Cork farmer allowed pigs eat each other alive

My name is URL

A pig producer has pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences including causing suffering to his pigs by failing to treat or euthanise them after they were cannibalised on his farm.

Rory O’Brien pleaded guilty to five charges including that he failed to prevent unnecessary suffering by failing to treat or euthanise some animals which were eaten alive by others.

Mr O’Brien of Killicane, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, had initially pleaded not guilty to a total of 32 charges arising from an investigation by officials from the Dept of Agriculture.

He and his wife, Monica O’Brien had each been charged with 32 offences while their farm manager, Seamus Curran had been charged with 24 offences on after the investigation.

Hopefully they're locked up and not just fined

Looks like he's no stranger to the courts either

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/millionaire-pig-farmer-appeals-jail-term-after-golf-club-attack-26065828.html

A millionaire pig farmer was sentenced to seven days in jail yesterday for assaulting a neighbour who objected to a planned piggery development.

But father of five Rory O'Brien (47) from Killicane, Mitchelstown, Co Cork escaped spending Christmas behind bars when he was given leave to appeal the severity of the sentence.

O'Brien was handed down the jail term after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Patrick Mullins on June 2 last in the gent's toilet of Mitchelstown Golf Club.

Sentenced to 7 days for assault and appealed the severity of the sentence. What a cnut!

Señor Fancy Pants

Oh the pigmanity

darkpagandeath

Dam you nature.

KungPao

What a swine.

DubiousV

Bacon fed bacon...hmmm.

Macavity.

Mmmmmm bacon.

Karl Stein

That's offal.

somesoldiers

Hence the expression "as greedy as a pig"

Name that film?

castletownman

RANDOM PIG PUN

pablomakaveli

Fun fact: If a pig gets a prolapsed anus, it's in danger of being eaten by other pigs.

My name is URL

Glad you can all see the funny side of a commercial farmer treating animals in such a way and then selling them on to you =p

If this was a thread about kids in an estate owning a horse there'd be 3 pages of outrage already with people calling for blood.

Banjo String

Reminds me in the pig farmer I met by chance one day in cavan.

I was up in cavan on business, when I came across a small farm and the farmer was standing at the gate of his field, inside of which stood a pig with only three legs.

We got chatting anyway, usual stuff, GAA, weather, the ups and downs of business, to which I brought up the subject of the pig in the field.

"that's a remarkable pig in the field you have" I said.
"as hi isn't he a beauty " said the farmer.
" not only is that pig a beauty, but it can speak in 2 different languages, and can tell the weather with 99% accuracy " said the farmer.
" are you serious? I don't believe you" I said.

To which the pig in the field snorted "no he's telling the truth, tomorrow is to be sunny with isolated showers" said the pig, then repeated what he had just said in Spanish.

"Jesus, I can't believe that " I said.

" how come he's only 3 legs though" I asked?

"ah now, when you've a cute hoor like that for a pig, ye don't ate him all at once" said the farmer.

darkpagandeath

My name is URL wrote: »

Glad you can all see the funny side of a commercial farmer treating animals in such a way and then selling them on to you =p

If this was a thread about kids in an estate owning a horse there'd be 3 pages of outrage already with people calling for blood.

Because I don't remember the last time I heard of horses eating each other outside of American dad.

kneemos

somesoldiers wrote: »

Hence the expression "as greedy as a pig"

Name that film?

8 mile.

the_syco

So, bacon fed by bacon? Hrm. Will that mean the bacon will be double bacon?

Señor Fancy Pants

My name is URL wrote: »

Glad you can all see the funny side of a commercial farmer treating animals in such a way and then selling them on to you =p

If this was a thread about kids in an estate owning a horse there'd be 3 pages of outrage already with people calling for blood.

Ah stop crying and do something about it then. It's not funny btw but what's done is done. I'm a pig myself and I think it's terrible. He's a fcuking scumbag bogger dickhead that will hopefully get his comeuppance.

Just because we didn't get our pitchforks out for you doesn't lessen the bolloxology that the guy let happen.

kneemos

Was in a piggery once,couldn't breath so had to walk out for air.

somesoldiers

the_syco wrote: »

So, bacon fed by bacon? Hrm. Will that mean the bacon will be double bacon?

Double bacon double cheeseburger... Yum

Karl Stein

My name is URL wrote: »

Glad you can all see the funny side of a commercial farmer treating animals in such a way and then selling them on to you .

I don't want no beef with you. It's disgusting and he should be banned from being allowed to keep any animal for the rest of his life.

Auldloon

somesoldiers wrote: »

Hence the expression "as greedy as a pig"

Name that film?

Babe?

VickieVexed

My name is URL wrote: »

Glad you can all see the funny side of a commercial farmer treating animals in such a way and then selling them on to you =p

If this was a thread about kids in an estate owning a horse there'd be 3 pages of outrage already with people calling for blood.

+ 100
No doubt there'll be plenty more "jokes" to follow...pity none will be original.

I hope they lock the bas**** up and throw away the key. However, rich farmer = no punishment.

MarkAnthony

Those seven days inside will involve him squealing like one of his pigs for some of it.

Interesting re the prolapsed anus, I wonder if the pigs will try and eat ya man after he's let out.

Banjo String

VickieVexed wrote: »

+ 100
No doubt there'll be plenty more "jokes" to follow...pity none will be original.

I hope they lock the bas**** up and throw away the key. However, rich farmer = no punishment.

Dont get your tail knickers in a twist. They're only jokes.

efb

somesoldiers wrote: »

Hence the expression "as greedy as a pig"

Name that film?

Snatch

somesoldiers

efb wrote: »

Snatch

We have a winner

RoscommonTom

They should feed him to the sows

Auldloon

efb wrote: »

Snatch

Booooo

Karl Stein

My name is URL wrote: »

Looks like he's no stranger to the courts either

Seems he's a mutton for punishment.

suicide_circus

Hey Cordell!

BreadnBuddha

Karl Stein wrote: »

Seems he's a mutton for punishment.

There are a few in here who should be fed to yer mans pigs for the jokes and puns being posted.

/groan

Those poor piggies

StewartGriffin

Yeah, have to say I agree with the jokers here.

It's madness how people get so worked up over a few pigs. It's like that thread about the fat little dog being burned alive. Come on, who really gives a f***?

They're just animals. We're much better than them.

:cool:

goose2005

StewartGriffin wrote: »

They're just animals. We're much better than them.

[citation needed]

darkpagandeath

StewartGriffin wrote: »

Yeah, have to say I agree with the jokers here.

It's madness how people get so worked up over a few pigs. It's like that thread about the fat little dog being burned alive. Come on, who really gives a f***?

They're just animals. We're much better than them.

:cool:

No the dog did not set itself on fire, But pigs do actual eat each other use that thing called the internet to find out.

StewartGriffin

darkpagandeath wrote: »

No the dog did not set itself on fire, But pigs do actual eat each other use that thing called the internet to find out.

You're missing the point, humans eat each other too, so what? Use that thing called the internet to find out.

StewartGriffin

goose2005 wrote: »

[citation needed]

God's a human being isn't he?

marklazarcovic

pigception

My name is URL

darkpagandeath wrote: »

No the dog did not set itself on fire, But pigs do actual eat each other use that thing called the internet to find out.

Not on a commercial and properly run farm they don't.

You're focusing to much on the headline, which I just copied from the IT.

Did you even read the article? =/

Rory O’Brien pleaded guilty to five charges including that he failed to prevent unnecessary suffering by failing to treat or euthanise some animals

This didn't just happen because 'it's something pigs do', it happens because the animals are either left to starve or die amongst other animals.

whupdedo

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals "

StewartGriffin

StewartGriffin wrote: »

You're missing the point, humans eat each other too, so what? Use that thing called the internet to find out.

I'm not coming to any of your parties

StewartGriffin

bluewolf wrote: »

I'm not coming to any of your parties

Come to think of it, neither does anyone else, any more. Hmmm...

BBJBIG

My name is URL wrote: »

Glad you can all see the funny side of a commercial farmer treating animals in such a way and then selling them on to you =p

If this was a thread about kids in an estate owning a horse there'd be 3 pages of outrage already with people calling for blood.

Well ... I think we should still Birch the Tool ...

Karl Stein

BreadnBuddha wrote: »

There are a few in here who should be fed to yer mans pigs for the jokes and puns being posted.

Do you really veal it's necessary to lambast me?

Dravokivich

StewartGriffin wrote: »

You're missing the point, humans eat each other too, so what? Use that thing called the internet to find out.

So what? Its eh, generally frowned upon ya know.

RobertKK

I was talking to an official from the department of agriculture last year and one of the things we talked about was animal neglect and cruelty.
The official said depression is often involved in these cases.
When it comes to this case, I'm not so sure this would be one of them.

neenam

Another article about the piggery back in 2011, stating that he was shutting down production on the Mitchelstown farm due to rising expenses and falling meat prices.

(I can't post links as a new user, the article from the indo is called "One of country's biggest pig farmers calls it quits")

Between problems with fish farms, so called "free range" chicken and eggs etc...what meat is ethical to eat in this country in regards to animal welfare these days?

skittles8710

.

Can you imagine for a second what a pigs existence is like that is confined to a cage while being slowly eaten by other pigs. The absolute agony and terror.

If you think that's funny then you're a cūnt. End of.

kowloon

It's a good thing Irish courts treat animal abuse seriously. /sarcasm

Nekarsulm

Sergio Georgini wrote: »

Can you imagine for a second what a pigs existence is like that is confined to a cage while being slowly eaten by other pigs. The absolute agony and terror.

If you think that's funny then you're a cūnt. End of.

OK, a few facts about piggeries.
Pigs are not kept in cages like hens are. They are kept in warm, insulated clean pens, usually with smooth concrete walls and floors (easy to keep clean).
Their food is delivered into either trough's long enough for every pig to eat at the same time, or is provided ad. lib. in what is called a "wet and dry" feeder so there is never any rush or fighting to get at food . Its called a wet & dry because the meal is always there, and the pig operates a little spring loaded tap with its nose, to mix water with it, to the consistency they prefer.
Pigs are highly intelligent animals, and become bored and fractious if unhappy. Like bored humans they can start to pick on each other, and fighting can occur. Usually this takes the form of one pig biting the ends of anothers tail, and if it bleeds, this can easily cause a kind of blood lust to develop. I never saw actual cannibalism happen where a pig was eaten, but a stressed pig can have heart failure and die.
It is the duty of the farmer to make sure conditions are kept right, and that this scenario does not happen. There are play devices available for pigs to play with to alleviate boredom. Usually really tough football like objects. A used car tyre can give hours of fun to a pen of pigs. Mixing two pens together can /will cause fighting as they sort out a pecking order.
I don't know the details of what happened in this case the OP refers to, but obviously there is a major departure to normal husbandry.

Nekarsulm

Nekarsulm wrote: »

OK, a few facts about piggeries.
Pigs are not kept in cages like hens are. They are kept in warm, insulated clean pens, usually with smooth concrete walls and floors (easy to keep clean).
Their food is delivered into either trough's long enough for every pig to eat at the same time, or is provided ad. lib. in what is called a "wet and dry" feeder so there is never any rush or fighting to get at food . Its called a wet & dry because the meal is always there, and the pig operates a little spring loaded tap with its nose, to mix water with it, to the consistency they prefer.
Pigs are highly intelligent animals, and become bored and fractious if unhappy. Like bored humans they can start to pick on each other, and fighting can occur. Usually this takes the form of one pig biting the ends of anothers tail, and if it bleeds, this can easily cause a kind of blood lust to develop. I never saw actual cannibalism happen where a pig was eaten, but a stressed pig can have heart failure and die.
It is the duty of the farmer to make sure conditions are kept right, and that this scenario does not happen. There are play devices available for pigs to play with to alleviate boredom. Usually really tough football like objects. A used car tyre can give hours of fun to a pen of pigs. Mixing two pens together can /will cause fighting as they sort out a pecking order.
I don't know the details of what happened in this case the OP refers to, but obviously there is a major departure to normal husbandry.

They're obviously not kept in small cages, you surely knew what I meant? Why you would feel the need to get pedantic over that point is beyond me.

I've seen images posted by animal rights groups of similar events, and they were far, far worse than a bite on the tail. Try half their side being eaten while they're still alive, unable to escape.

Thanks for the tangent though?