# Can a young person breed pigs? Are they hard to handle?



## theawesomefowl (Jan 14, 2011)

I am interested in pigs. (hog, actually!) But, are they too dangerous and big to handle? I like animals and would love my own hog, but do you honestly think one not too heavy person could handle them? (I have other people to help, but I would be doing the chores and paying for them)

Can hogs be friendly?  I want to get a Gloucester Old Spot gilt for breeding and name her Primrose.   (please don't laugh!  ) I am not looking for a "pet' animal just I want to make sure I could handle them!

And, are mother hogs really mean when they give birth? It this a bad idea? 

We have tons of weedy, nasty, overgrown place they could clear for us. Would two strands of electric fencing keep them contained? How expensive would that be monthly? I am not rich, but don't want to have to chase a 400+ lb sow back into a pen! 

Thank you!!!

Diana B.


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## elevan (Jan 14, 2011)

Pigs CAN at a given time be too much for a big person to handle.  Being small statured doesn't mean you can't have pigs...you just have to be more cautious.

I found the only thing that keeps my pigs in are hog panels.

If I were you I would make your set up so that you can water and feed from the outside of the pen.  As a precaution - don't go into the pen if you're by yourself.

As far as mother pigs, I don't have first hand experience on that only heard the stories of how mean they can be.

Hopefully someone with a lot more pig experience chimes in.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jan 14, 2011)

this may not a great idea if you dont already have experience with livestock... so you might want to get pigs (or a pig but since they are herd animals they do better with at least two) for a year before jumping into having a bred sow.

do a search on JHM's posts...he's was/an honest to gosh hog farmer with a lot of experience. he will tell you that the most dangerous thing on a farm is a boar hog.. the second is a sow with her piglets. 

as for me. i used to think i loved all God's creatures until we got hogs. i do not like them at all. well, i like them in the freezer after we butcher them.

hogs can be big, mean, and dangerous. i am a smallish person and i do not ever get into the pen with them...and i dont approach the pen unless i have a stock cane and 2 huge dogs. the problem is that even if you get a docile hog with a snugly personality.. they can easily move 2 to 3 times their body weight without even trying. 

hogs are also incredibly destructive, they require really good fencing, and they stink. 

see if you can visit someone who has them (call around for a local 4H chapter) so you can see for yourself what they are like. or visit your local animal shelter to see the pot bellied pigs that get turned in because.. they are big mean and dangerous and dont make the best pets....

aggieterpkatie grew up with pigs and she likes them so she can give another view (and no, i dont think they are smarter than my dogs ha!)

Freemotion and a couple others of us are able to grow them out on the cheap by raising them on pasture (which they destroy completely) and with gleaning. 

you can check out pix and my how-tos here (caution tho.. heh heh heh i have my butcher pix and how to linked here also so dont click too deeply - no pix on this page):

http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/p/what-i-know-about-pigs.html

good luck!


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks! I'd like to at least raise one for meat. I just really like the Gloucester Old Spots. 
I can see you do not like pigs. I like them. But I can also see that you have a very good point--don't fool around with them!
What kind of fences would you use for one on pasture? We NEED it completely destroyed!!!
EDIT: ohiofarmgirl, I think the pigs on your website ARE adorable!!


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jan 14, 2011)

auaughghhgh!!! pigs = boo! ha! and yep i got a powerful hatred for them stupid pigs, for sure. 

you can check with Freemotion also.... but she and i found out the HARD way to use good, tightly pulled field fence with electric on the inside. she used hog panels which are a better option - but i had a bigger area so we had to use what we had. 

this summers pigs (*she said casually while eating a ham sandwich*) climbed the field fence like a couple of monkeys. it was a disaster. we got a superduper hot electric charger and ran 2 hot wires, one at nose level, and that fixed their wagon.

when we ...um.. that is.. went to dispatch them.... ahem.. we made a pen out of hog panels and the biggest one walked over it like it wasnt even there. we are always amazed at how strong they are. 

done right its a GREAT way to get a years worth of meat. check with BBH also - she grew out a massive hog and she is enjoying the fruits of her labors also

go meat!


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## freemotion (Jan 14, 2011)

You just never know what your particular pig will be like.  I have lots of livestock experience....I trained and managed a breeding and show stable for years, and handled stallions, colts, trained the youngsters to saddle and harness, etc.  

But pigs....well, pigs.  Pigs are omnivores and will not look up to see you...they will look down and see two little tasty feet attached to two scrawny, yummy-looking legs.  A couple of snacks.  I will recommend against it unless you have someone in your household with plenty of pig-handling experience.  You are a minor, if I remember....no?  

After I scratched my bare summer leg on a raspberry thorn in the pig pasture, one little trickle of blood was all it took for those baby pigs to change their view of me from bearer of food to she-is-the-food.  I never went in there again without a large and fearless man next to me, both of us armed with stout sticks or a pitchfork or a metal fencepost or a machete.  Sheesh.

There are those who do just fine with their pigs and I'm sure there are many 4-H kids who lead their pigs around on a lead in a showring, but do know both sides of the story before you get in too deep.  I just want you to be safe.


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 14, 2011)

Hmm. Yes, I am a minor. And I would be the main "pig person" in the household.


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## PattySh (Jan 14, 2011)

I agreed pigs are difficult.  One pig in a pen is safer to work with than two once they start getting big. You can lead most farm animals not pigs so they are very hard to move around.  If they get out you need a couple of people to drive them back in their pen. Personally I would not trust electric fencing as I never want to chase loose pigs. Our pens are metal panel fencing (long gates actually some peices and round pen panels turned upside down so they can't go under. I also have the fencing type cattle panels with square holes. My pigs are in horse stalls and the panel fencing is securely attached to the barn so they can go outside! Pigs will immediately rut up the entire pen and can dig so we placed rocks outside the perimeter of all pens. Pigs are VERY strong and can rip down wooden fences and stalls (our stall walls concrete on two sides and 2 inch thick dividing wall. I have a two and a half foot fence panel blocking the doorway so I can open the stall door (swings out) and the pig is still contained. If they can get out they will! Pigs will also destroy buckets and their feeding equipment needs to be planned out well. They can also be unpredictable. We started with two female pigs and one is friendly and I kept and bred her, the other I considered very dangeous as she always tried to bite so she is in the freezer. Both were gentle when little but the one got nastier and nastier and I got very afraid of her. I've had a lot of farm animals and pigs are the hardest and make me the most nervous. I do love Charlotte and Wilbur but I make sure they always see me, I never take my eyes off them when in their pens (there have been times I've had to take a trash can cover for a shield to go get a food dish to feel safe when we are late feeding!) and make sure 2 people do the pig chores together. Make sure you know what you are getting into!

edited to add:  During the birth Charlotte ws fine and I helped her deliver the babies (started out cautious!)The next day tho after Charlotte gave birth and still in pain she tried to bite, and chased me out of the pen once. She calmed down after the piglets were nursing good and the after pains stopped. She is an exceptional mother and lets her piglets eat out of her dish and has been gentle with us UNTIL a piglet squeals. 

Baby pig care at delivery is more involved than some animals. Besides  putting iodine on the cord you have to trim their teeth at the birth and watch  for several hours after to make sure the mother isn't going to squish them while she is still in pain. Then several days later you have to castrate the male piglets and give iron shots. Catching the little buggers to do that was a bit challenging and they come out practically runni


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 15, 2011)

I love pigs.  If you get them early you can train them to behave the way you expect. They're easily trainable.  We raised feeder pigs in college and I never hesitated to go in with them (probably 10-14 at a time), even when they got up to market weight.  They're pretty friendly and curious.  I've also helped birth probably 10 sows, and every one of them was calm, not aggressive- though I will say that they definitely CAN be protective.  This group of sows was very friendly though.  

I won't hesitate to get pigs in the future when I get a good pen for them, but I will get them young and I will train them from the start.  I don't plan on raising any boars though.


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 15, 2011)

aggieterpkatie, you give me hope! I think I might go for it anyway..I know someone I could call if I had any problems.


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 15, 2011)

how can you "train" pigs?


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 16, 2011)

I found some peopl near me with Tamworths, and some people almost 4 hours away with GOS pigs. But they are both organic, and them Tamworth piglets are so EXPENSIVE!!!!


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## sevenmile (Jan 17, 2011)

Wow, I sure must be living in a different world!

I would highly recommend hogs to young people.
And I do through 4H.

Get a couple of weaners -- don't start out with breeders.  Get 2 as they like companionship and they will grow faster since they like to compete for food. 

Spend lots of time with them while they are little and get them used to being handled.  Set up a couple of small pens that you can run them in and out of, reward them with some feed, and they will get used to being moved around.  You may have to push them around the first time of course.  Pigs are readily trained. Run them into the back of your trailer occasionally, and give them some feed, and butchering day will be a snap.  Know before you start that you will get really attached to them, but the freezer is their destiny.  That is real life.


 Don't starve them between feedings and they won't go so crazy over the feed bucket or your feet etc.  These are going to be market pigs, the idea is to grow them up as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Running them hungry half the time kind of defeats the purpose.  Pigs won't over eat if given decent feed.  They eat until their caloric and nutitional needs are met.  They only over eat if their food is not nutritionally adequate.  Garbage in - garbage out.  As the old ads used to say - Only the wealthy can afford cheap feed.

Respect their strength and power.  But don't live in fear of them. Just be smart.   (now cattle and horses are a different matter--if horses had more than a walnut sized brain they would kick us in the head and rule the world!)
Do you have an adult type who can give you assistance?
Learn some pig psychology.  Did you know that pigs really only see you 2 dimensionally? Their brain turns your height and width into a projected length -- they think you are huge!

Check out the National Junior Swine Association - I think you can participate until you are 21.  

This is my experience.  Your mileage may vary.

Let your pigs run half wild out in a big pasture where you never interact with them, and, well, you may end up agreeing more with some of the other less enthusiastic posters.


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 17, 2011)

Okay, thanks, I'd like to pursue this after I get my sheeples.
I have a pig person who I can call to talk to about pigs.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 19, 2011)

Just remember, hundreds of thousands of 4-H kids raise pigs every single year!  If they're a good 4-H project, they must not all be monsters.


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