Cleaning and Disinfecting 

• It is Essential to clean and disinfect your pen before your animal arrives. 
• On a daily basis 

• Keep the shavings as dry and clean as possible
• Wet, dirty shavings are a breeding ground for disease and infection 
• Helps control the amount of flies that are around to bother you and your pig

Daily Schedules with your Pig

• Feeding Routine

• Single most important thing you can do to ensure success with your pig is Feed and make sure it has water. 
• Feed your pig at the same time every morning and night. 

• Their body learns to expect to get fed at a certain time and they will get hungry and have a better appetite when they are on a routine. 
• Daily 
• Brush and work the skin and hair on your pig
• Skin and hair are the first thing the judge sees. If their skin and hair are not worked they will not look like a winner. 
• Only need to wash with soap once a week if the temperature is over 60 degrees
• Work your pig in the pen until they are calm before exiting and taking to the show ring. The best way for them to calm down is sitting in the pen with them and petting them. Don’t be rough or flighty around them. 
• If you take them out to early they will be scared of you and run from you. (This is a good way for them to get hurt!)
• Weight
• Keeping track of your pigs weight is an important element to this process. Weight your pig once a week. Weighing your pig will help to understand how many pounds we need to gain before the show. Mr. Shannon also uses this as a way to understand if you are taking care of the pig properly. Mr. Shannon has been known to step away from school after class and weigh pigs to make sure they are cared for properly. We provide scales here in the barn and if you need help please let me know. 
• Worming
• Pigs need to be wormed every two weeks to ensure they are not exposed to internal and external parasites. Ivermectin is a great product and should be alternated each time with another product that protects from whip worm. (Ask Mr. Shannon) I also use the local vet here in town and he is amazing. His name is Dr. Jeff Williams. He will sometimes stop by and take fecal samples to test and see if we have internal parasites. 
• Vet assistance 
• The vet we use is Bridgeport Animal Hospital here in Bridgeport. If medicine is ever needed he will be the first person I call. If and when an animal gets sick I will contact you and the vet. This is a community barn and we do not want any other animal sick. Normal vet cost is around $100 each season without any serious medical issues happening. If castration is needed its normally $80.