If we move aggressively amongst crowded pigs they’re likely to panic. If we work quietly, pigs that are stuck in our bubble and unable to escape tend to go into a Bunching (herd behaviour) response and quit moving. We can use crowding and the Bunching response to help us ear tag or vaccinate pigs.
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Handlers often unintentionally stop movement by crowding pigs with boards/ hurdles. This hogs’ attention was so tied to the board that it couldn’t see the gate or leave the pen until the handlers and board stepped back.
Crowding prevents hog from leaving
With or without boards, when two or more people try to move pigs, the pigs will try to keep track of both/all handlers. (The camera person would have drawn attention too.) When more than one handler works behind pigs, the pigs will tend to turn sideways with their attention back towards the handlers instead of forward towards the gate. If one person works too close, others will tend to move up to block the circles he/she creates.
Pigs try to turn to watch all people
Once you’ve crowded pigs and got their attention fixed on you, there’s is a good chance that if you back off they’ll follow your movement and turn back to face you. That further encourages handlers to stay in close.
Keeping your board at your side forces you to pay closer attention to pig responses and makes it easier for pigs to tell you if you need to adjust your position and your bubble. By backing up, one pig told the handler he was too close. The handler pulled his board around to block the pig but he also stepped back to make the correction the pig asked for. The real payoff came when he got pigs out in the hallway.
Board at side allows clearer communication
Summary: Boards / hurdles are effective tools when used properly. When used to force movement they interfere with pig/handler communication and make moving pigs a whole lot harder for both pigs and handlers.
That’s it for this week.
Take care.
Nancy Lidster