Where to get pig blood

For food service, hospitality, wholesale and retailer product enquiries, please contact us directly: hello handsourced. With over acres of mud wallows, dirt bath, and lush pasture, these piggies have much to explore — and explore they do, given their totally free ranging existence.

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Want to come on a farm tour? Curious Farmer? Simply want to read our newsletter? View Cart 0 items. Collection or Delivery Product Details Grapetree Farm Collection or Delivery Where a deposit is required, the balance of your account is subject to any final weights. Share Facebook. Product Details Pastured, free ranging true heritage breed pork, Berkshire pigs are a rare breed originating from the English county of Berkshire. Save Share Facebook. These 'butterfly needles' must be fastened to the skin using adhesive tape or a louse.

Their great advantage is the flexibility of the tubing. These sets are available in a variety of sizes, such as 19 and 21 gauge. This picture shows the central ear vein the intermediate auricular vein on a young sow. The animal has been given azaperone as a sedative. This compound has the added advantage of causing peripheral vasodilatation, making the vein more readily accessible. A venous catheter equipped with a stiletto Braunule, 18 gauge has been inserted into the vein.

The stiletto is retained completely within the needle until blood appears. It is then partially withdrawn and the catheter is inserted into the ear vein.

The catheter illustrated has a 'wing' that aid handling. It may be seen on the picture between the operator's forefinger and thumb. A similar wing is mounted on the stiletto. A suitable size catheter for slaughter pigs and young sows is 18 gauge. On larger sows 16 gauge catheters may be used. This latter size is also useful on sick animals in urgent need of intravenous fluids.

The catheter has been inserted right up to the wing. It must now be fastened, for example by a louse. This grasps the end of the catheter at the junction with the wing and also grips the skin.

This method ensures that the catheter remains in place even if the animal shakes its head relatively violently. Blood samples from adult pigs are most commonly taken from the external jugular vein.

The animal must be held using a snout rope and the neck must be stretched well upwards. This is best achieved if the pig stands on all four legs. The rope is placed behind the canine teeth so that it does not slip off so easily or move rostrally towards the nasal cartilage, an area that clearly is uncomfortable for pigs. The animal will try to move backwards and in that way tighten the rope suficiently.

It is therefore not necessary to prevent the pig from moving forwards. The correct point of venepuncture is illustrated in this picture. The needle should be directed caudo-dorsally, in this case perpendicular to the skin.

The picture is a close-up view of the neck of the same sow, taken from the side. The correct puncture site is in the deepest point of the jugular groove formed between the medial sternocephalic and lateral brachiocephalic muscles.

This site is marked on the picture by a black dot. Right-handed operators will usually find it easiest to use the animal's right jugular vein. A vacuum tube has been connected, and the needle inserted in its full length. This is important, since these needles are really slightly too short for large sows, and the adipose tissue above the vein must therefore be compressed somewhat.

Blood is seen entering the glass tube. This picture shows the same situation as in the previous illustration, but the picture has been taken diagonally from in front.

The jugular groove is easily seen. In order to illustrate the technique as well as possible, the needle holder is only held in place on this picture and the previous one by the operator's forefinger.

In reality this holder should be held more firmly. It is vital that the needle holder is held firmly if the operator wishes to change vacuum tubes. This picture shows a good method of doing this. The blood sample is being taken in the right external jugular vein. The operator holds the needle holder with his left hand, at the same time pressing it gently against the sow's neck.

He uses his right hand to change tube. This picture depicts the venous drainage in the neck of piglets. A: the cephalic vein. This drains into: B: the external jugular vein C: the internal jugular vein B and C anastomose and form the communal jugular vein D: the end of the sternum manubrium , marked in black.

In pigs weighing less than 50 kg it is an advantage to collect blood further caudally and more medially in the jugular groove, nearer the manubrium. Depending upon the puncture site, angle and depth of penetration, blood will be collected from one of the vessels depicted in the previous picture.

It is difficult to say with certainty which vessel is punctured. An assistant can hold pigs up to about 20 kg on their lap. The assistant holds the forelegs in one hand, and the animal's head in the other. The manubrium and puncture site are marked in black.

For pigs of this size it is a good idea to use a syringe and needle. The needle is fastened and filled with anticoagulant. For piglets, needles of 23 gauge should be used, while 22 gauge needles can be used on slightly larger pigs.

When the needle has penetrated the skin, the operator should aspirate as he gentlly pushes the needle forwards. Photo: Singapore Food Agency. However, infections in Malaysia occurred among those who had close contact with swine.

All abattoir workers and pig traders in Singapore were also ordered to go for checkups. Eleven people in Singapore were infected by the virus, with one death. Expand to read the full story. This browser is no longer supported. Upgraded but still having issues?

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