If i get a pig will it eat me?

[sevenmile]

One reason pigs don't make good pets is that they continue to grow to some degree throughout their lives. They will really get big! Google "teacup pig" if you want a really little one.

The pigs I am around come out of the show pig world, and the breeding stock is far more docile than a few decades ago. But even so, I always have something in hand like a bucket or shovel when in a farrowing pen.

My biggest fear with the boars is when they decide they want to be scratched they can easily pop your knee, or nip you with a tusk as others have stated. Like a 500lb puppy.

 

[PattySh]

If you are nervous around animals they will read you and you run more risk of being hurt. Any animal has the potential to hurt you even the smallest chicken can bite hard especially if you go out with sandals on! I would say don't get any animal unless you are educated fully on their care, comfortable handling that animal and then always use common sense, watch their body posture and be alert. Always choose animals with good temperaments that have been handled well by humans. I just raised two female pigs and one was very mean and did bite me twice. I was afraid of her and she knew it. She is currently in the freezer. Our other female pig just had babies and tho she is very tame I was super on guard because she was in pain. She was fine for the births but when she first got up and was still in pain boy she let me know to stay out of her pen til she figured out those babies. Today she is fine with family members handling her and the babies. I have a good size boar and he is very tame, but I do not trust him fully do to his sheer size and the fact you cannot control a pig like you can a horse for instance. I do not let my young grandkids near any of our farm animals unsupervised ever and always stay near visiting people as the animals can act very different around strangers.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

Pigs are not pets. Their behavior is unpredictable. Yes, they are as smart or smarter than dogs, but unlike dogs they were not bred to be companions to humans.

well said, Theo.. 'ceptin' the part about being smarter than dogs
;-)

but really so many folks have the Disney version of pigs... i keep trying to find a way to explain it. mind if i quote you?


btw - welcome over here.. hope you'll join in often

 

[Tonkatuff]

Pigs are not pets? Don't tell that to my two "Disney characters!" If you treat them like they are savage beasts, do you expects them to act any different? I've raised mine to behave the way I expect them to behave... I've TAUGHT them what is expected of them and yet I can safely interact with them in their pen, in their shed, while they're eating, I can medicate them, vaccinate them, check their teeth & feet... all the things I can do to my dogs. The difference between them & my dogs? The pigs were smarter, learned faster & their behavior is more predictable.

Pork is one of my favorite meats to cook & eat... and I loved the thought of raising my own meat. But once I came to know (and love) the incredible beings behind those beautifully lashed eyes... I was never able to take them to market:/ Thankfully there are many local farmers raising pastured pork in my area!

 

[theawesomefowl]

This thread is creepy! maybe I shouldn't get pigs! I am not scared of them though, but am not planning on going up to some random hog and HUGGING it!!

 

[txhomegrown]

YES, your pig will eat you. It will sneak into your bedroom and devour you while you sleep. Then it will raid your refrigerator and eat everything in there. After it is done, it will go back out to the pig pen and act innocent.

 

[theawesomefowl]

Well....maybe, but I'm not letting any stupid pig eat ME! I like pigs. I think if you hate and fear them, they know it, and remember they are huge animals. But they are very smart, and are NOT evil, ohiofarmgirl!
You shouldn't get a pig if you will fear it. I am going to get mine young and train them.

 

[rovergirl]

We raise 1-2 pigs each year in our backyard and have never been eaten. Pigs can be mean if you treat them that way. But we treat them nice and they treat us the same. I don't normaly get in the pen with them just because I am a small person and they are strong! But my husband goes in there with them without any problem. Infact they love to be scratched on the head and by their ears We also have 4 small children who have never been hurt by the pigs. Treat them with respect and they will do the same for you... also when they get too big to handle call the butcher

Becky

 

[ericajune]

Well I am tremendously glad I found this thread.. I know nothing about pigs, but I am always driving by a neighbors house with a pot belly pig and today I was thinking it might be kind of cool to have one in with the chickens... um... apparently not LOLOLOL...

thank you so much for the info!!

 

[carolinagirl]

Years ago we had pigs. I had a sow that was a huge sweet pet. She even let me sit with her while she delivered her litter of piglets. I really enjoyed that sow. But we also had a boar hog. He was a whole different story. We had him in a pen that we though was very secure. One spring morning I looked out torwards the pasture and was puzzled that I didn't see any goat kids running around like normal. I started checking the various goat enclosures and found torn fences and blood. In the last pen, I saw the hog with the last of my goat kids in his jaws. That hog had broken out of his pen and had killed and eaten over a dozen baby goats during that night (I did find most of the hides he left behind though). He didn't injure any of the does though, just the kids. I was so sick and heartbroken. that hog left our property that day and I had no baby goats that year.