Re: Herding recalcitrant pigs - any tips?

cmbarber (cmbarber@easynet.fr)
Thu, 4 Dec 1997 09:19:43 -0500 (EST)

I have a smallholding in SW FRance, with one six year old sow (Gascon breed,
all black) with six three month old piglets. They are presently in an
enclosed pasture which they have ploughed well and I have prepared a
new enclosure in woods about 100m away. I naively thought they would
promptly follow the feedbucket to pastures new, but there is a marked
reluctance to do so. There was an initial reluctance to cross the line
where the electric fence had been, but they got over this but Mum will only
go about 50 yards then sniffs the air and determinedly returns home, closely
followed by her young. There have been wild boar near the woods - perhaps
that is putting her off - I can eventually resort to crating her and taking
her down but I am not sure that will fully solve my problem as the intention
is to keep them in the woods during the day (where they have morning feed)
and return to the home pasture in the evening (where they are fed evening
meal), so they need to get used to making the short journey on foot! (I have
reduced their rations the evening before trying to move them, to ensure that
they are reasonably hungry the next morning)

Any 'tricks of the trade' that anyone can recommend?

Charles Barber

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