Time the last feed backwards from loading: give a normal meal of the usual ration several hours before the pigs go on, so each pig travels on a mostly empty stomach without being hungry. A full stomach plus motion, vibration and the effort of balancing makes travel sickness and loose droppings more likely, while a pig that has missed feed for far too long loads hungry, restless and noisy. Several hours is the working middle ground: long enough for the meal to move on, short enough that hunger is not yet driving behaviour at the ramp.
Work Backwards From the Loading Time
Confirm the estimated loading time with the transporter the day before, then set the pre-journey feed from that hour rather than from your normal yard routine. If loading slips by an hour or two, the plan still holds, because the gap was built around a meal several hours earlier rather than around a fixed clock time. Write the intended feed time, loading time and arrival feed plan down for anyone helping, group by group, since pigs loaded in separate pens may have eaten at different times.
Feed the pre-journey meal in the home pen, in the usual feeder, with the usual companions. Loading-day stress starts early for pigs, which notice changed routines, extra people and vehicles arriving, so everything before the ramp should feel ordinary.
Keep the Ration Exactly the Same
Travel day is not the day for a new feed, a richer mix, extra treats or a handful of something novel at the ramp to encourage loading. Novel feed plus motion is a reliable route to an upset digestion, and a pig that associates the ramp with scattered treats may stop, root and argue instead of walking on. Use the same ration the pigs have eaten all week, at the normal amount for that feed, and let the several-hour gap do the work.
Offer water before loading and make sure every pig has had a genuine chance to drink, not just access while pen mates crowd the trough. Do not withhold water to keep the trailer cleaner; a thirsty pig travels worse than a hydrated one, and dehydration becomes a real risk on a warm or delayed journey.
During the Journey and at Stops
Offer no feed during short stops. A meal eaten on a stationary trailer is followed by renewed motion on a filling stomach, which undoes the timing you planned, and feeding on board encourages scrambling and competition in a confined space. Use stops instead to check ventilation, shade and bedding, to watch for panting or restlessness, and to offer water on longer journeys where the vehicle and route allow it safely.
Pigs cannot sweat effectively, so feeding comfort is tied to temperature: a pig that has eaten recently and then travels hot will be doubly uncomfortable. Load and travel in the cooler part of the day in warm weather where you can, and treat heavy panting, open-mouth breathing or a pig lying spread and reluctant to rise as a reason to stop, improve airflow and offer water before driving on.
On Arrival: Water, Settle, Then a Modest Feed
Unload into the destination pen first. Offer water straight away and let the pigs drink, explore, lie down and pass droppings before any feed appears. A modest first feed, smaller than a normal meal, suits a stomach that has travelled; return to normal amounts at the next regular feed once the pigs are eating calmly and droppings look as they usually do.
Note which groups travelled restlessly and which arrived settled, alongside the feed time each group actually had. That record turns one journey into better timing for the next, because you can see whether a longer or shorter gap suited your pigs. For a driver or attendant you brief along the way, KinsLe lets you share the Care Pass with those recorded feed times, so the arrival feed follows your notes rather than guesswork at the pen gate.