Monday, September 21, 2009

Why don't we just eat the green direct and spare the lives of the pigs!!

Healthy pigs make healthy pork
Image

Grain-fed Pork From Australia

The secret of nutritious and healthier pork is simple. Raised in Australia's clean environment and governed by Australia’s agricultural standards that are among the strictest in the world, Australian Pork is not only healthier but also more nutritious.

Australia is perfect for raising pigs -- naturally green, plenty of wide open spaces with abundant supplies of nutritious grain, and fresh pure water. The farms are located in country areas far away from any city pollution.

Living in such clean and hygienic conditions, it's no wonder Australian pigs are so healthy, free from all harmful diseases, and stress-free!

Veterinarians conduct regular checks and the Australian Government's stringent quarantine procedures ensure Australian pigs remain safe and healthy.

Unlike other pigs, Australian-bred pigs are not fed with swill. In fact, pigs from Australia are fed only the best high quality grains like wheat, barley, sorghum as well as high-energy crops like canola. These are the same grains that we use to make our daily food, like noodles and bread!

What you'll see in these pages are graphic pictures of animal slaughter.

For these farmers, this is a way of life -- the circle starts again.

Statement:

We are story-telling photo-documentarians. We provide these images as part of our work to illuminate the millennia old traditions of landed peasants.

Dealing with life, death and suffering, as these images do, they are likely to stir strong emotions in our viewers. Before judging their lives or our intentions, we invite you to explore these more thoroughly at our Romania Site.

Leashed for death
December means time to harvest the pigs

For those interested in the debate over Animal Rights and their use as a food source:

Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for Animals.

and

Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy.

For more check our books page.

December 1999:

Dragging to deathThey treat their animals with care until the day they're ready to dispatch them.

On that day, they tie the pig's leg across its chest and lug it along, keeping it off balance.

At this point, the pig realizes it's in mortal danger, and those who have fed it all its life are now its enemies.

Bleeding to death

But its howling squeals garner it no pity. Three men struggle to attach a second cord and pull its legs back to expose its throat.

One puncture begins an inexorable flood of blood, and death comes after a minute of unanswered trumpeting calls for help.

It makes a sound like a dying dinosaur.

Done

This pig almost broke free of its bonds, giving everyone a fright, and granting these men a higher feeling of accomplishment when it was dead.

Dead pig

Once they wash up, it becomes a two person job; two men disappear and the woman of the house takes over helping Petru.

Hay on pig

To clean the hair off the pig, they cover it with hay,

Hay fire on pig

and set it on fire.

Petru on the pig

They repeat this burning several times, scraping the hair off after each burn.

Petru rests for a moment, tuica in hand.

Chickens in the blood

They drag the pig away from its blood.

Chickens take advantage of some windfall nutrition.

Pig's eye

The pig's eye comes out to help drain out its blood, and is tossed away onto the ground.

Hooves

After a few fires, they peel off the hooves and throw them on the ground.

Eating the ears

Its ears have been heated so much they're now cooked.

It's considered a treat.

A stiff brush scrubs away the burnt skin and hair. It's the only way to get it clean.

Door for butchering

Everyone uses a door for their butchering tasks.

Moving the pig

This pig is 240 kilos (530 pounds) and it took five people to lift it onto the butchering table.

Preparing for the cut

They keep washing out its blood.

Here is the third flushing.

Peeled off legs

First to come off are the legs, torn off sort of like pruning branches -- cut and peel.

Cutting the head

Their next priority is to get the head off because it requires the most boiling before making it into sausage.

Pulling open the head

Marioara's mother died seven weeks ago, so in her forties, she's learning how to butcher a pig for the first time. Petru, her neighbor, is passing on his time honored wisdom.

They strain to crack open the skull.

Axing the head open

It splits open faster with a hatchet.

Slitting open the back

With the head gone, they move on to slitting the hide, ...

Slanina

... and ripping off the fat.

Mariora with the slanina

Marioara carries off the fatback, which they call 'Slanina.' Once it's smoked, it forms a staple part of their year-round diet.

Intestines

The intestines are piled into a plastic lined basket.

This is the point where things began to really smell.

Lungs

Organs come out and go into the soup.

Spine

The spine comes off of an ever-shrinking pile of flesh.

They work stoically through freezing temperatures. It was two hours before Marioara complained her hands were cold.

Bladder

A pigs bladder holds about two liters of urine (half a gallon.)

They tie off one end of the bladder to keep the toxic contents inside.

Marioara uses the urine from the other end of the bladder to help wash the stones free of the blood.

Tools

Go see how they prepare the meat

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