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Nancy Lidster: Pig Handling Training – Open the Discussion

Apr 07, 2015



 

www.dlnfarms.com

The picture below shows VHS and mini DV tapes and more recent chip technology containing over 300 hours of unedited video of people moving pigs. This is only a fraction of the raw video in our possession. Many addition hours of original video have been returned to the transporters, plants, and farms where it was collected.


A small fraction of our raw video.

Every minute of video that we’ve collected or received represents handlers and managers trusting us to use that material in their best interests: to learn from it, to teach with it, and to help handlers find easier, safer, more consistent methods of moving pigs.

These videos have been a valuable and unique resource.

 

Time and Change

Our Low Stress Pig Handling training has changed over the years driven by two main factors:

–  Our own understanding of pigs’ behaviour and responses has changed as we’ve observed more handlers, video, and handling situations and been able to build on that cumulative knowledge

–  We watch how handlers respond to what we present. If parts of our message seem to cause confusion or be misinterpreted, we look for ways to make it clearer and easier for people to understand and apply.

We also look at other sources of pig handling information and any problems arising from handlers’ interpretations of them. Canada’s new “Code of Practices for the Care and Handling of Pigs” is one such source.

Request:

I have been asked to outline my concerns about the pig handling content of Canada’s new Pig Codes. The pig handling content of Canada’s Codes is essentially the same as the material offered in many other North American pig handling training packages. Concerns about the Code also pertain to other courses and raising those concerns here may stimulate helpful discussions for the people using them. With that broader good in mind, I will be reviewing the pig handling portion of Canada’s new Pig Codes through a series of blogs in the coming weeks.

A copy of the code can be downloaded from:

http://www.nfacc.ca/pdfs/codes/pig_code_of_practice.pdf

Source: DNLFarm