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Homemade Castration Station
Table with homemade wood castration station mounted on it along with plastic black funnel for holding the piglet's head

Built with items he found around the farmstead, this Homemade Castration Station allows Caleb Hoverton (Springfield, MO) to do the job without having to squat or kneel. It holds the piglet stationary so he does not need to work so hard with his hands to hold it secure. The station consists of the following: (1) an 8" wide x 16" long wood base; (2) two 16" long 2 x 6s affixed to the sides of the base; (3) a cone made from 1/2-gallon plastic nursery pot (bottom removed, sliced lengthwise, taped so there's a 2" opening at one end and 4" opening at the other), then fastened to the base; (4) two 12" long 2 x 2s (each with three drilled-through holes to allow adjusting for different-size piglets) attached to the 2 x 6s but loosely so they pivot; (5) a length of 1/2" PVC pipe, with wire attached, that fits through the holes drilled in the 2 x 2s. (6) The station is attached to a Workmate table which provides three advantages-it's portable, it's height-adjustable, and it's foldable for easy storage. In the castration process, the piglet is laid on its back, its head resting in the cone; the PVC (acting as a restraining bar) goes over the rear legs, and the fence wire wraps around the screw near the top of the unit to keep it secure.

Estimated Cost Cost range: See below

Limitations Limitations Addressed by Product: Lower extremity, Upper extremity, Back


SourceAdapted from Farm Show Magazine (vol. 44, no. 1)
Caleb Howerton
Green Thicket Farm
1008 East Farm Road 54
Springfield, MO, 65803
Emailgreenthicketfarm@gmail.com
Est. CostNominal
Last updated: Jan 18, 2023


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