OT castrating weaner pigs

dmiller · Sep 21, 2010

I just bought some weaned pigs. A few of them have not been castrated yet. I've castrated piglets before so know the process, but have always done it when they were about a week old.
Not a big deal to hold them in one hand and cut with the other.

Any tips/ideas on how to hold a 40 lb. hog for castrating?

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 21, 2010

Elastrator and bucket of grain to keep their interest?

MikeinKy · Sep 21, 2010

Back when I used to do that, I had somebody sit on their belly and hold their legs, while I cut them.

NW Ohio Tim · Sep 21, 2010

It's going to be a two man job. You can hold them by the back legs if your helper is big enough.... you better be a fast cutter though. I always had better luck when they were 40 lbs or bigger by laying them on their side and holding their legs together, like they are hog tied. Your helper can kneel right on their side and hold thier legs in both hands. Their testicles will naturally bulge out when they are held like this. It's easy to cut to high doing it this way though, just be concious of that and keep your cut low so it drains when the pig stands up.

Good luck.

Tim in NW Ohio ~ Who always thought cutting 40 lb hogs was good incentive to not let them get that big the next time.

Looks like Mike is a faster typer than me... ;o)

Bruce S IL · Sep 21, 2010

You will need some help. Have the help throw the pig on his side, put one knee on his neck to hold him down. Pull one back leg (or maybe both) and one front and pull them togther to immobilize him the best you can. Then go to cutting. Done it a lot when I was a kid. That and bailing hay was our summer spending money.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 21, 2010

Elastrator is never used on pigs, their anatomy is not conducive to it's use. Lay them on their back in a wooden feed trough, and have your helper sit lightly on their abdomen, and hold their legs apart. Your helper will get piddled on, such is life!

James Howell · Sep 21, 2010

One rope around the snout; pig will pull backwards for all he's worth.

This also reduces the odds of getting bit.

Second rope ties either back leg; string him up like a hammock.

Wife, girlfriend, or significant other can sit on pig and hold free hind leg.

Suggest about a 1 inch incision of the "sack".

Work one nut out, pull as far as it will stretch,
shave the cord, then through it to the dog.

Repeat above steps for nut #2.

Put plenty of "calf smear" in and around the sack.

Don't forget to remove the ropes.

Be sure to post photos of how things went.

Wilson · Sep 21, 2010

grand father though 200 lb was just right. took 3 or 4 to hold down

SCHMUCK 2 · Sep 21, 2010

Bought about a dozen pigs from a guy who was getting out of the hog business. Some of them were nearly 150 Lbs. Two of us got the job done, but we're both around 220 ourselves, and it was NOT easy. Wrestled 'em down, put one knee across the neck/head, held up one back leg with the free arm while the other one did the cutting.

ChrisinMO · Sep 21, 2010

Some very good suggestions on restraining them from others. I would say it is a two man job, one to hold and one to cut. Most of all, I'd say don't wait. It won't be easier next week...

BTDT

Christopher

Old Roy · Sep 21, 2010

Helped my old neighbor one time he had a rack made from 2x4's and a barrel like a grease barrel cut down to approximately the length of pig. cleaned out. and it was tilted downward at an angle steep enough that pig couldn't back out. it would try to hold its snout off bottom and didn't try to fight as much.Made it easier for me to hold from the side of his invention.
The "Calf smear" we used was lard, and disinfectant. If i remember correctly it was Lysol

Sean Feeney · Sep 21, 2010

Why do you castrate the pigs?

gene bender · Sep 21, 2010

So when they get big they dont breed as then they are called boars.

TimV · Sep 21, 2010

And they typically grow faster and are less aggressive without their family jewels.

gitrib · Sep 21, 2010

Yup Thats the way. Want to cut'm low so they drain good this will help eliminate infection. Also pull the testical out do not cut the cord.
Had a old vet teach me when I was about 14 yrs old.
gitrib

Anonymous-0 · Sep 21, 2010

WAY WAY to much work, tying up and such--must be written from someone who has done one or two.

I have done maybe 10,000.

If a strong guy holding, just hold the pig by the back legs--dangling down-- with pig's back against the holder's legs. Take em out, including the cord, an incision for each side and drop the pig, no antibiotics, no nothing. Slash em pretty wide so they can drain, a petite cut may get infected.

Otherwise, flip the pig on its side, hold the "top" legs-one front and one back. Holder puts proper tension on back leg so "cutter" can feel to make proper incision. The rest of the procedure is as above.

One inch incision would be rather small if a 50 lb pig--asking for infection. Cut through "sack" AND into "nut". Don't "shave" the cord, pull it all out--it will eventually break.

Rope idea silly. With two or three guys catching, we used to do a 1000 head building (about 500 boars) in 90 minutes.

Now we do about two days old.

I have done 300# pigs as above, laying on their side, with about three guys holding on for dear life, but not a good way to do it. THAT sized pig would get a shot of Penn as the big hogs really swell up. A feeder pig won't even know what hit him.

Sean Feeney · Sep 21, 2010

Gotcha
Thanks

Coloken · Sep 21, 2010

So they and the meat don't smell like a boar hog.

RayP(MI) · Sep 21, 2010

Takes two. One to hold, one to cut. Holder grabs pig by front legs, stands him on his butt, and holds him against his legs - pig's back to the front of holder's legs. Lift pig off ground so rear legs not on round. Knife weilder then does his thing. Good husky football player makes a good holder. Us little guys will have their hands full!

Box cutter or triangle blade utility knife works well. Sharper the better. Replace disposable blades often.

Tom Yaz · Sep 21, 2010

You got the upcoming election on your mind too?

fixerupper · Sep 21, 2010

When you set the pigs loose watch for rupture. Probably won't happen but it can.

Quite a few years ago a neighbor called me over to his place to help castrate an 80 pounder that he missed when he cut them earlier on. I caught it and was holding it down with my knee on the hog's neck while holding the front and back leg. He got to business cutting and all of a sudden he said "Oh sh--t, Jim". It had ruptured so I had to stand there holding this squirming 80 pounder up by it's back legs while he went to the house to get the needle and thread. I thought my arms were gonna drop off before he got back. If I remember right we got some twine and hung it by the back legs from the rafters while he sewed it up cause my arms couldn't do it anymore. Jim

JMS/.MN · Sep 21, 2010

No one suggested stuffing feet up, head first into a pail or traffic cone, holding back legs while the cutter does his job? Wooden V-trough works too, as mentioned. I always used Lysol and water, maybe 20/80 mix- in a beer bottle, for disinfectant. Remember Dad and I doing a breeding boar once, hog-tied and hanging on a wire stretcher.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 21, 2010

That size, grab them by the hind legs and cut like Iowa says - most important gear is the ear plugs, them little pigs are loud.

camju · Sep 21, 2010

My dad got us to just hold them upside down over the edge of the pen and he did the cuttin.Seemed to me if there front feet wouldn't have had anything to get up against it would a worked better.

Crem · Sep 21, 2010

We used a wooden nail keg. (That is what the nails came in back then.) We would stuff the pig head first into the keg, I would sit on the keg and hold the kicking back legs and dad would cut. You would stink like heck after doing a bunch of them.

SCHMUCK 2 · Sep 22, 2010

Doesn't work, they can "suck" thier nuts up.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 22, 2010

that's cutting one boar every ten seconds continuosly to cut 500..you sure about that?

OT castrating weaner pigs

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