The field in which we keep our pig is bisected by a public footpath. This has never been a problem until now - the pigs are all in stock fenced and electric fenced enclosures which we rotate around the field every 6 months or so. The pigs are very popular with the local villagers who stop and chat and have names for them all, and bring their kids/grandchildren to look at the pigs and so on. Sometimes people brings apples to feed to them, sometimes veg peelings and old bread etc - this is not a practice we have encouraged or condoned but we know it happens because we see stray bits the pigs have rotted through the fence.
Obviously we are very scrupulous about observing DEFRA regs re what we feed our pigs but passersby tossing stuff in is hardly something we can control. To be clear we are not talking meal slops but veg peelings etc - we ourselves always top and tail carrots and peel outer leaves of cabbages etc at the allotment before they make it to our kitchen so we can feed them to the pigs with impunity. For all we know the anonymous donors could be doing the same.
The question is where do we stand legally with DEFRA on this? Are we liable for whatever our pigs eat regardless of whether we give it to them or not? Or is having enclosures and a 'Do Not Feed The Pigs' sign adequate measures on our part?
As mentioned at the start up until now everyone locally has been (outwardly) very friendly and supportive of our pig keeping, but suddenly one person has complained to the Parish council and is threatening to take it to County council, DEFRA and whoever else they can find, that we feed our pigs waste, that they are illegally overstocked (7 pigs in about an acre at a time, rotated around a 5 acre field), etc etc. Most of it palpable nonsense, but I can well imagine the person in question will produce photographs of a pig with half a baguette in its mouth, and I would like to know how much of the onus is on us on this?
Does anyone know what our position is?