Working in the Barn

Thursday was a new day at the barn and a time to learn something new. Today we would be processing the day old piglets.

When processing piglets we have to notch their ears, inject them with iron supplement, dock their tail and clip their canine teeth. We notch the ears because the pigs will pull their tags out so we permanently tag them with ear notches. The ear is divided in four quadrants so there is a set code all across the world to know which pig is which and from what sow. The iron supplement is because pigs grow so quickly that they struggle against being anemic. Docking their tails is performed, because if we didn't dock them then other pigs would play or bite the tail. If they chewed on the tail enough and tasted blood then they would start to eat the pig; turning into cannibals. Clipping their canine teeth is done for the comfort of the mother. If the mother gets cut by the sharp canine teeth then she will not let down her milk and the piglets will starve.

Our Teacher's Assistant, Mandy, had came up and demoed the first teeth clipping and as I watched the tooth came flying at my face and hit me. I figured it was either in my hair or had fallen onto the floor. However, when we got back to campus I looked down at my sweatshirt and there attached to my string was the tooth. I yelled "Oh my gosh! I found it!" I was in disbelief and almost disgusted. We were all laughing so hard tears were falling down our faces and we had to stop the car as we laughed. Now I have a souvenir.  

While I was in Digital Photography class we watched a video that our teacher had made. It was just like Grandpa's, but I must say my grandpa does a better job.