This is that "Hello ladies!" sound that some intact (or in his case, freshly neutered) boars make when they're trying to call the ladies.
The larger the pig, the deeper the sound. Though this is also similar to some sounds made when pigs are "hot panting" which is their way of showing affection.
Pig Hierarchy
There has been an increase in pig owners questioning why their pig bit, lunged at, head swiped, or even attacked them.
A pig is a pig.
No matter how much we want to think of them as cute indoor pets, they are still entirely animal. Pig behavior is similar to that of dog behavior in a completely different way.
In a herd dynamic, there will be regular scuffles between lower herd members to determine where one sits in the herd. Rarely, either because perceived illness or injury, herd members will fight the top hog.
Every one in household needs to be above the pig in hierarchy. That means everyone needs to move the pig randomly to establish that.
In a herd dynamic a pig higher up in the herd status will move lower pigs out of their resting spots, away from food, and shove around so they can get comfortable in bed first.
The pig at the lowest rank will be the last for everything. The top hog determines when and where they eat. The top hog determines when and for how long they rest. The top hog determines what spot is theirs first whether napping, grazing, or sleeping.
Everyone else fans out around the top hog or follows in a goose like flying pattern when relaxed and a tight nit circle when spooked. One spooked pig (or human) spooks the rest of the pigs.
If you are the top hog of your family, the pig will naturally react to your actions and reactions. It's why one of the things we mention is that if you're anxious about the hoof trim, your pig will be too.
Pigs are communal animals, but rank among the herd is one of the very first things established when a new member is added to the family. That determines how the herd functions.
If you have an only pig it becomes that much more important for you to regularly establish the humans as the higher functioning members of the herd.
A pig that is regularly challenged (working for food, tricks for pets/praise, waiting for you to give the okay for food, moving them off the couch/furniture, etc) is a normally
Kune Trim using Hoof Boss
Kune Kune hoof trim.
Some trapped thrush and poop between layers makes for a stinky trim.
Do you see the white line when I'm finishing up? Any other questions?
One of our first trims back at it was our largest client, Lulu, whose estimated weight sits in the mid 500's.
She is one that if she wanted to, she absolutely could get up. It is a blessing that once she's flipped, she essentially lays in her mom's lap and allows us to trim her toes. Downside, mom takes a hoof confetti shower the entire time we work on her darling piggies toes.
This video is almost start to finish for one set of toes. A little more than 5 minutes to trim distal & proximal phalanx using The Hoof Boss and following that up with the dremel.
It is uncommon for a pig of Lulu's size to be flipped in order to trim. The concern with her size is if she's not rolled gently, her weight could cause damage to her shoulders, and if she's not rolled tandem front and back, the spine can be tweaked and misaligned.
At no point would we recommend a single trimmer or for a single person to "flip" her. She is of the size that where she is rolled, she is trimmed. Not only is it unwise to move her, but it would be unsafe for her joints due to her weight.
Lulu is one of very few her size that we feel comfortable trimming. Not because we can't, but a larger pig who is hyperventilating can have an increased risk of heart attack. A larger pig who has had a bad experience before can thrash and harm themselves. A larger pig who is terrified of having their toes done is a great danger to themselves and to the people involved.
If your pig has had unsafe or harmful trims done prior, they remember that. They remember the last time someone handled them. Mishandling or harming them at one of their most vulnerable states creates a long-term mental scar that we are actively working to prevent every time we trim.
Hoof care is not just about the finished product. Hoof care is about making a necessary thing less scary, less painful, and less harmful. If your pig is terrified of having their hooves trimmed, it may be time to ask why.
This felt amazing.
Now, I'll for sure be sore tomorrow, but goodness have I missed this more than anything else.
What are your takeaways? Are there any questions?
We're back! 😉
A lot of setbacks, but new tool and new disc mean we are killin it.
We missed ya'll. 🥰
Good morning! 😊
As most of you know, I fractured my wrist, like the teeniest tiniest fracture, nearly 2 weeks ago. While annoying enough to cause pain, not enough to require a cast or long-term rest.
I was instructed to rest the arm, wear a brace, and ice/heat with Tylenol as needed for two weeks. I'm coming up on that two week marker, and I can admit that I'm not as pain-free as I would have hoped.
She did say it would get worse before it got better because the rest would atrophy the muscles a tiny bit and that the rebuilding following would hurt.
I had a check-in, and she's said to take it easy. Admittedly, I don't know what that looks like because for the last year, we've been doing as little as 3 pigs and as many as 12 pigs in a day.
What we do is our livelihood, and any injury seriously sets us back by quite a bit. I want to say that I'm ready to jump back in, but we have all agreed it needs to be 1 day of work to 2-4 days off or less than 4 trims total spread across a couple of days for the first week back.
This is going to be a bit difficult, but I'm willing to do what I can. We greatly appreciate the flexibility and patience of everyone. This has been a difficult period to navigate.
I'm notoriously horrible at resting and taking an off day, but you would be relieved to know that I have royally screwed up my sleep schedule with how much I've been resting off and on.
We can't wait to see everyone, and we will have to continue to play it by ear. I apologize ahead of time for that. We appreciate everyone's patience and flexibility. We hope the holidays are filled with all the joy. We have a few more scheduled posts going out this week. We will be in touch with those scheduled at the end of the year.
♡ Tori
Her Animals Hoof Care
On average, it takes me 6-10 minutes to finish a single foot on a pig.
We primarily use the Hoof Boss to take most of the length and depth off. Then we follow that up with the Milwaukee dremel to smooth the hoof wall and add the final touches.
This pig specifically has a lot of layer that is slightly flaky. The balance of the hoof is affected by the callous that is built up on the pad.
Ideally, when a pig walks, they make contact with the whole hoof, not just parts of the hoof. It is our job to adjust the hoof until that is achieved.
Please feel free to press and use 1.5x speed. This is a 6:32 minute long video of what we do.
Her Animals Hoof Care
Local to Houston
Servicing the triangle of Texas plus some surrounding areas.
A muddy trim!
This is our time to ask that any clients who have outdoor pigss have their pig secured in a pen out of the mud prior to trim.
We totally understand when it's hot pigs want and need to wallow. Trying to flip a wet pig is not only dangerous for the pig, but also for us.
It is also harder on our equipment to trim if hooves are dirty. A disc that could normally last me 3 months gets worn in half that.
Thankfully this little lady froze in place once we had a hold of her so there was no injury to any of us. Just LOTS of mud.
Her Animals Hoof Care
Videos always make me happy.
Being able to return and see what I did step by step is much easier to nitpick and perfect than a before and after photo.
Truly recording only happens when we either have an extra set of hands or the pig we are trimming is incredibly chill. Fronts are much easier to film than rear because Michael can hold the camera without needing both hands on the piggy.
We thought it would be a perfect time to touch base on our mottos.
> Safety of pig first, human safety second.
> Progress over perfection
> Comfort over pretty
> Less is more
For a lot of things I follow my gut instinct and what I was taught. I would rather not take enough and be able to go back in than take too much and have damage to work around.
I'm personally not at all happy with how many tusk trims I'm seeing that are taken to the gum. There is a natural discoloration on 95% of tusks that marks a safe and healthy trim line.
Both top and bottom tusks contain a pulp. The pulp in the top has a direct connection to the sinus cavity. IF you are trimming tusks there should almost always be at least a knuckles worth of growth left behind.
Trimming to the gumline runs major risks. The gum can grow over the stump of tusk, causing pain later on. The pulp could be exposed depending on the gumline along the tusk. An infection can take root if the gum or pulp is compromised.
Never, ever feel like you can't ask questions. I will HAPPILY answer what I know, research what I don't, or point you in the direction of someone who does.
I am a sponge for animal knowledge and I'm always learning more. Today was our first full day back at trimming and I have to admit it's kind of like starting at the beginning. Seven pigs was probably too many while still coughing, but we did it!
We provide specialized sedation free hoof care for pigs at your location. No matter if you're a farm, homestead, or private owner. TX | LA | OK
