Jennifer Woods gave those attending the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium a 45-minute course on what makes pigs tick, and how they can best be handled.
Officially, her presentation was titled Why Pigs Do What They Do, Not What We Want Them to Do!
Much of her presentation was focused on handling pigs in a way that relieves as much stress as possible on the animals. “When animals are stressed, it impacts production, and it impacts welfare,” Woods said at the symposium, which attracted 270 delegates. “You will see reduced weight gain, and poor reproductive performance. Stressed sows produce less piglets and a reduced ability to fight disease. Meat quality is a big part of it as well, and there is an increased chance of injury and death.”
Woods, an animal care and welfare specialist based in Alberta, said 90 per cent of handling is knowing why pigs do what they do.
“One of the first things I tell people is that pigs are very smart. And I believe the smarter the animal, the harder they are to handle.
“It’s because they challenge us and they question us. I always say when you are trying to load pigs out, they want to know where they are going, how long it is going to take, if there are going to be food or snacks and they will get back to you on whether they want to go or not.
“They like to think something is their idea. If they think it is their idea, they are more likely to do it than thinking it is your idea.”
She said handlers need to understand the animal.
“Animals will tell you exactly what they are looking at, what they are thinking, what they are wanting to do. You need to learn to read them. Don’t make the assumption they are going to do what you are thinking, because it is not what they are going to do.”
She said it is anticipating the animal’s next move comes with experience.
“Pigs tend to have only one thought at a time. They are singular focused. That is kind of a male thing also. One thought at a time,” she said, getting a hardy laugh from those in attendance.
She said handlers have to give them a clear picture of where they are going.
“Do you know how many times I see people moving animals with gates closed? Let them see that clear path. If they have a clear path they will just go, usually barking all the way down.”
The less contact the handler has with the animal the better.

“One of the most important things is staying out of the way. Animals do what we tell them to do 99 per cent of the time based on where we are standing and how we are acting.”
Woods also gave tips on how to make pigs move.
“Apply visual pressure. It has to be pressure they can see; that’s the big thing. You have to stay in their line of vision.
“Sometimes just change your position and they will go where you want them to go. Make sure they have a place to go before applying pressure.
“Back off on pressure when they are moving. Don’t keep on them and on them and on them.
“As a handler, you should be able to handle the lead animal at all times. This is a big, big issue. The animals at the back are not impacting herd movement. Your front animals are your most important.”
She said it is hard for handlers to grasp that moving small numbers of pigs beats moving a herd.
“You can move four, five, six pigs faster than 10. I swear you will get them done faster if you do them in groups of three to five pigs than if you do them in 10 to 15.
“It a hard thing to get you guys to do, but it really does work. If they are moving, don’t stop them to break them down, but if they balk or stop or don’t want to go, break them into smaller groups and you will get it done faster.”
Woods offered advice and the best use of rattle paddles and prods.
“I want to beat you with that rattle paddle when you constantly rattle it. It drives me up the wall.”
She said pigs have sensitive hearing, so constant rattling probably drives them up a wall too.
“Pigs hear much higher pitches than we do. They hear things that aren’t even audible to us. They are very dependent on their hearing; its dependent for survival as is their sense of smell.”
She said silence is golden.
“So, no yelling at them, no shouting, slamming gates, any noises like that. One of the biggest challenges in slaughter plants is the noise. The quieter you are, the better they move.
“The rattle in the paddle is to get their attention to a novel sound. When you are constantly rattling the paddle, it is no longer novel. It’s annoying. If you understand how to use the paddle correctly, they actually work quite well.”

She said in most situations there is no need to use a prod.
“Don’t carry your prods with you. Keep it somewhere where you have to go get it. Eighty per cent of the time when you go to get your prod, they will be where you wanted them to go.”
She said these are times when the risk of abuse goes up.
“It’s frustration. Step away, guys, take a breath. If things are really jammed up, take five minutes for you, because we have all been there, that frustration is very real.
“At no time should the animal be struck, kicked or dragged. Step away if you have to and then go back.
“Once you have exhausted all avenues of herd movement, there is a time and place when an electric prod can be used.
“For audit purposes, we count it as a prod if you touch the pig with it. It doesn’t matter if you push that button or not. It is scored a prod use if that prod touches the pig.
“They are only allowed on market hogs and mature hogs. And also by law, and the plants know this, we are limited where we can use them.”
She said prodding can only be done in the hip area, and not to animals that are moving or in pens.
She said pigs aren’t hard to please.

“They like to feel safe. And they like to be handled quietly and calmly at all times.” •
— By Cam Hutchinson