The function of TV in New Zealand seems to be to broadcast half-truths and even lies.

I was amazed at the claim that farmers lose too many piglets (money) when not using crates for farrowing.

In my days of farming most dairy farmers had a piggery which had plenty of room for the pigs and the pigs mostly had paddock time too.

These pigs were happy with their lot, they didn't have the sad eyes of those poor sows stuck in crates where they could hardly move.

Pigs are very clean animals when left to their own devices one wonders what it does to their psyche when they have lay in their excretions for no matter how short a time.

Farmers who were concerned about mothers crushing piglets built sties that were of a triangular shape which is a most successful way of housing farrowing sows.

I rarely heard of anyone losing piglets by crushing. I never lost a piglet due to being crushed by its mother.

So it was less than the truth to claim that farmers lost too many piglets (money) unless they used crates.

Telling such half-truths or lies to justify cruelty to animals is appalling.

The main reason for using crates is to make as much money as possible using the cheapest possible methodology.

A Bourne, Bethlehem