Author Topic: Trailer training (Read 4222 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** September 12, 2010, 06:12:41 pm »

Pigs going soon.

This afternoon we put the trailer in their pen for them to get used to. Once we get some rubber matting to put on the ramp we will start feeding them in there a few times..... then just got to pluck up the courage to slap mark them.

I have been slapping them quite hard on the shoulder and rump when they are feeding the past few weeks - so they get used to that.

Any other suggestions for a stress free start to the day (they have to go on a monday morning and my husband will be on his own as I have to go to work)

Susanna

little blue · « **Reply #1 on:** September 12, 2010, 06:26:54 pm »

check the trailer hooks up ok, have a test drive (without the pigs in)
get all the forms together - if it was my husband going alone, I'd put them in the glovebox the night before!!

Daisys Mum · « **Reply #2 on:** September 12, 2010, 08:54:40 pm »

Don't be silly little blue she will never get the pigs in the glove box

little blue · « **Reply #3 on:** September 12, 2010, 09:25:25 pm »

Eve · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2010, 10:23:38 pm »

Doesn't the abbatoir accept metal tags? They're easy.
If you can't get rubber matting, put straw on the ramp and inside. Ours only took one afternoon and a handful of apples to get used to the trailer - stomach over brains

Plus it offered new unexplored scratching opportunities...

Eve

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #5 on:** September 13, 2010, 07:58:33 am »

We use rubber car mats on the floor as rubber flooring for the trailer is not easily available here

Eve · « **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2010, 02:02:12 pm »

Now there's a thought! I was going to throw my old ones (the car mats, I mean!) away... Thanks!

Eve

suziequeue · « **Reply #7 on:** September 16, 2010, 08:17:31 pm »

Found some carpet off-cuts in somebody's rubbish yesterday evening (so - of course I wombled them), fits the ramp like they were specially cut for it. Pigs went straight in once we had put the food in. We had left the trailer in their pen with the ramp down for a day or two so that they could have a good sniff around it but couldn't get up the ramp. So by the time we put the carpet and the food in they were dead curious and went straight in.

Now just got to get the slap marking done.

Susanna

Anke · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2010, 09:24:52 pm »

We always load our pigs the night before, as they have to be in the abattoir by 7am at the latest. We wouldn't put the trailer into their pen unsupervised - they could easily topple it or eat the tyres!. BUt we use a feeding platform (old heavy door that my OH "found" in a skip years ago and that moved out of Edinburgh with us...) and putting that onto the trailer ramp meant that it only took five minutes and pigs were in, following the trail of food... Then they get some cheap cider in a bucket and any last bits of food (the abattoir doesn't want them with full stomachs the next morning, so no feeding then anyway), and they usually snore wihtin the hour!

So we don't train them beforehand, and every year the loading gets more routine.

buddy · « **Reply #9 on:** September 18, 2010, 10:19:58 pm »

how many times have we trained our animals, but when the time comes for loading properly, they sense something and won't load. I like the fact that the animal is comfortable with the trailer, feeding is a simple way to get them inside regularly and easily. However, as said before, if you have an early schedule when no-one else is about to help out, then loading the night before is very wise. As long as your trailer is secure, warm and clean there will not be a problem with a sleepover. good luck whatever your decision.

pigman · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2010, 09:20:38 pm »

I don't know if you are aware, but it is actually illegal to load them up the night before due to the length of time they are allowed to be in the trailer.

Eve · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2010, 08:31:16 am »

Big (biiiiig) trailer, fresh water, straw, food... mine will be fine. Mind you, someone near me does use a really small trailer, tiny really, half height, I wouldn't want to put my pigs in there even just for transport whether it's legal or not.

Eve

Fowgill Farm · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2010, 12:34:42 pm »

Pigman is quite correct but many of us do it because we go so early the next morning.
leave it as late as poss to load and if you can leave the the back open.
Suprised to see Pigman on here thought you were a river cottager!

bibs · « **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2010, 01:19:18 pm »

Just give yourselves MORE than enough time - I think that is the thing , so that whatever may occur it won't delay you so much that it throws out your timing. And if you do more pigs , eartagging is less hassle than the slapper ! Bibs x