The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Bluff on May 24, 2016, 03:12:25 pm
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So yesterday Mr Bluff took 3 of our GOS to the abattoir.
I wasn't there but apparently it was incredibly problematic.
They would not go in the trailer despite not being fed in the morning (our abattoir does pigs on a Monday afternoon) and then - even worse they would not move out of the trailer when he got them.
The advice given from a farmer was to not feed them for a longer period before we take them so that they are desperate for food and will def follow the bucket but I am a big softie and this seems to be beyond cruel to me
Any advice - we have never had this problem before - they normally follow the bucket brilliantly.
thanks
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Last year our pigs wouldn't load. Complete PITA. This year we're going to park the trailer in the field a week or so before and get them used to going into it to be fed so that we can get them in more easily on the day.
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We used to pop the pigs in question in a nice sized pen overnight with only water no food and they usually went in the trailer, another thing you can do is follow them with a few boards, this requires a few people and push them into the trailer and they go in no problems.
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The last thing you want to do is stress your pigs before slaughter as it can affect the meat setting properly.
Get them used to the trailer before hand. If possible leave it with the tailgate down and let them have a nosy. Also practice moving them about with a stick and board in advance so they are happy to go where you want.
Feed them in there so they get a reward for going in. I would feed them in there the night before and leave them in so you don't have to worry on the morning. I wouldn't feed them on the morning of slaughter. Full tummies at slaughter time is not a good idea.
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We let the pigs get used to the trailer for a few days before 'the' day - we give them all their feed in the trailer so by the time it is loading day they are pretty much in the trailer waiting for the food!
As far as we are concerned anything that makes the whole thing less stressful for US will, by definition, mean it is less stressful for them.
Sometimes they are a bit reluctant to leave the trailer at the abattoir, but thankfully our slaughter house don't get fussed and they just allow us to take our time.
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Thank you. It was less than ideal tbh. We will try getting them use to the trailer then. Sounds like a plan
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Meant to also say it is easier to put them all in and then let some out than try only to load some.
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We've only taken one lot to the abattoir so far, 2 GOS last Autumn - they went into the trailer fine as they would always follow a bucket, and when we got there they were fast asleep in the straw. The slaughter people had to wait while we woke them up, which they thought was hilarious. Then they followed another bucket to the pen where they waited their turn. Only a small handful of feed in the bucket though, just enough to rattle.
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I park the trailer up in the gate way and feed them in their for a couple of days before the day, and it works fine.
I always find it hard getting the right pigs in the trailer when only some of the group are going. I'll need to think of a new plan for that.
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I park the trailer up in the gate way and feed them in their for a couple of days before the day, and it works fine.
I always find it hard getting the right pigs in the trailer when only some of the group are going. I'll need to think of a new plan for that.
All into trailer and let out those you don't need
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umm, I've tried that! ???
I have a small trailer, and I can't stand up in it either, so it isn't easy to let the right ones out without the whole lot charging back out!!
I think I will try putting them in separate runs about a week before - but that might be just as complicated
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umm, I've tried that! ???
I have a small trailer, and I can't stand up in it either, so it isn't easy to let the right ones out without the whole lot charging back out!!
I think I will try putting them in separate runs about a week before - but that might be just as complicated
Ah yes, low trailers, that does make it harder on the knees and back.
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We've been taking pigs to the abattoir regularly for about five years. Ours live outside in electric fenced pens all their lives so we have no effective way of containing them in a small area for loading except by throwing together something temporary out of hurdles etc. Here are some observations I've made.
If you have say, 10 pigs, in a group, and you want to load 3, then only the smallest three will go into the trailer.
Remember to turn the leccy fence off before they get a shock off the trailer ramp.
Make sure that you can actually drive away once loaded and are not stuck in the mud.
A porker will go where he wants to, despite anything you put in his way to stop him.
If you get stressed the pigs will sense this and will go out of their way to make your job harder.
All the above advice about feeding in the trailer is good but remember you'll always have the odd stressful loading no matter how many times you've done it. All this pales into insignificance compared to some of the scenes in the abattoir yard when the b******s won't come out of the trailer.
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Ah, yes. This is why we always use a tall trailer instead of the low one - two people with a pig board behind a pig generally works in the end, albeit with a lot of shoving (and that's the pig). We feed a bit of greenery the night before so the pigs aren't cross and hungry then lay a trail of apple chunks, old carrots or similar up the ramp - not feed as it takes too long for them to hoover up every last crumb as they ascend. I put a pile of greenery at the back so they will proceed towards the smell.
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If you get stressed the pigs will sense this and will go out of their way to make your job harder.
This has really been brought home to me recently. My OH and i usually load and one of us takes them in, we too are entirely without handling facilities and it gets stressful, so we've had some very trying attempts.
Recently our trailer broke and another guy, who some here will know, has been taking them in for us. Loading with him has been a dream. Admittedly we have slightly better facilities in parts of the farm than others but i twigged a few days ago that he doesn't rush around or get stressed, just takes things as they come and the pigs are suitably calm.
Once we're on our own again i will be trying to calm things down...
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Preparation is vital and everything secure. If they find an escape route they will just keep using it. When people start with pigs think about how you will load your finished pigs. Carrying cute weaners down the garden is one thing. Getting them back up and into a trailer is another when they are 80kgs.
If you give an animal the impression you have all day and probably it will be quick and easy. Give them the impression you have 5 minutes and it might take all day.
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We have an Ifor Williams Pg6, nice little trailer but you can't stand up,in it and you have to crawl in if the pigs won't come out so in that respect bit tricky. We back it up to the gate, use a few huddles to make a pen and feed them by the gate a couple of days beforehand. The greediest pigs are usually the biggest so tend to get to the gate first. On D day open the gate and a few hand full of feed on the trailer side of the gate and shut it quick once the right pigs come through. They tend to be curious to look in the trailer especially if there are some more nuts in sight. On an ideal loading I just use the board to usher them in. On a less than ideal loading it is to stop them doubling back. They definitely sense your nerves and will get agitated when they do so important to be calm. 8 trips so far so not the most experienced by a long way, but it has worked so far.
I cut the feed by half the morning before and give just a hand ful or two at the gate in the evening. Yes it feels mean but I think kinder to the pig than chasing it around the paddock the next day, they need to be hungry enough to go looking for those pig nuts in the trailer.
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We had this problem the first time we sent some pigs to our local butcher/abattoir. In the end we used a bucket over the head and then walked them out backwards. They're very easy to handle this way and don't get stressed out. As long as you hold the bucket on, they'll go wherever you like (up/down ramps etc).
Hope this helps.
Suffolklab
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And steer gently by the tail!
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Hi,
I have an old stock trailer which I use as a field shelter for my pigs, I tend to feed them in there the evening before then shut them in until I'm ready for the abitoir in the morning, I find moving them from their shelter to trailer much easyer and as there used to the shelter it's no problem gettin them in