[Sbom]

  just come across an advert on preloved for 'deluxe' m/cro piglets  picture of a piglet wearing clothes sitting in/on a pumpkin  .

After further enquiries it appears that the parents are  'performing pigs', which are licenced and certificated and regularly taken to a local theatre to do shows :-(

[Beewyched]

Hi Folks, I'm back 
Blasted laptop (see other thread    )
I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE SMALLHOLDER MAGAZINE - ARRGH!!!!!
1...2...3...
No, it's not working 
  I'll be getting in touch with them tomorrow 

[rispainfarm]

Bewycheed, did anything come of contacting smallholder, did you contact them?

[in the hills]

   I contacted them, by e-mail, and received an e-mail back saying that my complaint had been passed on to their advertising department. I have heard nothing since and that was a week ago.


If puppies were advertised in that way, I think lots of people would be  .

[Penninehillbilly]

There were some so called 'micro pigs' at Skipton, didn't see which lots they were sellling but some went for £2.00 ea and some didn't sell at a £1. perhaps we are abit too sensible for such things round here. if it had been earlier in the year I might have had a go and grown them for the freezer, but hopefully it will show someone it's not worth breeding them.

[rispainfarm]

same answer as i got 

[in the hills]

I have received an E-mail from Liz Wright of Smallholder magazine regarding my complaint about the inappropriate advert for micro/mini pigs she says that she has spoken to her manager who assures her that he wants to see any creative for such an advert in the future and that he shares my views.

[wendy Scu]

I don't have the knowledge base to ring that magazine and discuss their printing of such an advert but there maybe people on here that would wish to do so. I think it is worth you serious pig keepers taking a look. It is a full page colour advert. Piglets are shown beside crackers and xmas parcels and I think there would be complaints if pups etc. were advertised as possible xmas presents ..... let alone other issues as to whether micro-pigs actually exist and so on.


Sorry, not a pig keeper so maybe should keep out of it but couldn't believe my eyes when my daughter gleefully held it out 

Well i put a message on Smallholder facebook page expressing my concern at this ad and it was promptly removed by Smallholder. I then asked why it had been removed with no answer offered and my comment was again removed. I think the very fact that they allow adverts for live animals as Christmas presents is abhorent, never mind the fact that they are (nonexistent) micro pigs 

[nelson]

Hi Wendy Scu - I shared your FB this morning and minutes later found it all removed too. Glad I checked into TAS tonight as I couldn't understand what had happened. Here in France there are rehoming ads as micros have grown too large ...

[wendy Scu]

just looked at my post on here and realised i didn't do the 'quote' thingy properly 

anyway, the first two paragraphs of my post were quoted from the original poster! sorry

[Dan]

just looked at my post on here and realised i didn't do the 'quote' thingy properly 

anyway, the first two paragraphs of my post were quoted from the original poster! sorry

Sorted for you Wendy.

[wendy Scu]

thank you 

[Tudful Tamworths]

Well done, Wendy for pointing out this ridiculously irresponsible advert.
 
I just hope that any people reading this who aren't as au fait with magazines on the bookshelves don't confuse the aforementioned Smallholder magazine with Country Smallholding, which has never published any advertisements like this one.
 
It's easy to confuse the two titles. People often say to me, "Oh, you write for Smallholder magazine". Well I don't - I write for CS. I wouldn't want to be associated with a publication that accepted this kind of ad.

[rispainfarm]

Well done, Wendy for pointing out this ridiculously irresponsible advert.
 
It's easy to confuse the two titles. People often say to me, "Oh, you write for Smallholder magazine". Well I don't - I write for CS. I wouldn't want to be associated with a publication that accepted this kind of ad.

I think Tudful, you will find that I was the first one that brought it to the attention and not only on here as I feel as many of you do on here, its not a good thing to have in a magazine of standing.  I write for Smallholder and as a journalist who has been commissioned to write for many magazines including Pratical Pigs, i know that in many cases the editor does not see the adverts until the magazine has come off the press and put in her hands.  There is often no communciation between the advertising department and the editor. Liz I understand, did not see this advert until it was brought to her attention and has now taken steps to prevent it happening again. I am very happy to be associated with Smallholder as we all know or should know if you are in this industry that the advertising department is a law unto themselves. They have no morals when it comes to money in and that is any magazine.  I suspect that had courtneys petting farm decided to put an advert in CS, their ad department would have taken it wthout a second thought.  A journalist would soon be out of work if he stopped writing for all the magazines he disagreed with or inserted something that was not to the liking of the general public opinion.

[Tudful Tamworths]

Country Smallholding has refused similar ads in the past, Linda/rispainfarm. Fortunately, they have a good line of communication between their editorial and advertising departments.
 
The point of my post was to clarify the name of the magazine which was under attack - because, as I said, the similar names are often confused.