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Original poster

To say no to visiting pigs for Christmas??

317 replies

PigAuntie · 29/11/2019 18:02

My sister wants to buy my niece and nephew micro pigs for Christmas. They are coming to stay with us for Christmas so she wants to know if she can bring them with her!!!
AIBU to say no because

  • we don’t want pigs running around our house partly due to we have no idea (and neither does she) if They will be chewers/poo everywhere/cry all night plus they are tiny and will be at danger of being stood on
  • we have a 3 bed semi, with 9 people, Xmas tree, extra chairs etc it’s already going to be crowded enough and we don’t have the space to put a pig pen anywhere - the conversatory is already taken over by the guinea pigs cage. (C&C open type)
  • I don’t agree with animals being given as Christmas presents as Christmas is busy and chaotic and full of noise and lights and wrapping paper and choas. I believe a new pet needs to be introduced to a family in a calm and serene environment where they can get used to each other and the animal can retreat to a safe place when they need too
  • I also don’t think any animal should go an3 hour journey unless absolutely necessary or they have got used to car journeys
  • you need a permit to move pigs to another premises and I think are them not allowed to move them again for 20 days!!!
  • Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I don’t want it overshadowed by pigs!
  • we will all be drinking (as is the nature of Xmas day) so I don’t think we should be in charge of tiny piglets when no one knows exactly what they are doing with them.

On a positive note I have found out that DH is the perfect mumsnetter husband, his response was ‘fuck no, that’s all you need to say, just no, don’t need to justify it, we say no that’s it!! So I’m happy to loan him to help people with CF’s!!!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
clairedelalune · 30/11/2019 08:26

That pig's "father" is a slightly older piglet....

clairedelalune · 30/11/2019 08:27

Also a litter of 2 is very unusual

TheMidasTouch · 30/11/2019 08:31

YANBU. Just say no if she is stupid enough to buy them.

SheChoseDown · 30/11/2019 08:33

I am loving everyone's pig stories.... Pig tails one might say 🐖🤣

Many houses come with a covenant which states NO PIGS!

Apolloanddaphne · 30/11/2019 08:34

Your DSis is mad. Hopefully the landlord will say no and that will be the end of that.

CactusAndCacti · 30/11/2019 09:35

do people not realise they eat loads, shit loads and stink

Well to be fair teenagers are the same.

I am sure the deeds of my last house included not keeping a pig. Crazy.

coldwarenigma · 30/11/2019 10:05

do people not realise they eat loads, shit loads and stink

Well to be fair teenagers are the same.

Brilliant! Grin

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 30/11/2019 10:10

@ CactusAndCacti @ coldwarenigma Grin

thenightsky · 30/11/2019 10:13

That pig's "father" is a slightly older piglet

That's what I thought.

Streamside · 30/11/2019 10:15

They'll be in a shelter by Easter and will have to be fed and looked after by volunteers for the rest of their lives. We had a neighbour who bought large pigs and decided they would rear them at a rented house with no outbuildings.They lived on the side of a hilly mountainous area which experiences quite low temperatures.aWhen we queried why the pigs were outside in freezing conditions I was told by this very posh lady that they were a hardy breed who could find their own shelter.She'd read this in a book.A hardened farmer in the area took pity on them and provided housing and bedding.

fit4more · 30/11/2019 10:18

Your sister is nuts. Send her video links to the actual size that micro pigs grow to. What is she thinking! Her neighbours are going to be pissed off with the sound of squealing pigs!! Maybe tell her neighbours!

AlternativePerspective · 30/11/2019 10:18

“Pigs in blankets you say? Well yeah that’s very generous, only thing is, I’m not sure you should be giving them as Christmas presents as everyone will want to enjoy them and they’ll likely be gone by Boxing Day.” Grin

custardbear · 30/11/2019 10:20

Looking at the pictures of the pigs at 10:38 I think last night - does your SIL realise that just because the father isn't a fully grown pig now, he will be ... and so will all the babies, you don't get micro pet sizes be breeding with a not fully grown adolescent animal .... it's about genetics, not the size of the animal at conception
Your SIL is Dick I'm afraid

Bodyposiftw · 30/11/2019 10:24

Ffs. My parents have a dog and two cats. Even then I made sure they were 100% happy with me bringing my dog over for Christmas. You do not impose pets on anyone, let alone animals that are not meant to be pets.

WineOrGinOrBoth · 30/11/2019 10:30

It’s OP’s sister not SIL

Motoko · 30/11/2019 10:53

The breeder should be reported. They might have lots of conditions on their website, but they obviously don't follow them, because a responsible breeder wouldn't be selling pigs as "micro pigs", and they wouldn't sell to your sister.

I'm actually worried about those pigs, poor things.

We were thinking of getting pigs, but illness stopped our plans. We have the land, and would have done a pig keeping course. We already had a large flock of chickens and ducks, so had experience of keeping livestock, and had friends who kept pigs for breeding and meat, so were aware of all the regulations.

It makes me angry when people get animals without doing any research.

TremoloGreen · 30/11/2019 12:42

I really hope this is a wind up

No responsible breeder would sell two pigs to her, but this is obviously someone completely unscrupulous:

  1. They are marketing pigs as 'micropigs'
  2. They've lied to her about the likely size of the pigs
  3. They've clearly done no checks on your sister's suitability or that of her home
  4. They're doing something very wrong with their breeding if an unexpected litter of TWO has been produced

I would name and shame the breeder - what they're doing is disgusting

CottonSock · 30/11/2019 13:00

I wouldn't even let my sister in my house tbh.

cannycat20 · 30/11/2019 13:13

I'm a bit mystified by it all...what on earth is her reasoning for getting pigs?

  1. As people have said, pigs aren't pets, they're livestock; and as such, there are lots of rules in place. I'll be astonished if her landlord agrees, and if she doesn't tell him, and goes ahead, she does realise she's highly likely to get evicted/fined/reported to environmental health authorities and others?
  1. A friend of ours and her husband "sponsored" a pig that a farmer friend kept on their land for them - basically they paid for the bedding and the food and the other things the pig needed. The same friend keeps 3 rescue hens in her own garden, but they have a good sized coop and chicken run and you can see the birds are doing well. They also did their research first.
  1. Couldn't your sis do what most people do when it comes to pets for children, and get a couple of guinea pigs or hamsters first, or a fish? If she wants the kids to learn about animal husbandry and all, and you're not in a rural area where farms might hold open days, isn't there a city farm or something near her?
  1. Agree with everyone who's expressed concern about the ethics of the breeder and for the welfare of the pigs; and as for that posh woman on the hillside, well. I'm a townie through and through (or I was until about my mid-30s - 15+ years in the West Country has pretty much cured me), but I'd never dream of doing some of the stupid things people seem to do when they sell up and decide they're going to "move to the country". I'd certainly get good advice first and not assume I knew everything just because I'd read it in a book. Ooooh. This is WHY some of us townies get such bad reps!
SchadenfreudePersonified · 30/11/2019 15:08

An abusive father got fed to the pigs in the recent TV drama 'Gentleman Jack'
Maybe mumsnet HQ could consider getting some pigs that they could loan out when required...

It would give the Mumsnet "A"*-Team a break from laying patios, and a chance to clean the shovels off and wash our balaclavas.

*for "Arsehole" - if you have an Arsehole problem, we can help you dela with it Grin

SchadenfreudePersonified · 30/11/2019 15:10

Also a litter of 2 is very unusual

It certainly is! They can easily have a dozen!

Confusedbeetle · 30/11/2019 15:11

Totally wrong and very cruel and stupid. I assume her landlord doesnt know, someone should tell him. Pigs are out door creatures who need to grub about foraging. There should be a law against it

runningintothesunset · 30/11/2019 15:13

The ginger and black is because they’re part oxford Sandy and Black pigs - distinctive colouring. They get to be huuuuuuge, trust me

SilverDragonfly1 · 30/11/2019 15:15

I wouldn't advise her to get hamsters or guinea pigs- she doesn't have enough sense to be in charge of any animal and I guarantee they'd be dead of wet tail/eaten by foxes within 6 months.

justilou1 · 01/12/2019 02:37

Why do I think that your sister is the child and her kids are going to be bringing her up? I think a serious chat with the breeder needs to be had regarding reporting to authorities for selling to someone without the appropriate registration, etc.... they sound so bloody dodgy. Like puppy farmers. Would report anyway.

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