Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Pigs are one of the more difficult animals to move, but there will be times when you need to
move them. You can carry a small shoat similar to the way you would carry a dog by holding
it in your arms and supporting its stomach and chest. The piglet will squeal, so be prepared
for protests. As the pig gets a little larger, use a
pig board
or hurdle. This is a tall board with
cutouts or handles in the top so you can grip the board. If you place one board behind a pig
and one in front of it to limit the pig's movement options, you can scoot the pig forward in the
direction you want it to move. This method works well if you need to load pigs to walk up or
down a ramp to go in or out of a truck, for example. You also can get a pig to go into a dark
building like a barn using this method. Most pigs object to entering dark places because of
their poor eyesight.
For larger pigs, such as sows, you may need to use a snare to get it to go where you want. A
pig's head and snout are not really formed to accommodate a collar or halter. To overcome
this problem, pig farmers use a snare. The
snare
is a flexible lead that loops around the pig's
upper jaw and snout. Once the snare is in place, the farmer can lead the pig. There is no pain
involved. This is often the only way to encourage an 800-pound boar to go where you want it
to go.
Different methods work best with different pigs, depending on their size and degree of co-
operation. You will need to practice to find out which methods work best with your pigs.
Housing and Feeding Pigs
Although the three little pigs had to face a wolf huffing and puffing at the door, your pigs
should have a much easier time of things. However, you will still need to decide what kind of
structure to provide for your pigs. There are many housing options for pigs today, depending
on the size of your herd, your goals for raising pigs, and the kind of pigs you keep.
People have kept pigs in just about every kind of enclosure you can imagine, from nailing to-
gether old bits of wood lying around to use as fencing; to using dog kennels for a sleeping
place for their pigs; to using a cleaned out oil drum lined with bedding as a sleeping spot. No
matter what your situation or how much room you have, it will probably be possible for you
to keep a pig or two.
Structures
