WINNIPEG (Staff) – In 27 years of working with pigs, Ken Foster said he’s never lost a needle.
The chair of Manitoba Pork said the risk of breaking a needle is low, since most injections are given when hogs are young and easy to handle.
“It’s not that often that you really have to inject hogs that are destined for slaughter at an age when they’re hard to manage,” Foster said.
Manitoba Pork’s September newsletter included some tips about how to do it right:
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- Inject drugs directly behind the ear on the lateral side of the neck.
- Hold piglets between the left elbow and body. Grasp the right ear and pull it firmly forward.
- Prick the skin, push the needle upward and insert it to the hub. Then, make the injection.
- Fully withdraw the needle and release the ear at the same time.
Foster said needles are somewhat flexible, and will bend before they break. He said needles will not usually break below the surface of the skin, and can be pulled out. Call a veterinarian if you need help.
If you can’t get it out, mark or tattoo the animal and make sure Manitoba Pork and the processor know about it, said Bill McLean, general manager of J.M. Schneider Inc. Winnipeg.
