It is best to be prepared by having essential supplies on hand for most situations that will occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This will help you make effective and timely decisions which will benefit you and your pigs. Specific areas of focus include treating and handling pigs and maintaining the health and safety of you and your pigs. Take the opportunity to speak to a veterinarian or other producers where these supplies can be conveniently located.
List of supplies you should have in a clean medical kit on hand (stored somewhere safe) include:
- Thermometer
- Medical gloves (e.g. latex or nitrile)
- Needles and syringes of varying sizes (length and gauge) to match the weight of your pigs
- Always have contact numbers for an veterinarian in case of an emergency
In addition, you should have the following supplies on hand:
- Hog snare
- Pig (sorting) board
- Euthanasia tool (e.g. captive bolt gun or firearm)
- Ear plugs
- Some kind of soap
- Some kind of disinfectant (e.g. alcohol, peroxide, iodine)
- Injectable iron (necessary for piglets)
- Injectable antibiotics (e.g. penicillin)
- Injectable anti-inflammatory (e.g. meloxicam)
- Electrolyte powder
- Kaolin pectin, activated charcoal, and/or starch product
- Scalpels (#10 or #15 blades)
- Needle extension tube (e.g. Slap-Shot®)
- Identification supplies for shipping pigs to market (e.g. ear tags and tagger, tattoo ink and slap hammer, or stencil and food-safe paint)
