Had to do a little online research about that, since family didn't raise any cattle. But, research states that some, not all, bulls, can have a hinged ring put in their nose to control them in a Show Ring. Certain bulls can get/have real attitude in a Show Ring, so their much easier to handle if they have a large ring in their nose.
I raised feeder pigs and had no rings, @Cody Fousnaugh. I had no problem with escapes as long as there were at least two to keep each other company. If there were only one pig, their main focus was escape, but with two or more, they were more interested in play and socializing than escape, and I sometimes used that rooting to dig out small stumps. That is why I thought it had to do with weaning. Neutering would be the worst task for me, as I have helped with that but never did it myself. I had pigs, but no rings and no escapes under fences either.
Don, do you have any idea how many farmers would love to have your pigs? Seriously. We, and neighbors, done both ringing and neutering. Both included a lot of squealing, but had to be done.
Funny, putting on my farming time has brought up some interesting questions about livestock. Did I start something here? LOL Guess it's about time to put in my Navy years.
If you were still in the Navy, the subject of nose rings and the current sailors/soldiers would overlap.
Nose rings are mostly for bulls. No one I knew used them on a cow but... People lead animals sometimes with a ring in their noses if the animal is difficult. There is a 'ring' with pointy spots for poking the mother cow if the calf does not stop suckling. The discomfort causes her to wean the older calf when they are not separated. I guess from what Cody said, the uncomfortable spots are reversed to poke the piglets to teach them not to root. Whodda thunk?
Now, Navy: First, this is fairly lengthy, so please bear with me. Thanks! Enlisted in May 1968, a couple of weeks before high school graduation. I knew the Army Draft would be after me! Actually, my Draft Notice came in while I was in Boot Camp for the Navy. If the Navy would have released me for something, maybe even my weight (99 pounds), I'd be Drafted. Luckily, that didn't happen. Boot Camp, IOW Basic Training, at Great Lakes NTC (Naval Training Center) in Chicago was ok. However, even in June, the wind/air coming in off of Lake Michigan in the morning was pretty darn cold! And, every morning at 6:30AM, was out on a gridiron doing exercises. Yep, got woke up at 6AM and had 1/2 hour to get clothes on, make our rack and get out to the gridiron before breakfast. I was lucky because I was able to get the last available so-called Petty Officer assignment, so I was the Company Protestant Petty Officer. I had to get all of the Protestants in the Company together on Sunday AM for church. Plus, I didn't have to do any Watch in Boot Camp. One of the first things a new Recruit learns in Navy Basic, at least back then, is how to swim as well as using their working dungaree pants as floatation gear. All Recruits jump into an Olympic size pool, take off those pants, tie a knot in each leg and lay your body in-between the tied legs. All other learning was "shipboard" stuff as well as learning Officer rankings. After all of this, I graduated with my Company and headed home for a 2-week Leave. And, btw, no family or friends were at my Basic Training graduation. Funny, my guardians and some farmer friends thought I was some kind of War Hero, because I was wearing a military ribbon. The National Defense Service Ribbon, that all Recruits got at graduation from Basic Training. After Leave, flew to San Diego (32nd Street) to report to my first ship. It was a Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG). As I walked down the pier, I looked to my right/left and had never/ever seen anything like this before. Navy Tenders, Destroyers (DD's and DDG's) tied up on each/every pier. I was in COMDESRON 52. IOW, Commander Destroyer Division 52. Also known as a Destroyer Escort Group and the USS Kitty Hawk was our Flagship. The Admiral, in charge of the Group, was on that Carrier. My ship done Sea-Trials (training at sea) off of the coast of San Diego a few times. Shot our SAM (Surface-To-Air Missiles) at a sleeve being pulled by a prop plane and both of our 5 inch gun mounts (forward/aft) at a Navy owned range on St. Clemente Island. My GQ Station (General Quarters "man your battle stations") was Pointer for the Forward 5 inch gun mount. My rate wasn't a Gunner's Mate, but that was the Station I was assigned to and taught what to do. Sat in a metal chair, with headphones/mic on, and got orders where to point the barrel. IOW, up/down or rotate right or left. The gun mount was being loaded right below me! One projectile and one metal Powder Case. And, boy was the gun loud!! First Westpac Cruise was the following December after arriving on my ship in September. Pulled out of San Diego on December 28th headed for Hawaii. Best Port we were in (no dockings for Naval ships, so had to drop anchor in the middle of the bay), was Hong Kong. Hong Kong was so lite up at night, I had never seen anything like that. Absolutely beautiful! Worst Port was Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines. It seemed like a very dirty Port and a very dirty, and somewhat dangerous, city next to it called Olongapo City. Somewhat like Ti Juana in Mexico. Navy Shore Patrol and MP's (Military Police) patrolled certain areas and sailors or any other miliary personnel couldn't go there. Other Ports: Sasebo and Yokosuka Japan and Guam. It rained the entire time we tied up in Guam. I was stationed on three different Destroyers. First one out of San Diego and the other two were in Long Beach, that is when Long Beach Naval Station was there. Two weeks before getting my Honorable Discharge, I entered a Program for sailors going back into civilian life. I was assigned to a Game Warden at the California Fish & Game Department in Long Beach, CA. I went out with him on his patrol boat as he patrolled the waters around Santa Catalina Island. Very highly interesting and a great Game Warden. So, basically, that's my Navy time in the 7th Fleet. And, btw, never got sick once at sea, even when in a Tropical Storm.
I think tats have always been allowed in the military, but only on arms and possibly legs, but definitely not on neck and face. And, unless military standards have changed, no nose rings/piercings.
You gotta realize @Cody Fousnaugh that I only had a few pigs, not hundreds or thousands. I tried to persuade my wife to have pigs for years as she had been raised near a hog farm in Iowa and was terrified of them. After we bought a hog at a 4-H auction however, she was amazed at how much better the pork tasted. We raised ours on Alaska-grown barley and excess milk form our dairy goats, which made them even tastier!
Ok, next, my Rodeo years: In 1984, an old girlfriend won four tickets, from a local country-western music station, to the Pacific Indoor Rodeo at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California. My very first professional rodeo and I got completely/100% hooked on it. Guess the old girlfriend didn't like my idea of getting involved in rodeo and we broke up. The breakup didn't bother me at all. Anyway, in the beginning, I wanted to be a Saddle Bronc Rider, however, was able to meet one who lived in Norco, CA.. At the time, I was living in Riverside, CA, not to far from him. Dusty (nickname) invited me over to his house. He was originally from Oklahoma. When I got there, he brought out one of his lariats/ropes and showed me how to: hold it, form a loop, swing, aim and deliver the loop around a dummy steer head horns he had mounted on the end of a bale of hay. An FYI here: A life-size dummy steer head or calf head can be bought at most any horse/tack store. It will come with two metal prongs. One end screws into the back of the head. The other us pointed and is pushed into the end of a bale of hay. This is used for what is called "ground practice".I learned what he had shown me so fast he couldn't believe that I had never handled a lariat/rope before. After a few misses, I was putting the delivering the loop right around the steers horns. He told me, "Save your body and be a roper". So, a few weeks later, after doing some looking, I found a "rope horse" for sale in a local horse magazine. It was a Red Roan (color) Quarter Horse (breed) and I bought it. It was fully broke and had been roped off of many times. Since it was a Registered Quarter Horse, I became a member of AQHA aka American Quarter Horse Association. Bought a Roping Saddle, of which the saddle horn is made somewhat higher and thicker than a regular saddle horn. Also bought: Saddle Pad, Bridle/Bit, Roping Cinch, Back Strap and Reins. Went on to buy grooming supplies, hoof pick and hoof protection spray as well as a Rattler (brand) "Heading" rope. All of this came from both Mikes's Horse/Tack Auction in Riverside and Norco Ranch Outfitters in Norco, CA. Named the horse "Red". Kept Red at a nearby stable that fed/watered him daily. Red didn't need a Roping School, which was nice, but I sure did. So, was introduced to a former Montana ranch cowboy that lived in Norco and put on Roping Schools. He was a long-time member of PRCA in both calf and team roping. So, one weekend, I loaded up Red, and all of my gear, and headed to the school. In one day, learned all I needed to learn. Found a "heeler". What is a "heeler"? He's the one who ropes the back hoofs after the "header" ropes the horns or head. Bought my membership into PRCA and most weekends in Spring/Summer were taken up by local rodeos. So. California had lots of them in the mid 80's and early 90's. Not so many now. None of the guys I knew done rodeo full-time. Actually, I was a Stockroom Clerk for an electronics company. My roping continued on weekends for around 15 years. After that, got tired, sold Red and all riding equipment. Kept my PRCA membership, but only helped out Stock Contractors in the arenas at different rodeos. Stopped doing that around 2005, after my hip replacement. So, that's it! HOWEVER, in 2000, met my wife, Nancy, who turned out to be a huge fan of rodeo. God couldn't have giving me a better lady to fall in love with and marry!
Don, none of the farms around us had "hundreds or thousands" of pigs either. Apparently different hog farmers raise their hogs somewhat differently.