walking my pig

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Jess
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walking my pig

Post by Jess » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:39 pm

i need some advice on walking my pig. shes being an absolute pain in the butt. she wont listen to me at all. help please.

kslivstkbroker
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Post by kslivstkbroker » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:16 pm

well u might have 2 get her attention good stiff pipe 2 the nose or find somthing she likes like marshmellos on ur whip then put 1 in each corner of ur show ring driver them 2 each 1 diferent pattern each day dont let her have her way u be the boss oreos work 2

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pigman102
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Post by pigman102 » Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:34 pm

what i do with my pigs like that is use a willow branch dont hit them to hard it is more to scare them with the sound than anything
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rhinestone_cowgirl
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Post by rhinestone_cowgirl » Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:07 pm

I feel your frustration! Starting out this year with my two hogs, neither of them would walk for anything. We just continued to let them out and try to work with them. It didn't seem like we'd ever accomplish anything, but finally one day one of them did real good. About a week later the other did also. I'm not sure about luring her with food, etc as it didn't work for me, but it seems it's worked for others so by all means give it a try. Just be persistent and don't give up! Try not to get too frustrated and harm her, as she may associate other things with that later on, causing more problems. Good luck! Let us know how it goes! :D

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Post by bingosgirl » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:20 pm

You might want to just spend time with them- build up thier trust. Get to where you can touch them all over with your cane then try walking them. And be persistant- keep at them. But remember to be gentle.


Make sure to tell us how it goes!

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Post by durocraiser » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:56 pm

I have problems walking my pigs the first week or two but it gets better with time i use my walking item (usualy a pipe) then when they get responsive i switch to a whip, anyways back to the point when i walk them i take them out in the front yard and walk them around and get them used to walking out there they are good walkers and usually great for showmenship

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Post by WildAcresFarm » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:39 am

Ok, when yall walk your pigs are they always within a enclosed area or can you get to the point of being able to walk your pig around anywhere without having to fear it running off? I want to start walking our pigs to increase muscle tone but we don't have a great deal of enclosed areas to walk them in..

thanks! :D

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Post by Hamstn » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:03 am

Pigs are not like cattle or dogs in that when you let them out they are going to take off and you find them a mile away. The first thing is get them used to you in their pen. Go sit it in and give treats, if you want, several time a day for 10 minutes or so. After a few days or a week of this it is time to open the gate. Let your pig out and just let it go. They may take off for short distance and run a bit but don't worry. Soon, within 60 seconds they will calm down and usually start to root or slowly start to explore things around your farm. Your only job now is to keep them out of trouble, like going into mamma's flower garden. Do this for a few days but each day try to guild your pig into a different area. Now you need to plan where you want to walk your pig each day. For example down the road, end of drive way or, around the exterior of your property. After you have past the first few days take them part of the way of your planned route, turn around and go back to pen. Next day try to go further and continue until you have completed your route. From then on your pigs will know exactly where to go and will do so willingly every day. At this point you should be able to take a different route if you can or want to and you will find that if this is done each day at the same time they will actually start squealing to get out and take the walk.(down side of this I have found is at fair time. Pigs will want to get out of their pen and take a walk late evening) We are lucky to have a farm where we can walk the pigs down a dirt road and usually will do so every evening at dusk and will go 3/4 to 1.5 miles round trip. When pigs hit the end of driveway they will dash to the pen and enter on their own.

Other hints are to walk pig in pairs at first. If you have several find the most calm ones and get them to walk your route first. Then bring the rest with them and they will follow. My 3 kids will be walking up to 18 pigs this way this year.

This also applies to training your pigs to load into a trailer. This is one of the first thing we teach our pigs. We all know pigs love water on warm days. Using the trailer to cool them off or wash them makes them think the tailer is a good place to go and they will learn to run to it hoping to get a soaking. So this is done mid afternoon when it is warmest part of the day. Again same time each day and all you will have to do is open trailer door, go open pen gate, and they will run to trailer and jump in on their own.
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Post by ashleyshowpigs » Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:38 pm

I get me a body harness and they work really well once you get them used to getting out of there pen and into different surroundings then they will trust you, I use what ever showing sticks that I will be using and use it to guide them but you are till in control over the pig on the speed, after a mth or so you can take it off and they will still walk slow and you will have a good showmanship project.
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Post by mrshowman » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:11 pm

Just curious to hear, how long before the show are you starting to walk them?

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Post by Hamstn » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:04 am

Getting your pig used to you and gain trust should start when you get your pig. Training your pig to walk might start at 100-125lbs. Then build up to a daily walk 30 days or so before the show.
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eat_sleep_show
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Post by eat_sleep_show » Mon May 19, 2008 4:04 pm

i totally agree with Hamstn on the whole thing. but for the most part just being in the same pen with them till they are about 100 lbs. young minds are hopelss to try and teach. just let them grow up around you and they will come along. start working them so they just move off of your whip and learn to turn. don't expect to much during the first couple of months. just keep working at it and they will come along.

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Post by DUROCCHAMP » Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:10 pm

what i would do is first get yourself a nece long show wip and never ever touch the rear of your hog with that wip anything behind the ribs in my oppinion is wrong and to keep the head up hit thim under the chest by hiting lightly at an angle on the lower neck. then do evurything else normal and to keep it walking use that armpit... that undr belly is soft and again lightly hit it in the arpit and it will walk... then establish trust and find out what it likes. you know the hardest thing for me to do was walking twards the judge so now with all my pigs i walk them straite at the tree in the yard and when there nose touches the tree we are done and she gets a treat
make a friendship with your animal and you will be rewarded in th end

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Leading a pig

Post by learfamily » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:13 pm

I know how you feel. This is my fifth year of showmanship and i have gone through that. It takes time to teach them that YOU are the boss. You may be scared that you are hitting them too hard, but your not your teaching them that you are the boss. Another thing you can do is if you have running water away from the barn where the pig is, take it there and wash it off with water. Pigs take this as a real treat. That is what i did and I have gotton champion showman at my fair for 5 years and twice at the state fair.
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Post by LAZYOAKSGENETICS » Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:32 am

I tell you the kids that you see out their in the showring with the hogs that work great for them were once the same as your hogs are acting none of them are born with it Every pig we have ever raised has taken a solid 3-4 weeks of strict showring practice lots of hours in the ring, And I have had some of the most stubburned hogs you never thought they would ever work for me, but they allways ended up working out. This is truely an artform that you must take pride in and truely love the challenge of master every hog in your barn and come showtime you and your projects are ready. allways remember these lil helpful hints,treat each walking session as if is a show, to win your class you will be inthe showring for 15 minutes, keep that in mind when walking,show your hog to the judge in your walking session coming to going away over the top 1/4 away and one good long distance veiw, and keep it slow "FAST IS LAST" and last have fun. Do this and put your very best effort into it, and you will have that trophy collection filled in no time. GOODLUCK TO ALL

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