Just doing my research beforehand but how aggressive are pigs?

[newton the goat]

Thank you! I definitely love piggies! So aside from breed and temperament, can anybody give me a "pig raising for dummies" in their own experiences?

So basically I had three large English black pigs, they were like giant puppy dogs but that's because we got them at a young age, even if you are getting them for meat YOU NEED to have constant interaction with them. My pigs when we first got them were about 40 pounds so I would sit down with food in front of me and let them come to me and let them make the first interaction, and gradually as time went on as I fed them I would be in the pen with them and gently talk to them and put my hands on them. I made sure not to startle them because you can't always predict what a startled pig will do. I personally haven't had any of my pigs (who got to over 300 lb) turn on me. I did have one challenge me by swinging her head at me but a strong smack (not in an abusive way) on her back or shout NO very loudly deterred her from trying it again. Basically just give them love like you would any other animal and just follow a basic set of rules:
1) no letting them chew on you even when they are young. It won't result well in the future
2) Make sure they see you as a source for food (and not food )
3) hands on but don't push them to their limits. If they act uncomfortable let them come to you, and they will if they want pets
4) no kids unsupervised in the pen
5) treats are allowed, though I suggest only every once and a while so they get excited when they get them and it can be used as motivation.
6) don't be afraid to smack them if needed, if you are getting a larger breed sometimes it will be needed to handle them. Or shout whichever you are most comfortable with, they need to know limits of how far they can go.
7) don't forget pigs are very intelligent creatures who are very social!
And I know most probably won't agree with my rules but that is what worked for me and I had the sweetest pigs I have ever met who loved loved, loved belly rubs! One of my main suggestions is create a feeding schedule and have a dinner call, be it a bell or a certain phrase you shout at them. It will make it much easier for you in the long run if they associate a certain noise with feeding time. And also we when we started off when they were under 100 pounds locked them up at night so I taught them to go into their bed at the phrase "bed time guys!"

What breed do you want? Food or pet? Just curious lol. These are my babies, though it was sad to send them off, I have never tasted such amazing meat, theirs was as red as beef and the three of them together gave us 27 pounds of bacon.

 

[FriendsHerd]

So basically I had three large English black pigs, they were like giant puppy dogs but that's because we got them at a young age, even if you are getting them for meat YOU NEED to have constant interaction with them. My pigs when we first got them were about 40 pounds so I would sit down with food in front of me and let them come to me and let them make the first interaction, and gradually as time went on as I fed them I would be in the pen with them and gently talk to them and put my hands on them. I made sure not to startle them because you can't always predict what a startled pig will do. I personally haven't had any of my pigs (who got to over 300 lb) turn on me. I did have one challenge me by swinging her head at me but a strong smack (not in an abusive way) on her back or shout NO very loudly deterred her from trying it again. Basically just give them love like you would any other animal and just follow a basic set of rules:
1) no letting them chew on you even when they are young. It won't result well in the future
2) Make sure they see you as a source for food (and not food )
3) hands on but don't push them to their limits. If they act uncomfortable let them come to you, and they will if they want pets
4) no kids unsupervised in the pen
5) treats are allowed, though I suggest only every once and a while so they get excited when they get them and it can be used as motivation.
6) don't be afraid to smack them if needed, if you are getting a larger breed sometimes it will be needed to handle them. Or shout whichever you are most comfortable with, they need to know limits of how far they can go.
7) don't forget pigs are very intelligent creatures who are very social!
And I know most probably won't agree with my rules but that is what worked for me and I had the sweetest pigs I have ever met who loved loved, loved belly rubs! One of my main suggestions is create a feeding schedule and have a dinner call, be it a bell or a certain phrase you shout at them. It will make it much easier for you in the long run if they associate a certain noise with feeding time. And also we when we started off when they were under 100 pounds locked them up at night so I taught them to go into their bed at the phrase "bed time guys!"

What breed do you want? Food or pet? Just curious lol. These are my babies, though it was sad to send them off, I have never tasted such amazing meat, theirs was as red as beef and the three of them together gave us 27 pounds of bacon.View attachment 29305

Thank you! And I'm still not sure, I kind of want both if that's possible? Like start off as our babies but if need be then meat, or bred for meat babies? It's still ideas my fiance and I are tossing around, neither of are big pork eaters though we do like bacon and occasionally we'll eat a pork chop but it's not really our main meat source. Do you think they would be safe around kids while supervised? And what age of child would be best to introduce them or should I just introduce them while the piggies are piglets rather than worry about my sons age? He'll be 2 in a month but he'll be a little older when we actually do get piggies. And your piggies are adorable!

 

[Latestarter]

MMMMMmmmmm baconnnnnnnnnnnn..

 

[newton the goat]

Thank you! And I'm still not sure, I kind of want both if that's possible? Like start off as our babies but if need be then meat, or bred for meat babies? It's still ideas my fiance and I are tossing around, neither of are big pork eaters though we do like bacon and occasionally we'll eat a pork chop but it's not really our main meat source. Do you think they would be safe around kids while supervised? And what age of child would be best to introduce them or should I just introduce them while the piggies are piglets rather than worry about my sons age? He'll be 2 in a month but he'll be a little older when we actually do get piggies. And your piggies are adorable!

My pigs met all manners of kids but the ones they were most around were 5,8,9. I would say supervise until they reach the age of a young teen and have been around the pigs for a long time(13-14) no matter how well I know the pig around me, different people act and cause animals to act differently and I juts wouldn't want to risk it. Yes if you raised the pig by hand of course you should introduce your kid to it but just be careful, because you will never be quite sure how an animal will react around a child who doesn't know what to or what not to do around them. Here's a small story, my nine year old cousin pissed off my pig (who was the sweetest of the bunch) and she hit him and left a rather large bruise on his leg (she didn't use teeth just head butted him but she was 150 lb at the time and packed some punch) so I changed the rules to unless my dad, or his girlfriend are around they kids are NOT allowed in the fence line. It took about 3 months of reintroduction and treats for her not to charge him.... pigs will remember who you are and things you do, and will hold you too it. Again I will repeat, these creatures are very smart lol, but also can be very sweet at the same time! The one who headbutt ed my 9 year old cousin, I woukd sit down in the pasture and she would lay down in my lap (well only her head fit) and the others woukd lie around us (I made it so I was part of the hiarchy, suey was the dominant female but I was dominant to her so she didn't mess with me and gave me the respect I gave her)

And one last thing, I suggest not starting off with a breeding pair, if you find a female or a boar you like sure keep them over the winter for another year, just make sure you closely watch their personalities, consider this, you want the babies to be nice right? Sure it won't always transfer over but make sure the parents don't have any violent back history (if they have had 1 or 2 issues that they were provoked into, sure that's fine but not if they challenge you multiple times and keep attempting things) but I suggest starting with meat first so you know what you are getting into and it's trial and error, if you mess up the first couple times its ok they are food and won't be breeding (another thing if your boar ain't castrated, keep him and the gilts seperate lol) this will be our second year doing pigs and though we would like a breeding pair, we aren't sure if we are ready or have the facilities to keep a mom and dad seperate. And thanks I'm very proud of my piggies

 

[newton the goat]

I'm so sorry for writing paragraphs on your post lol just I have too many things to say lol.

My dad was in with the pigs (he's around 250 my pigs were 300lb at the time) and they would go in between our legs for butt scratches like a giant dog would, so my dad decided to mess around and so he held on tight and lifted up his legs, (pig rodeo, there are vids of similar things on youtube) and in a second the gilt threw him. He landed on his back and she was imeadiatly right in front of him in his face, my dad says he's never been so thankful that she was hand tamed and used to us as he was in that moment, because an untamed pig would have gone at his face in a second.... she came over making a cooing noise and checked him over and actually presented him with her back to help him up, ( if it hadn't been the dominant pig or if she hadn't been around I don't know if things woukd have been different.... ( her and bacon were the only ones I trusted more than the other one, the other was too flighty , though I didn't fully trust them I still knew the damage the could do) was what my dad did stupid? YES! Was he lucky that she didn't turn on him? YES! Will all pigs turn on you? Not nessecarily, it depends on the pig, suey was one of a kinda truly a kind pig, if a pig can be called kind, but I have also seen her beat up her siblings when they disobeyed her or tried to push her away from the food dish. And we electric fence trained our pigs meaning two thin lins the width of half my pinki nail kept 300 lb pigs at bay, but you need to train them young. And it doesn't hurt just startles and deters them, we had them in a 2 acre plot of land with lots of fruit tress and a mud pit so they were happy. And last but not least: the pig smell.
Many people say ligs smell but really they don't, if you have them in a small stall where they cant run around, Yes they will stink! The smell will be horrible, mine however (though their bedding had to be regularly changed due to it Being pulverised) had lots of space and hay to keep them warm on chilly nights (they like to bury tmeselves in it, it really is cute lol) and they were good. No smell. And we're genrally happy pigs.
If you ever need advice or anything just as a question on here and pig people will come flocking, good luck convincing your fiance lol. And incase it wasn't clear in the last post, of course you should introduce them! Just don't leave them alone unsupervised, and keep an eye on them lol.

And just as a note on my other story, suey wasn't purposely attempting to hurt my cousin, she was just getting impatient because she had asked him to back off and he didn't listen.

 

[NH homesteader]

If you are thinking of pigs as pets/meat, definitely check out guinea hogs. A full size pig will get huge and eat you out of house and home!

I do not allow my daughter (4)in with the pigs, really ever. When they're piglets I do, but not much beyond that. Guinea hogs are smaller, tend to be friendly, and eat less than a full size pig. Your son is old enough to be around piglets if supervised, for sure.

 

[Bossroo]

There was a newspaper article ( also posted here ) a couple years ago where a man who had several full grown female pigs as pets and played with them daily since he got them as newly weaned. One day he whent into their pen like he always did, and never left that pen alive. So be very careful.

 

[misfitmorgan]

There was a newspaper article ( also posted here ) a couple years ago where a man who had several full grown female pigs as pets and played with them daily since he got them as newly weaned. One day he whent into their pen like he always did, and never left that pen alive. So be very careful.

Those occasions are very rare but yes they do happen. I'm curious what "full grown" is though as pigs are indeterminate.

 

[newton the goat]

Those occasions are very rare but yes they do happen. I'm curious what "full grown" is though as pigs are indeterminate.

Around 300- 600 lb I think at least for females, boars can make it up to 600-700 on the rare occasion 800lb, I'm not entirely sure but hope this gave you a better idea

 

[NH homesteader]

Uh my friend has a 1000 lb boar. They keep growing... And growing...