England's farmers must keep their pigs happy with toys and straw or face a big fine,

Doglips · 01-29-2003, 02:18 PM

Pigs Can Go Hog Wild with New Toys
Wed Jan 29, 8:49 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo!

LONDON (Reuters) - England's farmers must keep their pigs happy with toys and straw or face a big fine, the government said Wednesday.

Farmers have been told to put a football, metal chains or hay in their pigsties to provide "environmental enrichment" for their animals.

The ruling, originally from the European Commission (news - web sites) and now being passed into law at home, is designed to stop pigs from getting bored and attacking each other.

"(It is) to allow pigs to forage with their snout, which is an important behavioral need," said a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Farmers can use straw and hay instead of toys if their sties have solid floors.

Anyone breaking the rules faces a fine of up to 2,500 pounds, DEFRA said.

Farmers recovering from the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic which saw millions of animals slaughtered said the legislation was hard to take seriously.

"It really is unbelievable," Neville Meeker, who farms 1,200 pigs in Wiltshire, western England, told Reuters. "Every farmer I've spoken to think it's hilarious."

Unusual EU directives are a staple of euroskeptic British newspapers which regularly lampoon "meddling eurocrats."

In 1999, Britain was the seventh largest pig producer in the EU, with over 14 million pigs being slaughtered.

NRAJOE · 01-29-2003, 02:20 PM

Footballs in with pigs!!! Thats sick, might be his sister or brother!!

alan c. · 01-29-2003, 02:26 PM

Here in Texas they put bowling balls in the pin to play with. It's supposed to strengthen the neck muscles for the livestock show.

NRAJOE · 01-29-2003, 02:28 PM

Cool, any pigs make it big on the PBA tour??

alan c. · 01-29-2003, 02:29 PM

Maybe the PBA tour. Heeee!!!!!!

NRAJOE · 01-29-2003, 02:32 PM

Ah! You must of caught me before I changed it!

alan c. · 01-29-2003, 02:42 PM

Yep!

01-29-2003, 02:18 PM	#1
Doglips Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cocoa Florida Posts: 9,088	England's farmers must keep their pigs happy with toys and straw or face a big fine, Pigs Can Go Hog Wild with New Toys Wed Jan 29, 8:49 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo! LONDON (Reuters) - England's farmers must keep their pigs happy with toys and straw or face a big fine, the government said Wednesday. Farmers have been told to put a football, metal chains or hay in their pigsties to provide "environmental enrichment" for their animals. The ruling, originally from the European Commission (news - web sites) and now being passed into law at home, is designed to stop pigs from getting bored and attacking each other. "(It is) to allow pigs to forage with their snout, which is an important behavioral need," said a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Farmers can use straw and hay instead of toys if their sties have solid floors. Anyone breaking the rules faces a fine of up to 2,500 pounds, DEFRA said. Farmers recovering from the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic which saw millions of animals slaughtered said the legislation was hard to take seriously. "It really is unbelievable," Neville Meeker, who farms 1,200 pigs in Wiltshire, western England, told Reuters. "Every farmer I've spoken to think it's hilarious." Unusual EU directives are a staple of euroskeptic British newspapers which regularly lampoon "meddling eurocrats." In 1999, Britain was the seventh largest pig producer in the EU, with over 14 million pigs being slaughtered.

01-29-2003, 02:20 PM	#2
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,209 Images: 3	Footballs in with pigs!!! Thats sick, might be his sister or brother!! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

01-29-2003, 02:26 PM	#3
alan c. Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pasadena,Tejas - also known as Texas Posts: 3,769 Images: 15 Blog Entries: 2	Here in Texas they put bowling balls in the pin to play with. It's supposed to strengthen the neck muscles for the livestock show. __________________ God Bless. From Tejas -- formerly known as Texas.

01-29-2003, 02:28 PM	#4
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,209 Images: 3	Cool, any pigs make it big on the PBA tour?? __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

01-29-2003, 02:29 PM	#5
alan c. Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pasadena,Tejas - also known as Texas Posts: 3,769 Images: 15 Blog Entries: 2	Maybe the PBA tour. Heeee!!!!!! __________________ God Bless. From Tejas -- formerly known as Texas.

01-29-2003, 02:32 PM	#6
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,209 Images: 3	Ah! You must of caught me before I changed it! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

01-29-2003, 02:42 PM	#7
alan c. Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pasadena,Tejas - also known as Texas Posts: 3,769 Images: 15 Blog Entries: 2	Yep! __________________ God Bless. From Tejas -- formerly known as Texas.