What is a hog's nose ring for? If you grab it and twist can you take down a hog? (then lead it around?)?

Question

How would you take down a hog that got loose and has a nose-ring? I imagine you'd grab it's ring, twist, and then put a rope around its head.

Answer 1

I would like to see you or anyone get ahold of a hog's ring. I think you are thinking of a ring that is used for cattle, particularly bulls. The rings used in a hogs nose are generally pretty tightly applied. There's nothing to get ahold of. Also 'roping' a pig is virtually impossible as well. Most of their necks are bigger around than their heads and the roping would come right off.

Like the other poster mentioned, the ring is used as a deterrent to keep them from rooting their way under a fence or gate and potentially bring harm to themselves, other animals or people.

As far as to further answer your question, I know the 'Peta people' would go nuts if they read this, but the area where the ring is, is generally a bit more sensitive, so if you were attempting to herd the hog with a stick or 'hog panel' (piece of wood or other product about a 30" inch square with a handle cut out) applying pressure to the area where the ring is pretty convincing argument to the hog to go the way you want them to go.

Anyway hope I helped and didn't make to many animal rights activists' mad in the process...................

Answer 2

A nose ring is used to discourage "rooting" behavior in pigs.  It's destructive, may also result in pigs escaping from their lot or pasture, can increase the incidence of internal parasites when the pig eats the parasite larvae or eggs.  

Course pigs love to root, that's what they do.  So unless you don't think you can keep them in their pen and/or don't want to worm them occasionally I say let them root!!

Answer 3

I think I'm safe to guess you don't know much about raising hogs!!! Or farming either!!!

The hog's nose ring is to keep him/her  from biting other hogs. If you grabbed the ring and twisted it, the poor piggy would squeal bloody murder and flip you around til you let go. He/She may run like only a pig can run to get away, or may come after you, and that would not be fun when he/she caught you!

Do you know why pigs lay in the mud? Two main reasons---one to keep the flys away, and the other, to keep cool. Pigs don't sweat, so they lay in the mud, or roll in the dust to cool themselves.

Answer 4

Hog rings are small, and usually triangular in shape.  They are to stop the rooting behavior in hogs, so they don't dig under the fence with their powerful noses.

Hog rings are not a solid piece of metal.  They are cut on one side, and the points sharpened.  This is to pierce the nose of the pig.

If you actually managed to grab one and twist, the hog is going to FREAK OUT.  The pig will struggle, and either rip the hog ring clear through the tissue of the nose, or the hog ring itself would open up, and you would be left holding a little piece of metal, smaller than a quarter, and have one ANGRY pig on your hands.

Did you know pigs are related to bears, and under the right circumstances can be just as savage?  If you tried some trick like that, you might well find out just how fast, and how savage a pig can be.

No, you cannot lead a pig around by a rope on it's neck.....though I'd like to see you try.  Just remember, no matter what (!!!!) don't let go of the rope....not even when the hog has you "water skiing" face first through the manure of the pen.

I'm not even going to tell you how to humanely move hogs.  Since you have no idea, you obviously do not own them, and shouldn't be messing with them.  The closest YOU should ever get is some bacon on your breakfast plate.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Treats all of her livestock humanely and ethically.