HERDING PIGS

Well John learned a lesson yesterday. The first few days the minis were out, when it came time to go back in the pen, they followed us, like well mannered little guys. A couple of days ago, John wasn't here at feeding time & I had to round everyone up by myself. The minis were together as usual, but Justin was the only one that would follow me. We went in the pen, I gave him his tiny sliver of carrot for being a good boy, & he promptly spun around & ran out of the pen, back to where Lynn & Cheyenne were standing. After that they followed me back to the pen.

Yesterday John was doing round up, & I was fixing beet pulp & supplements. He came in the feed room, & got a quirt. I asked him what was going on & he said the minis wouldn't go in their pen. A few minutes later he came back in, hung up the quirt & mumbled it was like trying to herd pigs....!!!! He said he came up behind them, pointed with the quirt, & they ran every which direction. Went back out & they followed him to the pen, just like little lambs.

We might have to rethink how to handle them. Not the fact that they are getting rebellious about going in the pen. But the fact that when they go out of the pen, they start eating whatever they can find. They have already figured out that the other pens are open & there might be some hay scraps left. So they make a bee line to the pens for clean-up. I'd hate to keep them in a pen, but they aren't going to lose weight, if they continue "snacking" during the day.