SWINE SHOWMANSHIP TRAINING
TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR CALMING A HIGH STRUNG OR NERVOUS PIG
In the horse and dog world, it’s said, if your animal is spun up & nervous, that the energy is coming from up the reins or leash! In other words, it’s the handler who is transmitting the nervousness most of the time! But it’s fair to say that sometimes we have animals who are nervous and high strung. Because we can’t put a halter on our pigs, we have to learn how to train and condition them to move to our ques. Without training and conditioning, we may have pigs that are stressed and difficult to handle and possibly have health problems that can lead to death.
There are a few factors that can contribute to a high strung pig. Genetics, Management, Feeding errors, or lack of training can be causes of hyper pigs!
Factors that Contribute to Stress -
“The Stress Gene” – Some pigs are born with a stress gene. So at purchase time, be sure to ask your breeder about this stress gene and if they have bred it out of their lines. This goes back to selecting a breeder who has a strong & healthy genetics in their pigs. I believe that most professional breeders have fixed this problem.
Genetics
MANAGEMENT
Overfeeding Supplements – Always feed as directed on the label. Overfeeding supplements can cause excessive leanness that can lead to stress and lameness.
Feed Changes – Restricted intake of food and/or water for weight reduction. Manage your pigs’ weight early and avoid holding an animal by planning early!
Neglected Pigs at Home – A pig that has not been trained daily can be over stimulated at the show with all the animals, noise and people. Expose the pig to a variety of situations before the show as well as train daily.
Loading and Transportation – Practice loading/unloading pigs in the trailer. Load the pig calmly. Do not rush them during loading. Load the pigs in their own pen for shipping. This avoids fights in the trailer. Drive slowly and cautiously to the show.
Co-mingling with New Animals – sharing pens with new and unfamiliar pigs can cause fights and stress. Be prepared to divide the pen if the pigs are fighting.
All pigs need to be worked with and trained Daily to become calm show pigs. This will take daily time and effort! Here are some practical ways to get the job accomplished!
PURCHASE & SETTLING IN
So here you are, you just arrived home with your new pig and he wants nothing to do with you! Any attempt to touch him results in a snort and in a blink of the eye….he’s off and in the opposite corner! Pigs are intelligent and need to be convinced that you are someone to trust. I recommend sitting on a bucket in the middle of the pen and letting the pig come up on his own terms. Spend time hanging out with your pig. Because pigs are curious, they will start walking up to find out about you. Talk calmly and don’t make any sudden moves or you’ll find out just how fast your pig can move! Throughout the pig raising process, it will be important to manage the stress of your pig. Simply put, a stressed and frightened pig will have meat that doesn’t taste good. So a calm pig = good meat and a happy project experience.
THE WALK
Developing a calm pig will take daily effort to train the attitude of your pig. When we had our first pig, I was concerned about letting them outside the pen…how would I get them back in the pen? Well several pigs later, I’ve discovered that leaving the gate open and letting the pig wander out on his own to investigate his surroundings was the best method.
When pigs are out, don’t press them or attempt to train them at this point. Just let them hang out while you perform chores of cleaning the stall and buckets. This process helps them to calmly adjust naturally. Be sure they are in an area where they are safe from roads or other harm. In this picture you can see the dogs, kids, turkeys all hang out with the pigs. It’s a great training opportunity for everyone. The animals learn to relax and check things out without being stressed. This was a daily routine for our barn.
THE CALMING MEDICINE
If everything you do to create a calm and relaxed pig , ends up nothing but a fight…you may have to take other steps to calm your pig. A red, panting, squealing and tired pig will never be a good situation and it’s time to start medicating your pig.
Because pigs are smart, once you can get them calmed down, they will be able to continue training and working, which should lower their stress level. Another trick is to bribe them with apples, banana chips or treats. I prefer to train animals without treats because my theory is that I may not always have a treat in my hand to get the m to perform a task, but in either case, the end result should be that your pig should move calmly and smoothly to all of your commands. This will take both time and patience and sometimes…a little medicine!
MEDICINE CABINET
- Melatonin (3 mg Tablets)
- Show Pig Paste (Contains L-Tryptophan & other Vitamins)
To calm your pig with medicine, two products to consider are melatonin or show pig paste. Both are over the counter and should be in your swine medicine cabinet. They should not cause any legal problems at the show or problems with the meat. But always read your show rules to ensure that you are not breaking any rules. Rules change from state to state and county to county.
Melatonin
Found where vitamins are sold.
- Administer one 3 mg tablet twice a day until after the show. 2 tablets per feeding can be given if needed.
- Mixing: Crushed up Melatonin pill and mix well into the feed with a little water; this will help the crushed pill stick to the grain. This won’t make them sleepy, but it definitely takes off the edge. Another strategy is to add Vitamin B and Valerian Root with the Melatonin.
Show Pig Paste
Found where vitamins are sold.
- Administer one 3 mg tablet twice a day until after the show. 2 tablets per feeding can be given if needed.
- Mixing: Crushed up Melatonin pill and mix well into the feed with a little water; this will help the crushed pill stick to the grain. This won’t make them sleepy, but it definitely takes off the edge. Another strategy is to add Vitamin B and Valerian Root with the Melatonin.
ROCKET THE PIG
A Personal Story
Calming down a pig is a two part approach. First, some pigs are naturally wound tight and are difficult to calm down while others are calm and trusting. We had such a pig. She was a large floppy eared Duroc Gilt who was reasonable and calm when we purchase her, but her story changed when she became ill and needed 3 shots of antibiotics over 3 days! Well after day one, she wasn’t having any of my nursing attention! She was also smart and knew that I was the one with the needle. As a result of 3 shots over 3 days, she became spooky, untrusting and the fastest pig you could imagine! She would bolt from place to place and grunt and squeal in the process. As a joke, we named her Rocket! Our challenge was to first keep her healthy and secondly develop her into a competitive show pig for my son. She trusted my son a little more than me…but not by much! Here are two strategies that we applied:
STEP 1 TIME
Daily, my son spent extended time in the pen sitting on an overturned bucket. This gave him time to sit with her and let her re-learn who he was and to trust that he was there to be her partner. He would brush and pet her and offer her any attention that she appeared to like. This took a while, so stay persistent and don’t lose your patience!
STEP 2 MELATONIN
Twice a day we gave her one 3 mg Melatonin pill crushed up in her feed. This helped to take the edge off of our training.
In most situations, consistent daily training, time and the right foods can turn a wild pig story around. Our story had a happy ending with my son and his Duroc Gilt placing in advanced showmanship, winning Best of AOB Breed and competing in the Championship Drive! His dedicated time, persistence and effort made the difference in his showing experience.
