“Hammock” Makes Piglet Restraint Easy

“Hammock” Makes Piglet Restraint Easy HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS This hammock-style pig handler makes it easier to restrain piglets It was developed by Tess Faulkner and Gillian Greaves who work for South West Ontario Veterinary Services in Stratford Ontario It’s designed for piglets weighing up to 25 lbs The women recently shared the honors as winners of the 2020 Dr F X Aherne prize for innovative pork production They designed the hammock because they were involved in a research trial that required euthanizing a lot of pigs But they say the hammock can be useful any time a piglet needs to be restrained And it can be made inexpensively using a few items found in the local hardware store “We came up with the idea because we found it difficult to euthanize an animal with a captive bolt on our own with just a board ” says Faulkner “The hammock is a less stressful way to restrain a piglet because it allows both the operator and the animal to relax The operator places the pig’s feet in the mesh and then folds the hammock which keeps both hands free to safely operate a captive bolt gun ” The device measures 40 in long 12 in tall and 3 in wide when folded and 22 in wide when opened It’s made from 2 sections of 1 1/2-in dia ABS pipe connected together by a carriage bolt/washer/nut combination The 2 sections are set within each other allowing the hammock to fold in and out easily Once the sections are folded out a piece of plastic snow fence with large openings is zip tied onto both sections to hold the hammock in place “The hammock is easy to clean and lightweight yet it’s strong enough to restrain the pig It folds easily so it can be hung on a wall for storage and easy access ” says Greaves Contact: FARM SHOW Followup SouthWest Ontario Veterinary Services 500 Wright Blvd Stratford Ontario Canada N4Z 1H3 ph 519 271-2111 or 877 699-0601; tfaulkner@southwestvets ca or ggreaves@southwestvets ca

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