# Piglet restraint plans?



## Feathers-N-Fur (Dec 17, 2007)

I have seen plans for a piglet restraint for castrating. Now that I want to build one, I can't find the plans. Any one know where I can find them. Thanks


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

One person can do it. More easily done by two people. Some people hold the pig in a barrel.

A technique:

Piglet is held on it's back on person one's lap with head back under non-dominant arm (e.g., left) and dominant hand (e.g., right) is used to pull hind feet towards pig's head across its chest exposing testicles.

Second person cleans area around testicles, disinfects, cuts, castrates and disinfects.

Piglet released to clean hay pen. A third person is handy for catch and release. This makes the process go very quickly.

We can do it efficiently and quickly but none of us like castrating piglets. There is the risk with castration of the occasional undetected hernia that can kill the piglet - a nasty death about one in 100 or 200. Seeing that once is more than enough for a lifetime as the small intestines shoot out. With our pigs it is not necessary to castrate since they don't have taint. Thus I only castrate if a customer asks for it and pays $25 extra per piglet.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

IMO more pigs are injured from holding male pigs than from the process of castrating because people do not know how to properly restrain the pig. Castrating is best done as a two person task. One holds while the other does the task. To properly hold a pig a table is needed. A 55 gallon barrel will suffice with the barrel vertical and the closed end up. The person holding the pig should hold the pig positioned on its back and the head toward the holder. Have the pigs left front leg held between the holders left thumb and fore finger and the left rear leg between the index finger and the ring finger. The right front leg of the pig is between the holders right thumb and forefinger and the right rear leg is held between the holders right fore finger and ringer finger. With the pig held in the manner described the person holding brings the pigs rear legs toward the pigs front legs causing the pigs back to bow raising the pigs rear. Held in this manner both testicles are now protruding and the rear of the pig is fully accessible to the person doing the castrating. With a scapel, a slit is made over one testicle and cut long enough to where when the pig is standing the cut will drain. The depth of the cut over the testicle should be deep enough to cut into the testicle slightly. The testicle itself is extracted by hand and the cord is severed, some people cut and others pull. I prefer to somewhat scrape the cord until it severs. The same technique is repeated for the remaining testicle. Using this manner avoids hernias and prolapses. Pigs heal quickly as the cut can drain and there should not be a puss pocket.


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## PlowGirl (Nov 16, 2005)

The last time I castrated boar piglets, I made a castration cradle. It was constructed out of expanded metal folded in the center to form a vee shape. I placed it between a couple of short pieces of 4x4s, for support. Placing the piglet on his back into the vee, I used some brass rods that fit between the expanded metal holes to pin the piglet down. I used one over his front legs and chest and the other over his hind legs that had been folded down to his belly. I found that they were less likely to squeal when their hind legs were elevated higher than their head. 

I had seen this design in a Nasco catalog for a lot more money than I wanted to spend. I think I had about $10 invested in mine.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

I don't have any plans but I would love to have a setup like on this YouTube video. Sometimes it's an inconvenience to have to find a second person. I'd love to be able to castrate a litter by myself. 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOCfd3gZvVA[/ame]


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Never used one. I hold between my knees and do the deed just after ear notching. and I have done hundreds this way. Sometimes the rupture can not be avoided


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

The ones I've seen are basicly a sheet mettle funnel. Drop the pig in head first and the business end is right there, ready to be taken out of business.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Hey guys, My father made a holder years ago that one man can use to casterate pigs. I have cut hundreds of pigs in this outfit and myself with my good dog, I could cut a hundred in a few hours. We also cut our pigs at two weeks, so they were smaller. As far as the hernia, we also learned from our Vet. how to fix these and it is not a big deal. I`ll see if I can get the wife to put a picture on here of the holder. Thanks Marc


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

As promised, I've posted pictures of the castration stand my father built as well as directions for building it and instructions for inserting the piglet and releasing him when done. Surf over to thisnthat.4mg.com and then click on "hog holder - castrating stand". Email me if you have any questions on this!! - Marc


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## Sharon’spigs (Mar 8, 2021)

Feathers-N-Fur said:


> I have seen plans for a piglet restraint for castrating. Now that I want to build one, I can't find the plans. Any one know where I can find them. Thanks


Me too!!


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