3000-sow Outdoor Pig Farm in Australia

The sound's messed up - but nice images of pigs in a natural setting. The pigs are still finished in an intensive setting, and ultimately end up slaughtered ... but their early lives, at least, are semi-normal. And the sows have a better life, for sure ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nKDND9xX1Y

With scrapie in sheep, salmonella in chickens and mad cow disease in cattle, what epidemic will strike the pig? None, if we follow the example of Australia's Great Southern Piggery, the world's largest free-range pig farm.

The Great Southern Piggery raises its pigs outside. The 3,000 sows here graze, wallow and furrow in the sunshine - it's pig heaven. In Europe, legislation will soon stop farmers from making animals spend their whole lives inside. Pork production will be drastically changed. More than 10% of Australia's pigs are already raised on the open range. In Europe, that figure is now closer to 20%. Here, each sow produces 20 piglets a year - a better yield than the intensive indoor, battery-style pig farming. Once weaned, piglets spend 7 weeks leaping about on straw, developing weight and fitness. Their fate is nevertheless sealed: they all end up being sent off to market. Pigs living outside are fitter and can give birth unassisted. They also don't get lame from urinating on their own hooves. They're just a bit dirtier! And profits are good. A charming report on an issue which affects all of those who enjoy our bacon.