Small Livestock Acclimation: Pigs & Goats

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brawley B
• Description:
  Livestock projects are an excellent way for youth to build confidence and demonstrate responsibility. All livestock, large and small, will go through an adjustment period after you bring them home. Creating a comfortable environment for your livestock will help keep stress levels down and prevent injuries to animals and humans. In this article we are going to focus on the acclimation of two popular small breeds of livestock: pigs and goats. Pigs: First, always allow your pig a few days to get settled in after you bring it home. After two or three days, begin entering the pen when feeding or watering. At this point, you may try to pet the pig, but do not force it. Trying to corral the pig in an attempt to pet it will make the pig skittish and afraid of you. After about a week, try to enter the pen and attempt to lure the pig toward you. If you name your animals, then call its name. You could also offer your animal a treat. Once you feel like your pig is comfortable being around you, then begin a brushing routine. This helps create a good relationship between the handler and the pig because it is soothing. Never hit or push on your pig, because this can cause it to become afraid of you, or even develop bad habits like biting. Goats: Goats may require more work to acclimate than their swine counterparts. They are extremely skittish. You have to exercise caution and patience when working with them. Goats are prone to injury because they are nervous in new environments and make quick, unpredictable movements. First, just like pigs, you want to give your goats about a week to get comfortable in their new home. Once the goat is acting less edgy, attempt to approach it slowly. You will work up to catching and haltering the goat. Tying them to a fence is a good way to help restrain them from jumping and possibly hurting themselves. While they are safely tied up, gently comb their hair out. This is a good way to establish trust with your goat. After three or four days of the brushing routine, you will likely see an improvement in your goat's disposition. You can reward your goat with a treat when its behavior is good. After a couple weeks of using these techniques, your goat should be fell more comfortable in its new home, with you and its surroundings. Just like humans, animals are not comfortable in unfamiliar situations. Properly acclimating your small livestock will lay the foundation for a successful and fulfilling project. Protect your investment and stay safe! [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Animals Farmers Health Promotion Livestock Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Safety Animal Handlers Farm Workers Health Promotion Injury Prevention Safety Education
• Publisher:
  The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061220
• Citation:
  Monthly Safety Blast. Tyler, TX: The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education, 2020 Aug; :1-4
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Monthly Safety Blast
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6300d5e9fe8f23971fa4b187087beb125b109d5a8c5651b10e1398742b66ff4f7cd1810439003addad2c90cff7106bd5515e96c5d7f8f0aeeeb7adcc7011556d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224830/cdc_224830_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 587.39 KB ]