Grandin, T. 1986. Minimizing stress in pig handling. Lab Animal 15(3), 15-20.

Readily applicable, ethological principles of stress-reduction in pig handling are discussed and documented. Pigs can easily be handled in the research environment, with a minimum of stress, if their behavior is understood. .. Observations of pigs indicate that providing them with toys and positive human contact reduces their excitability. .. The pigs avoided toys that were contaminated with manure. To solve this problem toys were suspended over the pens with rope or twine. This kept the toys clean and still allowed the animals to manipulate them almost as freely as though they were on the floor of the pens. In order to maintain the pigs' interest it was necessary to frequently replace the cloth strips. The rubber hose toys did not need to be changed until they became frayed. The best hose for this purpose it the type that has an inner reinforcing fabric.... Pigs should be completely tamed and acclimated to people before being trained to accept a restraint device. .. A calm animal can be trained to cooperate during restraint and handling [e.g., injection]. This makes handling less stressful for both the pigs and their handlers. ... Injections can be given while the pig is eating if, for one to three days prior to giving the injection, the injection site is scratched and petted while the pig eats. Basic principles of successful positive reinforcement training are mentioned. Slings make the best restraints for pigs. The pressure on the belly seems to have a calming effect. The quality of the research data derived from experimentation with tamed, calmed pigs will be improved, because the physiological alterations associated with stress and excitement will be minimized.