Pig Photography + 5 things I’ve Learned on a Pig Farm
Pig Photography
Pig photography has been a bit of a sharp learning curve. At 21 years old, I stepped foot into a modern pig barn for the first time and was floored by how high-tech it was. (Well, that, and the pungent smell!) And while pigs are far from the most photogenic animals (For every pig face I photograph, there are usually about 5 pig butts photobombing the shot!), their curiosity is both fascinating and humorous.
5 things I’ve Learned on a Pig Farm
- Pigs are VERY social creatures. They prefer to be piled up on top of each other in close quarters, leaving half the pen empty. I guess you can say they like to snuggle?!
- They will chew on anything – my coveralls, boots, their metal pens, even each others’ tails! That’s why they dock the piglets' tails after they’re born.
- Nutrition is a real science. There’s no throw a bucket of feed here and another there. Feed is calculated, weighed and delivered with precision.
- The people here love their jobs. While a day or so is enough for me, the people who work here are really dedicated to taking care of the animals.
- Biosecurity is a big deal. It’s shower-in/shower-out everywhere to make sure you aren’t tracking any diseases into the barn.
