The biggest stink

The kids had voice and music lessons on Friday. We found out that one of the boys that lives at the house we have lessons at was taking care of these pigs at a pig farm. One of the female pigs had just had piglets and he asked if we wanted to go and see them. Of course, we said yes, not really knowing what we were getting into!

Before we went in, the boy was telling us how much it stinks. Now I think I can say I pretty much know about stink! Between all the poop I stand in, the smell of the ranch in general, and the stink of the dogs rolling in dead cows and other disgusting things, I think I know a good stink when I smell it.

But nothing compares to the stink of a pig farm!

It was pretty cool to see the male pigs. They are enormous!  And then there were the moms who were still nursing and all of their little piglets. Then there were the brand newborn piglets and they were so tiny and sweet!

The whole operation sort of seemed inhumane to me. Not that I know anything about raising pigs, but the mother pigs who are still nursing are kept in this small area that is maybe 5 by 5 feet. They have an area where they are locked in where they can only stand and eat and drink water. The floor area, which looks more like a cage, is on grates so all of their poop and pee goes underneath.  The boy said that when these newest piglets were born, one of the babies had two legs stuck in the grates and later died.

Okay. So let's talk about the smell. They have to heat the pig barn. The males need it at about 60 degrees, however the females need it warmer and it is kept at about 70. So it is like heating up all of their poop and pee and the smell is pretty atrocious!

We finally got outside and walk around a bit. Even the outside stinks but not as bad as being in the barn.

So, we are driving home and I could not get rid of the stink even though all the windows were down. You know sometimes how when you have to clean up something that stinks, like puke or the cat litter, that smell just sits in your nose and you cannot get it out. I thought perhaps that was what was happening. That is until I smelled my sweatshirt in my hair and realized that it was us who stunk!

By the time we got home, I was just about dry heaving and was yelling at me to stop talking about how much we stunk. When we went into the house, everybody stripped down and got in the shower while I washed all our clothes.

No pigs at Tate Farms that is for sure!!