When a pig has attitude

[Ridgetop]

When we had multiple hogs at one time (Devil Pig time) they killed and ate our African goose. My children ranging in age from 14 to 4 were forbidden from entering the pen at all. Single hogs can be sweet. Groups are not. And any hog with a nasty temper like Devil Pig only has one destination - the freezer.

 

[Baymule]

My hogs caught a crow and ate it, not even a feather left.

 

[Beekissed]

....a pig becomes bacon. This is one of those complete the sentence things, isn't it?

 

[misfitmorgan]

Agreed mean pigs dont stay here long with exception of Sara who got many free passes before she ultimately got "let go from her position" and if she wasnt DH's favorite pig she would have been gone far sooner. Truely she didnt start acting mean/aggressive to people until she was over 600lbs and several years old.

DH is from Iowa.....home of pigs and corn....he has been sent into pig pens to look for human remains several times. He has found them a few times too, apparently pigs have a hard time with the skull and pelvis. A very good family friend of his was in the pen with a group if his pigs and started having a heartattack. He went down and the pigs piled on him, he was dead before they could shoot enough pigs to try to get him out. The man had worked with pigs every day for almost 40years.

Pigs are very dangerous, you do not go in a pen with hungry pigs, angry pigs, sows and piglets or scared pigs. You do not go in a pen when you are alone, you do not go in a pen you do not have immediate escape from, if you are female you do not go in a pen when your "visitor" is around. Basically you don't go into a pen of pigs over 100lbs unless that is the only option available. All pigs are not mean but they have the capacity like many animals to harm a person the difference is they are also meat eaters unlike most livestock.

Also think about what your end of life strategy is for your pet pigs. Idaho pasture pigs get up to 450lbs, a 450lb pig is not a pet. Most people who use pigs for clearing get piglets raise them to butcher weight then slaughter and get more pigs. Pigs over 250lbs are hard to keep in fences and dangerous when they get loose simply because of their size. Even a friendly pig at 450lbs running towards you is a terrifying experience. Our 3 breeder pigs atm are well over 600lbs each and we decided this year as much as we love those pigs and as calm and mild as they are...its time for them to go. They have now crushed two pipe gates and broken a 5" wooden post in half.

My 2 cents, whatever it is good for....

 

[Ridgetop]

Remember the hogs in Ol' Yeller . . . .