Halfpint’s time is up
11 01 2008
Halfpint, the runt of Doris’s litter, has developed a large growth immediately below his right eye.
I first noticed it yesterday morning, when it was not much more than the diameter of a small finger tip and only slightly raised.
By the evening, it was about 5mm deep and larger in diameter.
I had another look this morning, by which time the lump was about the diameter of a two-pence coin and 10mm deep.
I tried lancing it, but despite going quite deep with the blade I only released a small amount of blood and no pus. It’s also quite hard to the touch, so it’s almost certainly a growth and not an abscess or other infection.
When I checked Halfpint this evening, the lump was bigger again, plus it now has a long, thick extension under the skin to below his ear. (It’s just visible next to his white blaze in the photo.)
I tried lancing it again, but still with no result apart from a little bleeding.
If Halfpint was a better pig, I’d consider getting the vet to have a look at him but as he’s only a third the size of his litter mates and already has a large testicular hernia, it makes more sense to put him down. (A testicular hernia need not be a problem for a meat pig, provided you watch for becoming more serious or developing complicaitons.)
Halfpint isn’t suffering at the moment, but I won’t wait until he is.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get a UK shotgun certificate so I’ll have to ask one of the neighbouring farmers to do the job for me.
A shotgun is the safest and most humane way of putting him down without getting in a vet or a slaughterman.
You don’t use anything smaller than No.6 shot, hold the muzzle of the shotgun about an inch away from the front of his head, and shoot at the centre of an imaginary X drawn between his opposite eyes and ears.
A vet or slaughterman could use a humane killer, basically a smoothbore pistol that fires a ball, but it would be quite costly to call either out and the effect would be the same as a shotgun.
The only method I could legally use would be to buy a captive bolt pistol, which fires a rod a short distance into an animal’s head.
However, it’s not my preferred method for dispatching a pig as it only stuns the animal and they have to be hung up for their throat to be cut. It’s not as quick, clean and effective as a shotgun or humane killer.
All I have to do now is find a farmer to help.
Sad news but strangely apt after your post about chickens and responsibility
Sad news but that’s life as the saying goes.
I saw the ‘It’s not easy being green’ programme where they dispatched the pigs in the same manner. It was one of the most humane things I’d seen. The pig was killed outright and without any stress.
I wish you luck with finding a farmer with a certificate, hopefully very quickly before it causes Halfpint any distress.
Sorry to hear about half pint. This is the down side of keeping stock but as you say the most important thing is that he doesn’t suffer. I agree that this is a humane way of putting down a pig - they really don’t know what happened it is so fast.
We use a 30/30 lever action winchester on the bigger pigs - they have a bit of food down, get a pat and then are shot in the same way you described. They do not even know a thing. We use a .22 on the piglets (if their is a need) in the same way.
Best of luck.
Sorry to read this Stoney. No daft jokes here, just sorry for the pig, and for the investment and product that you need.
Why can’t you get a licence? (Just being nosy!)
I’ve spoken to the police a couple of times and I get the impression they don’t want any more firearms in the community.
The ostensible reasons are that I’m a foreigner so they can’t check my entire history (I’ve been in the UK for more than 10 years now), I live too close to roads (two of my neighbours live close to the same roads and have shotguns), I don’t have enough land (one neighbour has a little less than an acre and has a shotgun), and I don’t have a need (I thought this applied more to firearms certificates, but if putting down livestock and shooting vermin is not a need then nothing is).
When I’ve pointed out that neighbours have shotgun certificates in similar circumstances, I’ve been told that’s for historic reasons. I’ve also pointed out that I held firearms certificates in various states in Australia and they could check with the police there, but I think that’s too expensive/too much effort to follow up.
I get a bit tired of the “all firearms are bad” school of thought. They are tools that can be used for good or bad, and a shotgun in particular would be a very useful tool for me to have.
It’s why I worry about the creeping crackdowns on ownership of air rifles. I have one and it’s extremely valuable for shooting pigeons, rabbits and rats, which are major pests. If I’m denied one, while also facing more restrictions on trapping (which is likely) then it’s going to be very difficult to control pests around the croft.
Will it be eaten, Stoney?
No. There could be secondary growths elsewhere in the piglet’s body. It’s never a good idea to eat a sick or diseased animal.
A neighbouring farmer is coming over in the morning to put Halfpint down for us.
Can you get one of the bolt guns that’s used exclusively for putting down livestock? It doesn’t have a bullet, so can’t be used as a weapon.
(ok, you could walk up to someone and stick it on their head, but I think they’d notice.)
It also makes less of a mess, since there’s less of an exit wound.
I can’t think of the proper name for the thing–I’ll get a link if you’re interested.
Bummer about the pig, but good for you for putting him down before it gets worse.
Until a few months ago I lived in a small cottage with a tiny garden and applied for and got my Shotgun certificate (SGC). You are right Stoney when you say issues of land are only related to Firearms Certificates (Rifles). With a SGC the police have to prove why you shouldn’t have one, there is no issue of need. I’ve dealt with many cases like this in my role as secretary of our local clay target club. The police certainly do try and be obstructive and have the declared aim here in Strathclyde to reduce the number of SGC and FAC holders. If you want to pursue it then join BASC (British Association of Shooting and Conservation) then make a SGC application. As long as you are of good character and declare all offences (even speeding etc) then the police cannot deny you a SGC. The BASC Scottish office are very good and will go into bat for you against the police if need be.
I’m with you, a shotgun is a tool and in cases like Half Pint’s a necessary one.
Dave
Bug Girl, it’s called a captive bolt pistol but it doesn’t kill the animal outright, as I mentioned in the post. It merely stuns it - then you hang the animal up and cut its throat. If all goes well, the animal doesn’t feel a thing.
But I know from slaughtermen who use them in abattoirs that there are always animals that are not stunned outright. Not many, but enough for me to prefer something that kills it outright.
A shotgun or a humane killer would be my preferred options - there’s a risk of over-penetration with a rifle bullet so you have to do it on soft ground. I’ve seen this myself, having shot a fair few wild pigs back in Australia and helped farmers slaughter sheep and pigs a few times.
Ballibeg, thanks for the information. I’ll look into it.
Done. Very quick and clean. Eating barley one second, dead the next.
The growth had spread further overnight and was starting to affect the piglet’s right eye. It hadn’t responded to antibiotics after 48 hours and there was no pus, so it wasn’t an infection.
It was a dark brown-red mass and was growing aggressively, so combined with his size and existing hernia, it was much better to put him down.
Nice job Stoney, hope this puts off some people who think that keeping animals would be ‘fun’ and ‘exciting’. You gave him a good life, and a quick clean end. Well done.
Sad that it was necessary, but ….Well done Stoney for a quick and painless dispatch without a prolonged state of suffering
I was thinking of the kind they use on horses here–that does kill them outright, and vets sometimes use them.
You’re right that if you don’t get the proper spot, the animal’s out, but not dead.