Learning objectives
After studying this unit you should be able to:
1 Safely handle young pigs.
2 Handle older pigs.
3 Restrain the pig.
Handling the young pig
Piglets can be caught from behind and held by grasping the hind
leg just above the hock. The small piglet can then be lifted by placing
the other hand under the chest and lifting the animal. When holding the
piglet always support its weight against you. By the time the piglet is
weaned it will be too heavy to lift.
Handling the young pig
Handling the older pig
Pigs will naturally head for a gap (or opening) when you approach
them or try to catch them. You can use this habit to make the pig go
where you want it to If two pig boards (wooden boards 0.8m square) are
placed either side of the pig's head it will move forward in the
direction the handlers want it to go. As the animal gets older it can be
trained to move under the control of one handler who uses a board and a
wooden bat about 1 m long.
The handler always keeps the pig board between himself and the
pig. If several people try to drive a pig it can turn and charge
between them.
Restraining a pig
You can restrain a pig by holding it with ropes against a wall or
fence. Large pigs can be easily restrained with a rope or wire loop
around the snout.