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Getting pigs to the butcher?

3K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  linnell 
#1 ·
Probably a stupid question, but the time has come to take our first batch, three berkshire, to the butcher. Only problem with this is that I'm totally at a loss on to how to get them there. I have a f350 with an 8 ft bed and that was my original transport idea.....has anyone tried (or more importantly been successful) with transporting pigs this way. I was hoping to be able to borrow a livestock trailer from a friend who recently sold it and I cannot find anyplace or anyone to rent one from. I was thinking about renting a uhaul trailer, but I'm afraid they would breakout through the sides...... Help
 
#2 ·
That is how we got our first batch up to the butchers. We have a '79 F100 that we made side boards for out of 2x12s and trimmed 2x4s. Getting them to go up the ramp was the hard part. And you should probably call ahead to your processor to make sure they have a truck ramp that you can load out on. Ours walked down the ramp easy as could be and went right inside like they were supposed to. I plan on doing the same thing this time around because I hate pulling a trailer through the city. Im going to use one of the natural dips on my property as a ramp this time tough. Just back the truck into a wash and load them in.
Good Luck
 
#3 ·
Of course different hogs will present different situations, but I have had fairly tame hogs become crazed when prompted to go up a ramp. Have you searched the old posts on Here about loading hogs? Some decent info on past trials and tribulations of loading hogs. I know some people park a trailer in the hog lot for a week or two to get them accustomed to going in there for food, but you probably don't have that option with your truck. Can you try a dry run a number of days before the processor day to see what you are up against? Not saying it cannot be done, but if you are having trouble loading and your appointment time with the processor is a few minutes away, it will make for a very stressful day. Some of the folks on here with more experience loading them can give you some detailed info, I am sure. Good luck.
 
#4 ·
I rarely have trouble loading pigs, unloading them can be the biggest challenge in my opinion. I have had a total of six pigs that have fought tooth and nail against unloading. It makes me wonder if they know what will happen if they get out of the trailer. You would think they are fighting for their lives.
 
#5 ·
I rarely have trouble loading pigs, unloading them can be the biggest challenge in my opinion. I have had a total of six pigs that have fought tooth and nail against unloading. It makes me wonder if they know what will happen if they get out of the trailer. You would think they are fighting for their lives.
Now thats what I had heard and was expecting when we took ours in. Both times they just walked without so much as a look of caution. I wonder if it has to do with the smell or the sounds. We used a different butcher for our sheep and they would NOT go in that building.
 
#7 ·
Sorry I can't help with a trailer as such.
If you have a plastic 5 gallon bucket you can put it over thier head and steer them right up a ramp backwards. I throw a little grain in it to help them put thier head in.
 
#8 ·
OP also said: I was thinking about renting a uhaul trailer, but I'm afraid they would breakout through the sides.....
being new to pigs and not yet transporting them -- is it likely that 250-300# pigs would get so crazy being transported for an hour that they would go through the sides of a metal trailer? Yikes!
 
#10 ·
Our first pig went in a uhaul trailer. It held him just fine. It works, but it isn't ideal. No ventilation, low ceiling. They hose out easy. Try to find a stock trailer. We slaughter at home and then the carcasses are taken to be processed. Works GREAT and I highly recommend it if you can do it or find someone to do it. Not all processors will take them dead, so check first.

+1 on checking to see if the processor has a way to unload out of a pickup bed. The one I've used doesn't.
+1 on a dry run. Loading can be the hardest part of raising pigs, or the most anticlimactic, but you never know.

Put up a craigslist ad asking for someone to rent one or haul for you.
 
#13 ·
We have a Ford E-350 which is the van equivelant of the F-350 and we transport pigs in it ever week to butcher. Works great. For your F-350, build a secure box that goes in the back and a loading ramp or dock that you can part against. Put hay in the box along with food and a trail of food going up into the box from the field. We also use sorting boards for picking out the pigs we want and then moving them. See:
http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2012/08/25/long-days-night/
http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2014/03/10/stainless-steel-pig-carrier/
http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2012/01/14/serendipity-chutes-and-sorting-boards/

Please fill in your location information which makes it easier to answer questions. At the very least your zone. See this thread:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/505485-please-fill-location-info.html

-Walter
 
#14 ·
Well, we made the mistake of thinking the ones our boys didn't show in 4H would load as easy as the others since we were in the pen all the time. Between the crazy muddy lot and me getting WAY to frustrated we didn't get them loaded and I killed them on the farm instead and kept meat for us. win/win I guess. Next year we will put trailer at pen and let them get use to it. Sorry this doesn't help you with no trailer though!
 
#15 · (Edited)
We also had our livestock trailer plans dissolve and our appt is Tuesday at 7:30 am, so we got busy. We built the chute, ramp and travel box today. Took apart their old sleeping shelter, added some straw to the new box and put an apple up on the tailgate. Sure enough, up went bossy-pig, took the apple and laid down on the straw. Put another apple on the tailgate, and here comes follower-pig and they were happily munching in their new overnight accommodations slash travel box. We built it in a way that Tuesday morning at o'dark-thirty we can go out, remove a few screws, drop the ramp and chute away from the truck, close the tailgate and insert the last wall, all while the ladies are snoozing. At dark tonight, they happily climbed up into the truck laid down and are snoring away out there. Whew, crisis averted.
 

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#16 ·
Do you know anyone with a horse trailer? That's how we transport our 2-4 pigs at a time. It is a two horse trailer. We had to put boards over the man door on the side, but it works great with the low ramp. We put it in the pigs pen on pasture 1-3 weeks before butcher appt. day and feed them in the trailer and on loading day we just feed like normal and shut the ramp behind them. We also give them one beer each for the 2 hour drive to the butcher. Our butcher lets us bring the the pigs the day BEFORE our appointment so they have time to calm down before being killed the next morning, I think this helps with meat quality. JMHO If you do use the truck bed put plenty of bedding so it's less slippery. Good luck! Also withholding food for 12 hours helps them be more food motivated for leading them into/up ramps.
 
#17 ·
We also had our livestock trailer plans dissolve and our appt is Tuesday at 7:30 am, so we got busy. We built the chute, ramp and travel box today. Took apart their old sleeping shelter, added some straw to the new box and put an apple up on the tailgate. Sure enough, up went bossy-pig, took the apple and laid down on the straw. Put another apple on the tailgate, and here comes follower-pig and they were happily munching in their new overnight accommodations slash travel box. We built it in a way that Tuesday morning at o'dark-thirty we can go out, remove a few screws, drop the ramp and chute away from the truck, close the tailgate and insert the last wall, all while the ladies are snoozing. At dark tonight, they happily climbed up into the truck laid down and are snoring away out there. Whew, crisis averted.


Good Job!! This looks great!
 
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