In this field-recorded video, the primary narrator (Speaker A) and helpers including Jonah, Rebecca, Lily, John, Josiah, and Jonas work to recapture a group of pasture‑raised pigs that have escaped and are refusing to enter a trailer for transport to a processor. The discussion begins with broader farm issues—calves breaking through an electric fence and the limits of psychological barriers—then shifts to the specific pig‑capture operation. The team attempts multiple strategies: setting up a funnel net, using electric fences (on and off), deploying temporary gates, and constructing physical barriers with cattle panels, T‑posts, and zip ties. They also build a curved chute inspired by Temple Grandin’s design, noting that animals prefer circular pathways. After several failed attempts, they succeed in herding some pigs into a pole barn and eventually loading two into a trailer, planning to finish the move the next day. The tone is informal, conversational, and at times frustrated, but ends on a hopeful note with a “happy ending” as the pigs are finally contained.
Chapters
Last move, guys. This paddock to this paddock. They go to the processor in 2 days, so I want to see if we can't get the trailer in here and get some feed in and something and just get them used to going in the trailer. How about right here, Jonah? We clear a path right here, we can pull in here with the tractor, and then looks like we'll be able to pull out that way. We came out to milk this morning, and one of the problems we're having— we're separating the calves at night, but when we come out, for some reason the calves want to pressure the fence. They busted through yesterday, and that's because we turned the fence off, or so I thought. So today I had Lily turn the fence off so I could get the bulls over, the bromance, and then had her turn it right back on, and the calf still busted through. All right, the calf came through. Doesn't matter that the fence was on. What is the deal? The calf is getting the milk. We finally got them separated. I don't think we lost a lot of milk. The electric fence is only a psychological barrier, and if they get a habit of going through it, especially if it's on, it's hard to break. But why we got everybody contained, we thought— oh wait, we haven't castrated everybody, so let's do that. Castrating will help. Well, might calm him down, but it will mainly keep him from breeding his mom or sister. It's bad timing for breeding. I keep saying this is the feistiest calf I've ever seen, and then Flossie keeps having more. While he's a bit relaxed, let's put, uh, let's get the collar on him. This morning just keeps getting crazier. Rebecca just informed us the pigs are out. They're way over here at the sheep. The boys are setting up a corral. We're thinking pole barn. Can we herd them down in the cow barn since we're going to the market anyway on Wednesday. John and Josiah have set up a pig net funnel. They're actually closer to this. If we could get them in there, we're gonna have a much more controlled situation on Wednesday when we take them to the processor. All right boys, we got everything set up. They think the pigs are gonna go in there. They haven't been in a trailer since they came. I don't know if they'll come. This is what I was afraid of. They're not just gonna go in there. They're not trained to food like that. Two physical gates, a door, a lane.
Oh dude, that one's thinking about it.
No! 5 physical barriers. Now if we can just get them into here again. Well, the pigs have just learned to just bust right through the net. Okay, we're gonna turn it on. Oh no, of course they can go fast through it. No, no, turn it off! We're putting that back up. They don't care. He's learned to bust through it. He busts through it fast. Doesn't matter if it's on. The psychological barrier is broken. Two of them got out this time. Jonas says let's just herd them down to the pole barn. That's the one that keeps busting through the fence, so maybe that's not a terrible idea. For whatever reason, they don't like to cross this road. Should we go set up the funnel? That's what we might have to do, you guys. We might just have to set up nets and just walk them all the way over there. I'm not sure what we're gonna do. They're not gonna go in this trailer. My best idea then is a lot— a wide lane down to the pole barn. Where we might have some physical restraints. Let's put this one back where it goes, and it'll be one of our barriers down there by the pole barn. We got our gate back. We got two temporary gates. We had just the right amount of gates. Are we gonna get this done by supper? 30 minutes away. Uh, I mean, we— are we gonna get this done? We have to get this done. That's a smart way to get your fence stand up on the road. Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig. Maybe they'll follow. I got a bucket. Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig. Come on.
They might like that.
They like this cow manure. Wallowing in it. Look what they done. This is better. This is better. A big, wide berth here. I know. Keep them off that fence because it's loose. Okay. We're going to hold up right here. Maybe the fifth one will come. Maybe not. Yeah, it's laying down up there. I don't know if I'll be able to get these guys across the street. I give up. It's dinner time. Those pigs are scared to death of the road. I get it, it's a different texture, it's foreign to them. They're comfortable in the field, so Let's get some cattle panels and let's set up a physical barrier in the field. That's what we're gonna have to do after dinner. We ate supper. I was exhausted. I guess Rebecca was feeling pretty good because she took the kids and got pig panels. We are going to try that physical barrier in the field. How was it? Let's have this story end happily. With pigs secure at the pole barn before dark. Hey, look, they were chilling. They know something's up. They're not dumb. They're not dumb. I'm doing this tonight because I think they're tired from running earlier. What we're gonna do is slowly enclose them They don't even know it. Okay, so far so good. They're just calm. I think we're gonna be able to surround them pretty easy. Pretty excited about this. You have no idea how excited I am. Just hours ago I was thinking, what in the world are we gonna do? Now I had to add it to our resume: capturing forest rural pastured pigs in a physical holding. Learn it from me, guys. Get you some pig panel, some T-posts, and zip ties. And just meet them where they're at. Oh buddy, we got us a little chute. We purposely curved it to come in. We got a little— it's circular according to Temple Grandin. Animals like circular, not square. Jonah says we invented the straight line. There's no straight lines in nature.
Watch your walk just right on because this is the one who gave you all the problems.
There we go. Give him a little more pressure. This is nice. Oh shoot, that thing is challenging. That's crazy. Last move. We, we got them here in the trailer, got a gate up over there. We've got this post up here. We just gotta get them to come down. Should we get the ramp?
I don't think so.
They'll want to come down eventually. Here they come. Look at that. There we go. Nice. Two of them are in the pole barn. Make this a nice, smooth, happy ending.
I think that's the crazy one.
Is it crazy one?
Oh, this is the feisty. Is it feisty? Yeah, these are crazy.
All right, happy ending. 5 more to get over here tomorrow.
