacks every time - friendly, easy to handle and delicious (so my customers tell me) - but the truth is there's something to be said for all breeds and I often think we spend too much time agonising over which is best

[Hilarysmum]

If just keeping a couple of pigs for meat the choice is endless, and the delights of comparing each different breed (am beginning to sound like HFW).  For breeding its again a matter of choice, I love tamworths, but find them too lively for my advancing years so now stick with the extremely docile Gossies.

[DavidnChris]

We went off topic just a lot there, so can I go back to the original question.
I went to see some pigs the other week as we're about to buy our first 2. These will be fattened up to bacon weight. Well that's the plan, having spent all this money on an arc, fence and now a bloomin' trailer, I am now presented with the dilemma of which breed because I had settled on Saddlebacks but the lady who has the ones we went to see has just rung me and they are not all sold after all. They are Large Black / Lop Eared crosses.
Any body got any advice and hopefully the topic won't be hijacked by a veggie this time.

[Hilarysmum]

Whatever breed you go for, you have to like what you see.  Look at as many breeds as are available in your area if you can.  You will see one that particularly appeals. 

For taste, personality and beautiful looks and colour you cant beat a tamworth (imho). For bacon tamworths every time, but make sure you have really good fencing.

For ease of handling (again in my opinion) GOS.  Although I believe anything with lop ears is easier to handle. (Our Hilary being the exception that proves the rule in case you have read earlier postings). 

 

[DavidnChris]

Thank you for that, Tamworths do look nice but I'm seriously put off by their love of escapology, as I've read on here. Bit limited on choice in this area  and the only ones I've seen so far are the Large Black / Lop crosses. A nearby breeder has the Saddlebacks which we are  considering.
I'd like easily handled ones for first time until I get the idea of how to take them from the trailer to the arc area, this is up a fairly steep hill and then back down again when they are much bigger. Also after the first ones I may have some idea as to how strong my fencing is. I'm going for sheep netting on round posts and barbed wire 4" up from the bottom. Netting on the outside of the posts barbed wire on the inside.