Ewww. I was channel surfing late last night and came across a show with all these cute little piggies running about on a patch of green grass. They were pink, must have been 2 dozen of them, and they played with each other and nipped at each other and looked absolutely darling. Little did I know I had been hoodwinked into watching a horror show!

So uh, apparently the hot links I occcasionally consumer are not the result of humane killing of some pig past it's prime. Oh no.....we are torturing babiy pigs and adult pigs alike!

So what did I learn/witness by watching this horrorfest of swine?

1. Pigs are actually as smart if not smarter than dogs. Some of these little pigs were actually taught to do tricks as a display of their intelligence. They are quick learners and can learn by watching other pigs and do not require treats as incentive the way many dogs do.

2. Female pigs are given hormones to grow fatter and produce larger litters. Once they have been impregnanted and have given birth, they are not allowed to follow their natural maternal and nesting instincts. Instead, they are kept in a cage according to their weight and forced to lay confined so that the little piggies can nurse. Momma can't even get up to go potty she has to shit/piss right there in her cage!

3. Little piggies grow their teeth rather quickly and as any baby would do, they teeth. In order to keep the piggy from nipping at his siblings or at momma, his/her teeth are cut! They pick the piggy up by his head, pry open his jaw and cut his teeth with small garden shears. They don't even give the piggy something for the pain. You want to see a depressed pig? Look at a pig who just had their teeth cut like a hang nail.

4. Oh and here's a doozy. In order to uh, curb aggression and slow maturity, they snip the male pigs balls off. Again, they pick up the little piggy (by his front legs) and hold him tight. While one farmer holds the pig, the other comes along with a box cutter and slices the balls clean off! I've never heard such squeals of pain and seen such frantic kicking before in any animal. They pour iodine over the open wound and that's it. Nothing for the pain, no sedation prior to "surgery". Supposedly this is also done to help the pig live longer.

5. The slaughterhouse. Let me just say, Hannibal Lector was probably a more humane executioner than what I saw on this program. These pigs KNOW that they are going to be killed. It's a scary thing to see a pig struggle for it's life and even more scary to witness them killed while they are STILL ALIVE!

I'm done! Grossed out and done!

I thought you were going to say you got one with a toenail in it.

The pig is a totally amazing animal. I mean, we get pepperoni, ham, sausage, Canadian bacon, pork chops, hot dogs, and footballs all from this one animal. Absolutely amazing.

Efan said:

The pig is a totally amazing animal. I mean, we get pepperoni, ham, sausage, Canadian bacon, pork chops, hot dogs, and footballs all from this one animal. Absolutely amazing.

And lard! Don't forget lard!

[Edited 2/3/11 10:49am]

.... Since a dick look like a sausage...

Yeah Food, Inc The future of food and Michael Pollan opened my eyes to a lot of stuff I shovel down my gullet, not that I've stopped shoveling just that I'm aware of it.

Genesia said:

Efan said:

The pig is a totally amazing animal. I mean, we get pepperoni, ham, sausage, Canadian bacon, pork chops, hot dogs, and footballs all from this one animal. Absolutely amazing.

And lard! Don't forget lard!

[Edited 2/3/11 10:49am]

How could I forget! I kind of want to render lard sometime, but I'm afraid it'll really stink up my apartment.

morningsong said:

Yeah Food, Inc The future of food and Michael Pollan opened my eyes to a lot of stuff I shovel down my gullet, not that I've stopped shoveling just that I'm aware of it.

and

Solution: Don't watch that shit and pass the chitlins!

Efan said:

The pig is a totally amazing animal. I mean, we get pepperoni, ham, sausage, Canadian bacon, pork chops, hot dogs, and footballs all from this one animal. Absolutely amazing.

I thought those were made from cow hide. Damn, poor pigs can't catch a break!

HotGritz said:

Efan said:

The pig is a totally amazing animal. I mean, we get pepperoni, ham, sausage, Canadian bacon, pork chops, hot dogs, and footballs all from this one animal. Absolutely amazing.

I thought those were made from cow hide. Damn, poor pigs can't catch a break!

They always call it "the pig skin." I've never actually looked into it, though.

Efan said:

Genesia said:

And lard! Don't forget lard!

[Edited 2/3/11 10:49am]

How could I forget! I kind of want to render lard sometime, but I'm afraid it'll really stink up my apartment.

It definitely will - for a few days, at least. If I'm going to do that, I always make sure I do it in the spring or fall - when I can have the windows open.

A better option might be to see if you can buy some - in Chinatown, maybe?

I'm sitting here reading this and drooling thinking about that nice BLT sandwich I'm going to have for lunch today!

Ur all going to bacon hell! I hope a big hairy boar fucks u skrait in yo ass!

I eat meat, but I don't like to eat pork because I know pigs are intelligent. Farming can be cruel to any animal, but somehow for pigs it seems worse.

I might be hypocritical, but oh well.

HotGritz said:

Ur all going to bacon hell! I hope a big hairy boar fucks u skrait in yo ass!

That's an oxymoron.

Genesia said:

HotGritz said:

Ur all going to bacon hell! I hope a big hairy boar fucks u skrait in yo ass!

That's an oxymoron.

Aw dayum!

U know what?

=

SCNDLS said:

morningsong said:

Yeah Food, Inc The future of food and Michael Pollan opened my eyes to a lot of stuff I shovel down my gullet, not that I've stopped shoveling just that I'm aware of it.

and

Solution: Don't watch that shit and pass the chitlins!

I do try, but then the need for a smothered pork chops gets a bit too much. It ain't like you can go kosher with it.

I want to hold a baby pig. Just cuddle it and rub on it's little snout. The more I think about it...snouts are kinda cute. They look like really large electrical sockets.

morningsong said:

SCNDLS said:

and

Solution: Don't watch that shit and pass the chitlins!

I do try, but then the need for a smothered pork chops gets a bit too much. It ain't like you can go kosher with it.

I ain't even trying.

Bacon taste good . . . poke chops taste good . . .

HotGritz said:

I want to hold a baby pig. Just cuddle it and rub on it's little snout. The more I think about it...snouts are kinda cute. They look like really large electrical sockets.

Well, plug that sucker in and let's have lunch.

possible solution? raise your own pig to "harvest" you don't have to cut it's teeth or castrate it. AND you will soon see the thing ain't cute for long...it's a big nasty stinky beast that will bite you if you let your gaurd down. damn glad mines in the freezer now!

mmm...forgot to mention fresh home made sausage! and bacon! YUM!

[Edited 2/3/11 11:55am]

Oh hellz nah....my pig, if i was so lucky to procure one and raise him from piglet, would never bite me.

I wonder though, if I could train it to bite others. Or at least stampede them. Those hoofs are sumthin' aint they? Look like ugly doc martens or something.

They trained a pig to ring the friggin' doorbell with his snout! How cute is that?

HotGritz said:

I want to hold a baby pig. Just cuddle it and rub on it's little snout. The more I think about it...snouts are kinda cute. They look like really large electrical sockets.

Baby pigs are cute. Grown ones are cute too, and friendly, but they have course hair like wire, and they can knock you down when they come up to greet you

NDRU said:

I eat meat, but I don't like to eat pork because I know pigs are intelligent. Farming can be cruel to any animal, but somehow for pigs it seems worse.

I might be hypocritical, but oh well.

weird. me too.

HotGritz said:

Oh hellz nah....my pig, if i was so lucky to procure one and raise him from piglet, would never bite me.

I wonder though, if I could train it to bite others. Or at least stampede them. Those hoofs are sumthin' aint they? Look like ugly doc martens or something.

They trained a pig to ring the friggin' doorbell with his snout! How cute is that?

unless you got that thing in the house with you (oh lord) it's a fuckin nasty beast. sure...it's smart...but it's a beast non the less. shits and pisses while it eats. rolls around in it because it wants to.

Genesia said:

Efan said:

How could I forget! I kind of want to render lard sometime, but I'm afraid it'll really stink up my apartment.

It definitely will - for a few days, at least. If I'm going to do that, I always make sure I do it in the spring or fall - when I can have the windows open.

A better option might be to see if you can buy some - in Chinatown, maybe?

There's a great butchery called The Flying Pig that sells lard in the Green Market in Union Square. But they won't be back till the spring. Meanwhile, I'm kicking myself for not stocking up and freezing some.

Efan said:

Genesia said:

It definitely will - for a few days, at least. If I'm going to do that, I always make sure I do it in the spring or fall - when I can have the windows open.

A better option might be to see if you can buy some - in Chinatown, maybe?

There's a great butchery called The Flying Pig that sells lard in the Green Market in Union Square. But they won't be back till the spring. Meanwhile, I'm kicking myself for not stocking up and freezing some.

You don't even need to freeze it - unless you really, really want to. Lard is a very stable fat. It does just fine in the frig.

Shorty said:

possible solution? raise your own pig to "harvest" you don't have to cut it's teeth or castrate it. AND you will soon see the thing ain't cute for long...it's a big nasty stinky beast that will bite you if you let your gaurd down. damn glad mines in the freezer now!

mmm...forgot to mention fresh home made sausage! and bacon! YUM!

[Edited 2/3/11 11:55am]

hogs that dont have their nuts cut taste "boar-ish" , if that makes sense...its a very strong taste...off with their nuts if I'm gonna eat 'em, that's one reason I don't care for wild hog meat...every once in a while, you can get pork from the supermarket that has that same strong taste...obviously that hog was tucking a third testicle somewhere...

Genesia said:

Efan said:

There's a great butchery called The Flying Pig that sells lard in the Green Market in Union Square. But they won't be back till the spring. Meanwhile, I'm kicking myself for not stocking up and freezing some.

You don't even need to freeze it - unless you really, really want to. Lard is a very stable fat. It does just fine in the frig.

Ah, thanks.