Warning
I would like to start by saying, not all pig owners are like this, I would say it’s a minority that behaves the way I’m about to describe. I have seen this every year I´ve shown, and I expect to keep seeing it. If you are sensitive to reading about abuse, I do not recommend reading further. This is what is expected of a person selling pigs, http://counties.agrilife.org/liveoak/files/2011/07/PorkQualityAssurance_36.pdf
Abuse
Some people are not very kind to their pigs. Some people hit their pigs hard, some hit their pigs when it’s unnecessary, and some don´t give their pigs basic necessities. Every now and then you’ll see a pig with welts on it from the owner whipping it too hard. It’s common to see a person kick their pig, usually it’ll be in the face. I´ve witnessed people not give their pig food or water enough. Some people don´t clean the pen and shavings out often enough or at all. At the fairgrounds, everyone gets the same size pen, but at someone’s personal barn it’s different. There are people who do not give their pig a healthy amount of room to live.
Food
Everyone makes a different mix of feed. Most people use, pig feed, whole kernel corn, oats, and other nutritional foods. The mix is based on the pig’s weight, the proximity to the fair, and what the it looks like. A good-looking pig will have a big belly but no bloated, to accomplish this you’ll use a filler (ex. oats). As a treat, people might feed their pigs eggs and marshmallows. Pigs will eat anything you give them, edible or not.
The Look
Your pig must be over two hundred pounds and under three hundred to enter in fair. It should have a balance of lean (muscle) and fat. Some people do everything they can to accomplish this balance, including the use of steroids. At fair, you´ll see people with several tubs of steroids, protein powder, and other substances. This can be harmful, because it can cause heart defects. It seems healthy and unnatural to try to bulk up your pig and let people eat it.
The End
When the fair is over, your pig goes to the butcher truck. I watched my pig go my first year and I´ve never stayed in the barn when pigs are being taken after that. I´ll see it happening though when I´m walking by. Your pig gets a stripe spray-painted on its back, letting the workers know to take it. The worker will open the gate and hopefully, your pig runs out towards the truck. If not the worker will herd the pig out and whip/hit it to the truck. It doesn´t sound bad, but the workers are not gentle at all. They hit the pig as hard as they can and will pull it on the truck by itś ears. Of course, the pigs are screaming the whole time this is happening, so it´s very traumatic.
Conclusion
This is something as a pig shower you have to decide you´re comfortable with or learn to live with it. It´s something I deal with almost every time I´m with another person who shows pigs. It´s not easy and I still get very upset when I witness this abuse, but it’s a price I pay to have the experience I do.