The Free Range Sow Poem by Francis Duggan

For to stop her from rooting up his field the farmer has put three rings on her nose
And pigs are not kept for their beauty a pig is a pig i suppose
When she tries to root the rings they hurt her and the message is instilled in her brain
That she cannot dig though she'd love to so she won't nose the earth again.

A sow is not kept for her beauty her job is to bring piglets to life
For to be fattened and sold at the market when ready for the butcher's knife
And the sow that don't produce good quality piglets she won't be kept for to grow old
She will be fattened by the farmer and taken to market and sold.

A free range pig is quite lucky compared to those confined to a small pen
They cannot even turn to scratch an itch the unsung victims of cruelty by men
The anti cruelty to animal people are people we ought to admire
Of trying to highlight the hidden cruelty to the less fortunate creatures they never ever seem to tire.

The free range sow compared to some of her kind does seem lucky though she has three rings on her nose
To stop her from rooting in the field but to the farmer a pig is a pig i suppose
Her sole purpose is to produce good quality piglets a pet to him she'll never be
And though she lives free on his farmyard to do what she likes to do best she's not free.