Drooling When Stressed Out?

mysunwolf

Herd Master
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Messages
1,237
Reaction score
1,655
Points
343
Location
Southwest Virginia
Yet another set of weird behaviors from our pigs! We have a permanent pig pen in our lower pasture where we keep large grow-outs and adult sows. We currently have three large grow-outs in one pen, and yesterday there was an empty pen with fenceline contact next to it. Well, yesterday morning we moved our bottle baby pigs from the garden behind our house to the empty pig pen. We expected some fenceline aggression for sure, and wanted to make sure that the fence would hold the big pigs. But in addition to the squeals and squabbling that happened amongst the big pigs, they also started to drool and foam at the mouth like crazy. The little ones did it to a lesser extent. It was a cool day, the pens are in the shade, and it was drizzling on and off, so they were not hot.

So my thoughts as to why this was happening...

1. Strange strong smells, especially those of other pigs, start the saliva going and then it doesn't stop.

2. They were so stressed out from new pigs invading their space that they are producing excess saliva (didn't hear any teeth grinding but I hear that they do this for sure when stressed).

3. They worked themselves up so much at the fenceline trying to kill the little pigs that they began thinking about eating them and started drooling (okay, okay, this one sounds ridiculous).

...just when I was beginning to think I understood pig behavior.
 

mysunwolf

Herd Master
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Messages
1,237
Reaction score
1,655
Points
343
Location
Southwest Virginia
Got a photo since you all are so photo-hungry.

DSC_0116.JPG


See the big black-and-white-spotted pig on the right trying to kill the little pig on the left? See how she is drooling like crazy? It's just so weird to me.
 

jk47

Loving the herd life
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Messages
264
Reaction score
68
Points
133
Location
California
I am not sure what causes it but I have seen my pigs do it a few times before
I think its normally when I move new pigs in or when there fighting but I cant remember
 

mikiz

Loving the herd life
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Messages
254
Reaction score
153
Points
183
Could be that they're like dogs and drool/foam when they get over excited?

Are the growouts boys or girls? Boys will generally get worked up and foam a bit if there are new piggies or girls nearby?
 

mysunwolf

Herd Master
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Messages
1,237
Reaction score
1,655
Points
343
Location
Southwest Virginia
Thanks all, I guess I have just never seen our pigs this worked up! The last batch of piglets did this on the car ride home and then started vomiting, so I was a little worried. I still think it's odd, certainly not something you read about in the pig raising books :rolleyes:

All the pigs are gilts, except one tiny red castrated male. The Ossabaw Island cross is the most aggressive and is still very interested in trying to kill them through the fence. They actually broke the fence and escaped yesterday from all the fenceline fighting, luckily not escaping into the pen with the little pigs :eek:
 

mikiz

Loving the herd life
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Messages
254
Reaction score
153
Points
183
Yeah just sounds like a worked-up piggy thing to me, there's certainly not a lot of info online about it either. I had a google and all that came up was a bunch of weird illnesses or dehydration, which wouldn't be the issue here, and less about just being a "thing"
 

Latest posts

Top