Author Topic: Pig Taging (Read 3055 times)

littleoakfarm · « **on:** February 02, 2017, 11:00:42 am »

Just wondering at what age to tag pedigree pigs.
I know it can cause stress taking them away from mum while
tagging and don't wish to leave it leave it too long as to
be hard work to tag.

Any info on what other breeders do will be great.

PK · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2017, 12:53:41 pm »

I expect more experienced pig keepers will highlight advantages and disadvantages of tagging younger or older. I have done it at about 5 months whilst they were feeding. The advantage of this was that they were still enough and allowed time to be careful about positioning the tag and cleanly applying it. The pigs did not flinch.

harmony · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2017, 01:13:37 pm »

Hi

For what purposes are you tagging?

When are you going to notch or tattoo?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2017, 01:43:08 pm »

We ear tattoo piglets at 2 to 3 weeks old - old enough to survive, young enough for one person to keep a good grip on. (Mama gets enticed into the stock trailer with a bucket of feed to distract her whilst her offspring utter bloodcurdling screams.) Breeding quality or those going to market as stores get tagged at 9 weeks, a week after weaning so they're used to life without Mum. Weaners moving to a farm get a spray mark, pigs going to the abattoir get slapmarked.

harmony · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2017, 03:02:12 pm »

Quote from: Marches Farmer on February 02, 2017, 01:43:08 pm

We ear tattoo piglets at 2 to 3 weeks old - old enough to survive, young enough for one person to keep a good grip on. (Mama gets enticed into the stock trailer with a bucket of feed to distract her whilst her offspring utter bloodcurdling screams.) Breeding quality or those going to market as stores get tagged at 9 weeks, a week after weaning so they're used to life without Mum. Weaners moving to a farm get a spray mark, pigs going to the abattoir get slapmarked.

MF has summed it up well...as usual!

The sooner you do most jobs the easier they are to do and easier to keep a grip of a wriggling pig. Always take Mum away from the litter and put her somewhere secure. A trailer is a good idea. You can then get on quickly with the job in hand without worrying about the sow. Now actually persuading the sow to leave the piglets can be another job in itself!

A old friend once told me they put a sow in the barn and shut the two large wooden doors. They had hardly finished dealing with the first piglet before the sow lifted the wooden doors off and joined them!