This past Monday, our Sustainability class visited the nearby Monteverde Cheese Factory, owned and operated by the Quakers since the 1950's. The factory itself is lovely-- por ejemplo, they only accept milk from local farmers who do not use antibiotics or growth hormones, and all of the cows are grass-fed. It doesn't hurt that the cheese is also amazingly delicious.
However, all of the excess whey that is created in the cheese production is sent to a local chanchera, or pig farm, to feed the pigs. Sounds like a good idea in theory, right? Yes, it is. And I must admit that the pigs are treated far better than they would be in a comparable facility in the States. Nonetheless, I am totally not a fan of confining animals that are far more intelligent than dogs, cats, or other livestock.
There were also a few beef steers on the property, that are kept indoors and fed the pig waste (aka undigested corn). Their enclosure was far dirtier than that of the pigs, and they all just looked sad. I didn't even take any pictures, since it was just upsetting.
Alas, here are a few pictures of the pigs so that you all may judge for yourselves.
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The sows waiting to be inseminated live in cages in which they
can move forward and backward, but cannot turn around. |
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| A lot of the sows could be seen chewing on the bars, probably out of boredom. |
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| Sows who have recently given birth are kept in cages as well, although the babies do have a little bit of space to move. (Note the slatted floors. Not a fan.) |
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| Poor little baby pig. I want it. |
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| The overall look of the barn where the sows/babies are kept. |
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| Another view of the sows/piglets. |
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| Outer view of the main sow barn. |
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| Pregnant sow in the delivery barn. |
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Slightly older piglets being trained to eat whey/corn, which
will be their diet for the rest of their lives. |
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More pregnant sows.
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