smart pig.... now what

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we bought 3 pigs at auction a month or so ago, one must have been bottel fed, he comes when you call,he lays down to have his tummy rubbed,sits for treats and gives"kisses" . does anyone have a pet hog? my husband will die ., not realy, but i donot know if i can eat him,he is laying in the sun now with a smile on his face. i do not know the breed mostly pink with a few pale black spots and a realy long snout,any clue? he has been cut so we can not use him to breed.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), July 18, 2000

Answers

If you haven't hade pigs before this can be common ..They will be less friendly as they get older .Try to limit it to a pat on the head .And also think about feeding a 1,000 pound pet !

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), July 18, 2000.

Pigs are probably the smartest of all farm animals. As you have seen, they can be trained to do tricks. Don't name him and try to limit your interaction. When it becomes time for freezer meat if you can't stand the idea of it being him, sell him at the auction and bring home another. The prior posting wasn't kidding. Pigs can get to weigh as much as full-grown cattle at two years of age.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 18, 2000.

Renee, there have been some instances where people have trained a pig to pull a cart, either singly or in a team. They do get huge as they mature, but I guess that would also mean they could pull a bigger payload. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

Renee' I know what you mean cause I had two little runt gilts given to me a couple of years ago. they were so sweet and friendly and I wanted to keep them but am only set up for a feeder pig or two. they never stop growing so can reach immense size with a feed bill to match. I would say let the husband load him up to go to the locker. It is a lot easier that way. karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

My reason for raising my own food is to know whats in it so the auction thing wouldn't do . I don't feel to bad I know they had a good life , much better than the feed lot animals . I also know its safe for my family to eat . When it comes to B-Day don't be home if it bothers you . Once you taste the meat you will forget about porkchop and enjoy it .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), July 18, 2000.


If you are careful of the calories you feed him you can control how much and how quickly he grows. Pigs grow all their life and you can control his size to a certain extent by limiting his caloric intake. I addition to pulling carts you can give him a job of cleaning up the pasture after the cows and turning your compost pile. (Last issue of Smithsonian has a neat article about this, bonus is Mel Gibson is on the cover!) I have pot bellies and have been able to keep them fairly small using this method. you can also make a moveable pen with panels in the spring and he can help till and fertilize your garden. These methods can also help keep your feed costs down. Good luck, you can enjoy your pig WITHOUT eating him!

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

We had a bottle baby pig once when I was a kid. Her name was Arnelda (remember the TV show, "Green Acres," and the pig on it?). She got baths and went to school, and grew up on slops form the school cafeteria (Mom and Dad were teachers). As she got bigger, her personality changed, and you SURE didn't want to get in the pen with her when she had babies with her. She was HUGE and mean, but a good momma to her babies. She got a bit much for Dad to handle, tho, and she went to live on a pig farm. Her babies WERE tasty!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

Renee,

On the farm I was raised on, I was the offical "baby life savor", meaning I saved little animals too small or weak to nurse momma. This involved a pig named Apple, who I ended up keeping until she got herself shot by a deer hunter. I'll tell you my experience, and let you make a decision.

Pigs have good noses, and can help you find any type of mushroom (even underground varieties) you hunt for, or many many other herbs in the wild. Get a pig training book through interlibrary loan, if interested. They do great work, even hauling stuff back for you, if you make them a "pack saddle", but I should warn you, this training isn't easy, as they seem to be ticklish.

Apple was a pretty decent watch pig, but that was mostly related to the intimidation factor. Ever had a pig stick it's face in your car window? Apple was friendly to family and most strangers. She tolerated cats, hated our dog, and ate scraps, created pig wollows, and was the number one apple branch ripper in the county.

While pigs are fun and smart, they get BIG, and will require constant reinforcement to remind them that you are serious, because if you don't, they can take you. If you keep your pig, he'll cost money in food, relandscape your yard, eat what you don't fence him off from, and place himself permanently and pointedly into your life. Don't forget that pigs can live a while.

If you must love him, start training right away, limit what you feed him, get him plenty of excercise, get him shots, make him his own fence until you get everything you don't want eaton protected, then teach him to live in a covered spot in the barn, so that he can afford you protection from possems and snapping turtles (which apple killed whenever she found them), and began the new landscaping project. Don't forget to socialize him properly, and leash train him, and teach him to stay where he is tied, so that you can curb any negitive behavior.

If your gonna give him over to a good life and useful fate, get away from the hog sty and don't go back ever. Pigs are friendly and playful, and you'll just keep finding more you love, once you've found one. It just don't take long to friendly out a pig.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@excite.com), July 18, 2000.


I love Marty's answer!!! We have 5 farm pigs and 20 pot-bellies here at the Sanctuary. They will never be eaten. I have observed this with the farm pigs: 1. They do get huge. You can't "make" them do anything after a certain size. It's all about cooperation and smarts after that point. 2. Electric fence is the only truly effective way I have found to keep full-size hogs in their area. They can ram through anything else, just about. (Never did try a cement wall, though...) And if they do get out, they will demolish whatever they have to if there's food to be found. I had a 5 month old (tiny) farm pig attack some brand new chainlink dog kennels because she smelled the dog food inside. Looked like a tornado hit the place! They can be hard to "vet" at this size, too. 3. I've never had a sow with piglets, and I hear they can be dangerous, but all of my pigs (gilts & barrows) are approachable and pettable and have never acted threatening in any way, and they like to have their tummies scratched. My vote is that farm pigs CAN make a good pet, if you deal with them logically and gently.

-- Shannon (Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary) (gratacres@aol.com), July 18, 2000.

I had three pigs and one of them used to roll over for a tummy rub too. As they got older, they got obnoxious. The tummy no longer wanted a rub. I sent them out to be butchered and told them I didn't want to know which one was which. Two were sold and I never knew who was in the freezer. Easy.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 18, 2000.


I got a 4 week old Hampshire piglet to raise as a pet. I raised him in the house. He housebroke immediately, never has had an accident in the house. On his own, he quit coming into the house when he was about a year....think I keep it too warm for him! Took him for walks from the time he was a little one. He'd ride in the truck sitting next to me. Grew into the back seat (I took out the back seat and put in a one inch thick rubber mat). He now rides in the horse trailer!

I put a ring in his nose at 6 months, the youngest the breeder will do it. It stopped the rooting. That is, until he reached 18 months. He could then root even with the ring.

I also have taken the hogs raised for the table for walks. Belly rubs 3 times a day tenderizes your meat! They've all been gentle, perhaps due to getting them at 4 weeks. For the table and the pet, I free feed. The breeder told me they don't get fat when fed this way. He was right; there's not an ounce of fat on my now 2 year old hog ~ his belly line is straight. Not being confined is a big help, too.

The first time I put a harness on him, he didn't care. He drives a cart. He's never objected to anything I've done to him. As a baby, I set up a pen for him (5 foot tall, 16 foot wide cattle panels). He was able to leave the house to go outside, on his own, to his pen and swimming pool. I started with a 5 foot plastic kiddie pool. Today, it's an 8 foot round, 1 foot high metal tank.

The hog has always come to me when I call his name, and runs to greet my truck when I drive in, if he's in the area. 24/7, he's on 30 acres of Coastal grass with a Dexter steer (who he'll be hitched up with if it ever cools off), a Mammoth donkey, and chickens. When the hog is laying down, the chickens sleep on top of him. The hog is presently about 800 pounds and his back is about 42 inches off the ground (4 inches taller than the steer).

I deworm the donkey, steer and hog with an equine paste dewormer, alternating chemicals every other month. The hog just lays there while I squirt it into his mouth. Since I can only purchase vaccines in very large doses, I take the hog up to my hog vet. It take doc two seconds to give the shot. ($2)

The hog is as sweet today as when he was a piglet, probably more so. He allows me to clean his ears with Q-tips, just like I do with the dogs. When we go for walks, I sometimes take the dog along. Holding 2 leashes, they're no problem at all. I'm a hair under 5 feet, so the hog and I make quite a pair!

~Rogo rogo2020@yahoo.com

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 19, 2000.


I had a friend who raised dairy beef from day old bull calves. To keep the family from becoming attached to them, she gave them names like Bufer (Danish for beef, if memory serves), Burger, Stroganoff, Meatloaf (this was before the days of the singer), T-bone, etc. You get the picture.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), July 21, 2000.

Rogo, what a cute story, I wish we could post pictures I would love to see the dog and pig out for a walk.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), July 23, 2000.

--Rogo, what a cute story, I wish we could post pictures I would love to see the dog and pig out for a walk.--

It's just as well we can't post picture. I haven't taken one picture of the pig! I couldn't tell you the last time I took ANY pictures. Just not a camera bug. I also don't have a way to post pics.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 23, 2000.


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