[Tiva Diva]

Personally I would like to feed my pigs waste from plants and animals produced on my farm. I'd be happy to go through red tape  for the sake of reduced feed costs and lack of waste. OK, at present I can give them waste veg (straight from the garden) and waste milk if I register. I can't feed them an old hen past laying, or a rabbit that I shoot, despite the fact that the hen and rabbit could have been wandering around in the pigs' pen the previous day. Daft or what? Plus, I'd like to feed them some of the offal from our lambs. I HATE waste, and I'm not sure that the current levels of food waste are sustainable nationally.


Oh, and humans can't catch FMD. Hand, foot and mouth disease, which we can catch, is an unrelated disease.


During the 2001 FMD outbreak, a farmer friend saw 2 walkers rambling across one of his fields despite it being "closed" due to the restrictions. Understandably furious, he (politely) challenged them, to which they responded: "Oh, we can't carry FMD, we're vegetarians!"!

[Bumblebear]

But who is to say your eggs and milk haven't come into contact with contaminated meat.

How? This is what I dont understand the eggs come from my hens and the milk from my goats and I dont eat meat that I haven't produced (only chooks sofar).  I'm no biologist so excuse my ignorance of the disease I just genuinely dont get it.  I feed my pig pellets and the cost isn't an issue as I have only kept these two wearers and theyll be off soon, but I am struggling with the fact that the food I eat and feed my family is not good enough for pigs!

[rispainfarm]

lol i agree diva, its ok if the pig helped himself to that hen but god forbid if you actually handed it to him.  Bumblebee, its nothing to do with the food isn't good enough, its how I said in my previous post, there has to be a blanket ban to cover everyone, not all pig owners think sensibly. So to ensure that that everyone is forced to comply with feeding in a way that will prevent disease, they have to bring in this rule. And to be honest, you may have food that hasn't be contaminated, but what about joe bloggs who might feed his pigs scraps down the road, can you guarantee his food hasn't be contaminated by meat.

[Beewyched]

... The problem I see though, even a blanket ban does not stop people giving illegal food, I can guarantee that a very high percentage of pet pigs owners that think pet pigs can live in houses will be giving them food from the kitchen. This law as it stands or any law involving food and what not to give is unenforceable the way i see it in any case

Very good point Liz 
 

[tizaala]

With milk and eggs being imported from Africa, India and South America , and other third world toilets. Even European produce is not safe.
  Do you want to be the one resposible for the next outbreak ?

[Beewyched]

With milk and eggs being imported from Africa, India and South America , and other third world toilets. Even European produce is not safe.
  Do you want to be the one resposible for the next outbreak ?

Definately not Tiz    just trying to start a debate here - not an arguement - honest 

[rispainfarm]

Beewyched,  Much as I like the name Liz, my name is LINDA!!! By the way just seen you are in west scotland, whereabouts, you could just be down the road from me

[Beewyched]

Sorry Linda     Karen did introduce us, but I'm not too good remembering names - I blame the "fibro-fog" myself 
We're the top end of Renfrewshire, about 15 miles West of Glasgow 

[rispainfarm]

omg, when did karen introduce us, was it at wigtown show??? I think I remember you if it was, how are you. Are you going up to forfar?

[Beewyched]

Yea - that's me, the one with the purple hair 
Will definately be going to Forfar, as Daisy qualified for the Young Pig of the Year & taking her mum, Maisie, & my other run-on gilt from this year Primrose (neither of whom have been shown before & I haven't started any ring-craft with them yet - so it should be a great    )
Just noticed it's stopped raining - be back when the next    starts 

[rispainfarm]

Good luck and hope we bump into one another.

[sabrina]

Not worth the risk.

[rispainfarm]

lol sabrina, what running into me or showing pigs

[Beewyched]

lol sabrina, what running into me or showing pigs

[Bumblebear]

Hmmmmm, well according to Wiki foot and mouth is an airborne disease also carried by clothes etc SO if I had contaminated feedstuffs in my kitchen then I would be potentially carrying it on me anyway.  Interestingly it also says it is destroyed by heat I.e. cooking.  I also didn't realise that the latest outbreak was most probably  caused by a research facility releasing the virus rather than the poor animals eating contaminated food...
"Food" for thought......