[John]

I don't know about European law but I do know the Spanish attitude to animals isn't the same as ours.

If I could bring them home, we'd have hundreds of cats for starters.

[SMD66]

How terrible. 
It seems to be the same story over and over, Mainland Europe just don't have the same standards as the UK in animal welfare.

[T C]

I have a house full of rescue animals, plus a horse that before coming to us didnt see the light of day, now she roams the land free, i have to work an extra job to pay for the upkeep of my clan, one of my dogs came from the farmer who killed the pig, he brings dogs to the farm dosnt feed them, they come to vist me and work their way in, last week we held an event and raised 2,300 euros for a rescue near by to try to get a roof on the shelter before the rainy season stats, alass it seems to have started already, but a group of kind hearted people will be woking in the rain for the love of these abandonded creatures, thank God for them, most of the rescue dogs will be found homes aborad,  they will be the lucky ones, the rest will rely on the brits whio give a few hours of their time to keep the place going, we are going to hold more funtions to raise money so more dogs can be taken in by the rescue at the moment it filled to overflowing, each dog thats rehomed makes room for another.

[Rubellite]

I have a house full of rescue animals, plus a horse that before coming to us didnt see the light of day, now she roams the land free, i have to work an extra job to pay for the upkeep of my clan, one of my dogs came from the farmer who killed the pig, he brings dogs to the farm dosnt feed them, they come to vist me and work their way in, last week we held an event and raised 2,300 euros for a rescue near by to try to get a roof on the shelter before the rainy season stats, alass it seems to have started already, but a group of kind hearted people will be woking in the rain for the love of these abandonded creatures, thank God for them, most of the rescue dogs will be found homes aborad,  they will be the lucky ones, the rest will rely on the brits whio give a few hours of their time to keep the place going, we are going to hold more funtions to raise money so more dogs can be taken in by the rescue at the moment it filled to overflowing, each dog thats rehomed makes room for another.

Well done, keep up the good work! I have friends who have moved to Spain and say come visit, I won't, because of the Spanish attitude to animals. Many years ago I went to a wedding in Spain. The Spanish thought it hilarious to catch the pair of doves who had been released as a symbol of love, and wring their poor terrified necks. The English amongst us were horrified and I have refused to return since

[T C]

I have a house full of rescue animals, plus a horse that before coming to us didnt see the light of day, now she roams the land free, i have to work an extra job to pay for the upkeep of my clan, one of my dogs came from the farmer who killed the pig, he brings dogs to the farm dosnt feed them, they come to vist me and work their way in, last week we held an event and raised 2,300 euros for a rescue near by to try to get a roof on the shelter before the rainy season stats, alass it seems to have started already, but a group of kind hearted people will be woking in the rain for the love of these abandonded creatures, thank God for them, most of the rescue dogs will be found homes aborad,  they will be the lucky ones, the rest will rely on the brits whio give a few hours of their time to keep the place going, we are going to hold more funtions to raise money so more dogs can be taken in by the rescue at the moment it filled to overflowing, each dog thats rehomed makes room for another.

Well done, keep up the good work! I have friends who have moved to Spain and say come visit, I won't, because of the Spanish attitude to animals. Many years ago I went to a wedding in Spain. The Spanish thought it hilarious to catch the pair of doves who had been released as a symbol of love, and wring their poor terrified necks. The English amongst us were horrified and I have refused to return since

Hi Rubellite before i moved to Spain i came from colchester, i was born and bred there, thats where i vist 2x a year to vist family and friends, we keep away from Spanish festivals refuse dinner invitations from the Spanish, unless we know them really well, the good news out of this is that with the british working very hard to bring aweareness of the need to treat animals with respect, opening charity shops to fund refuges,etc nagging goverment to help, the problem is less, you do have english folk wanting to go to a bull fight, they defend themselfs by saying its the spanish custom, well it was once the custom in the uk to burn people at the stake because they were thorght to be witches, where would we be if we all still held on to old customs? while holiday makers still want to vist such places we have no chance of stopping it.

[Roughlee Handled]

Back to the subject PIGs.

Today is Monday (well when I wrote this)

Last Wednesday I rang the abattoir and spoke to a girl about booking the pigs in.
"Can I bring them Friday" ME
"Er er Yes. Before half ten." Girl
"Ok thanks see you then." Me
"Can I have a name. " Girl
"Yes Stuart...."  Me
"See you Friday" Girl

A friend turns up to help load.  I have been loading the girls every other day for weeks, the pigs have been sleeping in the trailer. So it was quick and easy to get them in.

So I turns up Friday about nine. No one about! Ring the main number and....
"We do not do pigs on Friday only on Monday and Wednesday no liquid on see...." Slaughter man  "Yes your booked in .....I am gonna give someone a B@ll@rking."

The Slaughter man came and explained that because they do not have the liquid on they can not dip the pigs (to take of the hairs) so if I wanted them doing I would loose all the rind (fat and taste).  He said it would be a shame as they looked good.  
Booked them in for Monday.
I checked them in the trailer and they just yawned at me!!! Stressed no. Relaxed yes.

So back they came home.  Now they have 30 mins of motorway and 15 mins of bumpy A and B roads back home and when they got back they where very stressed and panting.  Oh poo I thought, never going to get them back into the trailer.
I had given away all my feed to the freind that had helped me load! So got them unloaded and when a purchased feed.

They would not eat allot as not in the mood.
It they would not even go near the trailer.
I left them to get cool down.  
At that night they did not sleep in the trailer I went out at 21:00hrs and they where sleeping out. I followed them round and where ever they lay (normaly on waste hay) I wet the hay and them.  I then called them to the trailer and they came but did not stay.

I left them to it.
Saturday slept out
Sunday day they came in once and slept.
Sunday night I checked at 22:00 and they where sleeping out.
Early start have to be there before 08:00!!! So up at 6 (normal) and out.
They where asleep in the trailer.    Tiptoed up and closed the ramp while they slept.  
Loaded and then filled out the AML2 movement form. I was there at 07:40 the pigs where cool and calm.  Waited for the person in front to unload then the pigs.  While I was waiting I looked at the other pigs. OMG mine are huge compared with the others.  My turn came to unload and would they come out of the trailer.
NO
It took three people to "encourage" them out.  Two by the ears and me behind.  Once there heads where out they wandered off sniffing the new smells.  

"There a bit bigger than you said, I about 120KG's" Slaughter man

That is twice the weight they should have been!!!!

Oh well live and learn.  

[John]

So it's RIP piggies, hello pork?

[Vember]

    


Hug for you x

[joyfull]

Hugs for you but also congratulations on finally getting there and going through with it. At least you know that they have had a very happy life, xx

[Roughlee Handled]

So it's RIP piggies, hello pork?

Hello possibly 180-200kgs of pork in total!!

[SMD66]

WELL DONE 

I know how hard this 1st 'journey' is.  At least you are getting plenty of pork for all that feed. 

Next time you will have a bit of experience under your belt and will feel more confident, know what to expect etc.

Are they being hung? when do you get your meat?

[Roughlee Handled]

All is going to the Butcher.  Wednesday/Thursday. Not sure when we will get it back home.

[Daftodil]

Thanks for the info on going to the slaughter house, all our friends think we will be keeping our two girls for pets - but that is not the reason why we have them. mind you if anyone had seen **** ( no names) lying in my lap fast asleep at the weekend I could understand why they think that way. That's another thankyou for the tummy rubbing trick, ours also like being rubbed under the chin, either one causes them to go weak at the knees and flop down - often on top of one of us. My hubby has just spent the last few weekend renovating a fallen down stone field shelter and putting a roof on it ready for when it gets too cold and wet to leave them in just the wooden field house. They do seem to be very affectionate with him (or is it because he goes out last thing at night to make sure they are tucked up). May be get a photo if the weather improves.

[Roughlee Handled]

How old are they?

[Daftodil]

They were born end of May, so 4 months. getting quite heavy now.