this little piggy...

...went to slaughter. The pigs have gone. Whew, finally, at last. And while the future looks rosy to think of filling the freezer with shoulder roast, ham, pork chops, and bacon, pigs are not something I want to do again. Maybe it's just me, but they are really high maintenance compared to my other animals. And since I couldn't bring myself to ring their noses, they trashed their paddock. It looks like a war zone. Seriously. Ruts and holes and furrows everywhere. I am going to have to borrow a tractor and completely renovate the pasture by first leveling it back out and then re-seeding the whole thing. 

Rings in their noses would have kept them from rooting, but at a pretty basic level, rooting is what pigs do. It's part of their very nature. And I believe that as much as possible, the animals here at Tulip Tree Hill should be allowed to express their nature. If I don't like it, then I shouldn't keep them. And I don't like it so no more pigs for me.