I thought I would post a brief summary of how the pig castrations take place, since it has been a couple of years since I have addressed it on the blog. It is a necessary evil if you are going to raise pigs. It can really be a pretty simple procedure, and this time, Mr. Kirk decided to do all the pigs at once instead of spreading the experience out among several classes. We brought 10 piglets to castrate and he had done all 10 in less than 45 minutes!
Mr. Kirk organized a pretty efficient crew of students to work with the piglets while most of the other students observed. One student would get a piglet out of the trailor and hand him down to another student who then carried the patient into the shop. There another student held the piglet up by the hind legs and Mr. Kirk did the cutting. A different student sprayed the incision with iodine while yet another one administered the antibiotic needle and someone else marked the piglet with a chalk marker to identify which piglets had been done. The piglet would be passed on to a student who carried it out to the trailor where the student in the trailor gingerly laid the patient down in the straw and caught the next victim, I mean patient, to repeat the whole process.
I decided to quote a bit about general pig castrations from the web here on this post. I will have my additional comments in brackets without being italisized.
"Hogs are castrated for a variety of reasons. Two of the primary reasons are to stop unwanted breeding and to improve the quality of the meat in animals raised for market. The process also improves the feed conversion rate, allowing a higher weight gain per pound of food consumed. Castrating hogs, especially when they are young, also helps to keep the males more docile and less likely to fight among themselves or pose a risk to the humans who come in contact with them.
Things You'll Need:
Iodine disinfectant
Sterile scalpel or razor blade
1) Time the castration so that you are performing this process while the hog is still very young. The best time to do this is when the piglet is about one to two weeks old. If it is older, the process is identical, except that holding the animal will require two or three additional people. When done early, you can easily complete a hog castration with the help of a single assistant.
2) Remove the hog from its pen, unless it is alone. If it is still with its mother, it is a good idea to take it to where she cannot see it while you perform the procedure. Restrain it. If it is small your assistant can turn the piglet on its back, holding all four legs, with its testicles toward you. If it is larger, roll it on its back on the ground. Have one person hold the front legs above the hog's head, and another person hold its rear legs stretched straight out horizontally. You may need one person for each hind leg, depending on the size of the hog. [Mr. Kirks preferred method is to just have the piglet held up vertically by it's hind legs, belly facing the one with the scalpel, who then cuts in similar manner to what is noted below.]
3) Clean the scrotum with disinfectant. Squeeze the scrotum so that the testicles are both pressed up against the bottom of it. Make a vertical cut in the sack over one testicle. Cut where the lowest part of the scrotum will be when the hog is standing, to promote drainage.
4) Squeeze the testicle in order to push it out through the cut. [Or you can here slit the testicle which causes it to "pop" out.] Grab it and pull it out completely. Cut the attached white cord. In a young pig, continue pulling on the testicle until the red cord (blood vessel) snaps. If the hog is older, cut this cord at an angle. [Mr. Kirk always cuts this cord with a scraping motion.]
5) Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the other testicle. Check to make sure you have removed all tissue from the scrotum and that bleeding is minimal. Disinfect the area again, and spray with a livestock fly repellant if necessary.
6) If done right the procedure heals quickly and cleanly. Watch the hog for several days to make sure the scrotum heals properly. If signs of irritation or infection develop, contact a veterinarian for specific advice.
Read more: How to Castrate a Hog eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6553924_castrate-hog.html#ixzz18ELWgebC
Here are a few pictures of the event. There were so many students gathered around that it was difficult to get very good pictures. After all, it was supposed to be a learning experience for them, so I stayed out of the way.
Last year my son was able to castrate a goat. He belonged to the 4-H livestock club and they were visiting the NC State Agricultural Department. While there they asked if anyone wanted to help *fix* some of the goats. He of course, was thrilled with the idea of helping to *fix* the little fellow. They gave him a rubber band looking tool and let him have at it after they showed him how to do it. He came home that evening and calmly told me of his deed ;- ) Not many 11 year old boys can boast of that kind of experience. I'm glad that he is able to learn these skills, you never know what the future will hold.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Amanda
Matthew 6:33