bolgre11

Forcedfedlies hasn't seemed to answer your question, so i'll speak from my personal experience keeping pigs (on a much smaller scale, of course).

Yes. Pigs have very distinct personalities, comparable to any dog, cat, or other animal people commonly keep as pets. They are incredibly smart, and can understand and take direction if trained to do so. They remember when someone hurts them or does them wrong, and sometimes will exact revenge if they feel it's necessary.

In all honesty, i'm not sure how an operation that large can be "kind" to its livestock. I tend to believe that such a conglomeration of a single kind of animal is grounds for abuse, simply because there's no way you can tell how any one pig is doing. Thus, one has to rely on consistent medications to ensure that pigs are healthy enough for consumption. You shouldn't need to give them medication if the environment (including the herd size) is favorable to their health to begin with.

I apologize, but how can you be so certain of that? You've stated elsewhere in this thread that you actually don't really see the pigs that much at all, because the mill you operate is off-site.

I also totally understand that the various medications you administer are a preventative measure, but the point I was making is that you have to rely on them to ensure that the business continues.

I fear if I continue commenting on this though, the discussion will shift away from swine production and delve into personal philosophies concerning preventative medicine.

What is your stance on GMOs in pig/livestock feed?

Right, but as far as you know. One can have a "small family operation" that still doesn't treat its pigs with "kindness." But the likelihood of it occurring is much smaller in comparison to a multi-faceted operation 100-times its size, because the accountability is much less direct just due to the very nature of said operation.

I'm super glad that the company you work for reports that there is no tolerance for abuse and that there are very few instances of it, i'd just never ever take that statement at face value.