There is much the world of the farm has taught me and more yet to learn. On the surface there is always the technical knowledge: we are sending pigs to slaughter, so how do we get them on the trailer? This is not a new question; however, the nuances can make a difference in the quality of our pork or any animal for that matter. Did you know that stress has an effect on the body and therefore the meat we eat? Temple Grandin has written many papers on the subject, and this one is a good example. If our animals experience stress in the hours and days leading up to their slaughter their meat will be tough to chew and dry to eat. Stress is a great way to ruin meat. So how do we load the pigs?
I suppose it starts at the beginning; pigs are curious and social creatures, and if we do not give them reason to fear us, over time they can be very friendly and fun to be around. Not only does this mean they love a good belly rub, but the daily chores are not a source of stress and fear for them, but something to look forward to. So when it comes time to ask them to do something they have never done before, like get on a livestock trailer, we introduce the idea slowly.
Imagine how you feel when you’re forced into something totally strange, how do you feel when you find out what’s happening, when you’re being pushed through the experience, or after it is over? One way to load animals is through force. Using physical barriers it is possible to “push” animals in a direction they do not want to go. They even make something called a “hot shot” or a cattle prod, that is a long stick with a fork at the end that you can give an electric shock to an animal to get them to move forward. This approach is a sure way to get tough and dry meat. My experience has shown that most animals are like most of us, we are hesitant to be pushed into the unknown.
I ask the trucker to drop off the trailer the day before we are scheduled to send the pigs. Lewis, Lovett and I setup a short alleyway leading from their barn into the trailer. Using chains we attach the whole setup to the trailer so that the trailer is just a new area to explore. We then move their food troughs to the trailer and put their food only in the trailer. At first the pigs are hesitant, and usually it is just the most dominant animal that leads the way and will not let any others pass. They explore the trailer, walk in and out, and by the afternoon they will follow me on the trailer excitedly for some compost from our kitchen.
The next morning loading the pigs is as simple and stress free as walking onto the trailer with buckets of breakfast and closing the door behind them.
As I walked back to the house after sending the pigs off, I wondered to myself what is my version of tough and dry? What are the ways that I respond to the push towards the unknown? In my morning musings I imagined a corny infomercial on television of an overly energetic persona pitching the new self help technique, with the slogan “and we’ll leave you tender and juicy…”
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