SQUEEAAAALLLLLKK, SSQQUUUEEEEALLLLLLLLLKK ( greatly edited for space) They seemed as loud as the air planes taking off at the airport! Note to self. Add ear plugs to the vet kit. Hubby got a real good look that their teeth too.
I would like to know more about that "hubby had a real good look at there teeth too"! Does that mean he was on the snout end while you was on the other end doing the deeds? :haha:
YES, one was trying to chew off the pocket flap of his denim jacket. These two are 9 weeks old, 1/2 potbelly and there is no way I could have held them, he had to rest inbetween pigs (he can do 100lbs curls with each arm) he said they almost dislocated his fingers. but dang they where loud......I think police sirens where invented when some one tied a pig on the roof! And a tip for any other newbies, the white membrane under the skin IS TOUGH to cut through. So don't be shy about it. I used a new razor blade and the skin cut easy but that membrane was pressed down and barely showed a mark, it took me more than one pass to get the membrane open enough on 3 out of 4 cuts. Rabbits are much easier. I was suprized {with the pigs}that when I made the first cut the testicals drew up into the body and where gone! I had to push and poke to get them back out. I also wondered if a snip from some realy good sissor tips would be easier to control the cut? What do you all think? Pinch up the skin, snip, squeeze, pull, done.
A couple tips for you thumper. Next time use a pig snout catcher when castrating. Just place the loop around their snout and hold it tight keeping pressure on it at all times. If he walks toward you, take up the slack and keep pulling. You can literly hold that pig in one place the whole time while your husband does the cutting. That pig will be more worried about his snout than his goneds. You will have the job done in no time. But still wear the ear plugs. As for the rabbits, you will have to do them like sheep. Cut em, suck em out, and then bit'em off. Good luck on your next castration venture.
The rabbit I did is BIG, over 20 inches long (I need to weigh him) he was easy to do the skin is thin and the "pocket" is easy to hold for the cut. He should be a nice dinner some day. alas, I will always be the one to do the cutting, hubby went bowling the day after his vasectemy (sp?) and even sat up to watch while the doctor did him, but the 'parts removal' thing is too much for him. I read about the snout snare/catcher thing in our pig book, but ours are still small enough to fit on hubby's lap, so we went with the quickest, well what seemed like the quickest at the time, way of doing it. These are fun to learn with. I don't think I will ever want full size pigs.
WHY wait til they are that old.? A pig clinic for women raising pigs showed how to do them at 2 days or so...My friend showed me what she learned & I will never go back to the hard way...you can do the iron supplement & teeth at the same time & be done with it...She told me she had done them as they were born in the farrowing crate too..I do mine myself & haven't had any problem which sure wouldn't work at 9 wks..I use a net to catch them across the fence as mom is a bit undone by it & you need to be safe..Just hold them between your knees & have everything handy..GrannieD
I have seen it done before although I think my pigs were older then 9 weeks (More around 12 weeks guessing). two people were holding the back legs one per leg hog head facing downward (a vet did mine) all that was done was slice, slice then he tapped the top of the scrotum and they dropped out and then slice toss, slice toss and then he sprayed them when he was done. It was cheap to, like a buck a wack. My hubby and I brought them to the vet and helped with the holding. It is way cheaper then getting my dog fixed. He was 70 the pigs were like 5 total and I had two of them done
These two where still running wild (loose) at about 7 1/2 weeks old, I drove down to get them after someone else had caught them just the day or so before, they lived in the back of my pickup (with campershell) for almost a week to get them slightly tame, and so the dogs wouldn't attact them, and they where moved to the ground pen just a few days before we cut them, my husband is a over the road truck driver, and not home every day, so that was the soonest we got it done. {{does the delay sound less shocking that way? }}
Hi Thumper, It is so much easier to castrate piglets when much younger. We have always waited until the babies were at least 3 days old and then anytime after that we did them. At the same time we did teeth, castration and selenium & Iron injections. tying the nose is a help when older but not really necessary when young, you just need strong arms and good set of legs.. ohh yeah and earplugs.. Our whiole neighbourhood knows when we are castrating because the moms in the barn are all barking ans screaming for their babies at the same time and our big fella is louder than all wanting to knwo whats happening to his babies as well<LOL> good luck, Bev
