Not sure what to do from here - graphic story about my pot bellies...

[elevan]

You need at the very least HOG panels. You can add electric it you want but I don't use it.

One of our pot bellies (who was around 80# by the way) was able to lift and rip a gate off it's hinges...so make sure your gates are well made. 80# may not seem big (when compared to an 80# dog) but as stated before pigs are very smart and they are very strong. PBs generally average 80# at adulthood with some getting to 150# at times. Doesn't make them any less of a pig.

And btw my PB that we had slaughtered was a GOOD pig and as I said we considered him a pet which was why we couldn't personally be the ones to eat him. Nothing is ever a problem until it is...you know. After that incident we immediately penned up the other 2 PBs in a secure pen.

No one is saying that this was your fault - it wasn't. We are all new to one animal or another at the beginning and we learn from mistakes that are made. I'm truly very sorry that this situation has happened to you.

If they were my PBs they would be put down and I would start again better prepared. That's me - each person needs to decide what is best for their farm though.

I wish you the best.

eta: if you decide to build a pen for them - add a kiddie swimming pool for them to cool off in during the summer (or create a pig wallow) My pen is made with 4 hog panels attached to the shelter for them (which is an old shed). That housed 2 PBs until one died due to an injury a few weeks ago.

 

[Bossroo]

NOT for the faint of heart: Friends of ours owned a potbelly pig (about 80 pounds after a hearty meal) and 3 dogs ( German Shepherd, Boxer, Black Lab and about the same size). All were raised together inside their home for about 3 years. We often visited them and petted that pig and the dogs all the time. One holiday, they left at 5am and returned about 11 pm. . They found one of their dogs dead and partially eaten in their living room and blood on the potbelly's face. Potbelly whent to piggy heaven.

Where we live in Cal. ... many years ago , when the " mob" was in their gory days, they would take their victims to one of their hog farms whereupon they were never seen or heard from again. I have seen and read of police investigations and accounts of these events in the newpaper.
I would be not so much conserned for any livestock loss, but VERY much so for any child that might come near.

 

[who922]

I'm pretty sure my pot belly bit off about a third of my baby goat's ear last week. and they are in a huge lot together. I am about ready to butcher her. She just eats. She's not nice. She won't let you pet her or get near her. I loved my first pot belly so much. She would come when I called her name. She would lay her head in my lap. She was sweet. No matter what I do, this one is not nice and we have had her since weaning!

 

[elevan]

I'm pretty sure my pot belly bit off about a third of my baby goat's ear last week. and they are in a huge lot together. I am about ready to butcher her. She just eats. She's not nice. She won't let you pet her or get near her. I loved my first pot belly so much. She would come when I called her name. She would lay her head in my lap. She was sweet. No matter what I do, this one is not nice and we have had her since weaning!

Each animal is an individual...and pigs are pigs. If you think she injured one of your goats, I'd butcher her or pen her separately...wouldn't let her roam with other animals. After my experience I wouldn't let any pot belly roam with other animals.

 

[drdoolittle]

I am so glad I saw and read this post! I just got a 5 week old PBP and am getting a 7 month old this coming weekend. I've had pigs before-----both regular and PB, and also goats, but this will be the first I've had them both at the same time.

I had planned on letting the pigs free-range (in a 1000 sq. foot pen) along with my goats. I guess hubby and I have some work for ourselves this week getting a pen put up for the pigs.

I don't know what I was thinking, as I've heard these stories before-----just went over my head that PBPs are pigs too!

Hope things work out for you.

 

[elevan]

I don't know what I was thinking, as I've heard these stories before-----just went over my head that PBPs are pigs too!

It's the cuteness factor...when things are cute it's makes it hard to imagine that they could ever cause harm. People keep PBs for pets because they are cute when they are small. And because they're different...but if they weren't cute they wouldn't be pets.