Comments on: How to Prepare a 4-H Pig for Show

on 8/26/2008 after you show the pigs make sure to get your pens cleaned well at your barn at home where they were raised. if you don't do this it may spread disease from the previous year to hogs you get in the future.

on 2/13/2007 pig love- if you really want to bond with your pig and make it very happy you need to take your hand and rub its belly reall fast. It will fall over and will love you forever. (p.s. rub right abve the pigs teets.)

on 1/18/2007 remember always clean your pig pen, give him food ever day and walk him ever day make shure he has water and warmth

on 1/18/2007 always keep your pigs head up. when you turn ur pig make round turns.

on 1/5/2007 watering your pig at home- if you want an easy way to water your pig you need to find an old hot water tank.you put a metal nipple on the bottom pipe hole. you only have to fill it up about once a week!

on 11/2/2006 Mustard - If your pig isnt eating, put a few squirts of mustard in it's feed.

on 2/16/2007 Pigs need a lot of water all the time, and plenty of water helps put on weight. Contrary to some of these blogs, corn does not cause weight gain. Actually, corn makes pigs lose weight. It goes right through their digestive system. If you feed you pig mash, check your feed tag, some mashes are made of mostly corn! Mash, if your pig will eat it, is a good feed option. If you need to put on weight quickly, switch to a higher protein mash. 20% is good for weight gain. Also, add water to the mash to attract the attention of the pig. Pelleted feeds, although more expensive, are very good as well. Feed your pigs breads, fruits, and vegetables, and any table scraps are good. Never feed them meat of any kind! If your pigs aren't eating their feed, try mixing in Jell-O powder or Kool-Aid mix (with the sugar). This will add flavor to the feed. If you really need to put on weight, try sweet treats with the feed. Most bread stores will either give away or cheaply sell expired breads, doughnuts, Twinkies and other treats in large amounts. Pigs love treats, but always mix it will there feed. Beer also puts on weight. Leave the beer out in an open bucket for a couple days so it becomes stale. Mix it in with their feed to create a mash that the pigs will love.

on 8/8/2006 If you are worried that your pig is a stress carrier, try spraying vinegar into it's nostrils before a stressful event.

on 7/25/2006 If you keep a small shed for the pigs in their outdoor pen, instead of making the water hole outside of the shed, make it inside so the pigs will play in the water pit instead of getting sunburned outside of the shed.

on 7/18/2006 Hogs release their heat from their nose. The only reason you spray the feet first is because when pigs are hot and suddenly sprayed with cold water it causes a shock which can give the pig a heart attack. The nose is the only place where pigs sweat.

on 7/17/2006 Pigs will learn quicker and get better if you work with them every day instead of a whole day once a week. Work with them a little every day.

on 7/17/2006 When you first start working with your pigs, don't get mad at them if they don't obey your commands. Remember to stay calm and don't stay whipping them. They'll start to understand and obey, but it doesn't happen in one day.

on 7/17/2006 To help excercise your pig without having to walk him all the time, you can put a board in his pen so he'll have to jump over it. I've used hurdles and it works great to build ham muscle!!!

on 3/23/2006 Every once in a while give your pig a break from hard work and just rub his/her belly and scratch their ears and chin. They love it, and they love apples as treats!

on 2/21/2006 To help pigs gain some weight, try giving them some bananas. Depending on how much they need to gain, one or two a day should do.