Dealing with an Aggressive Barrow

Last winter when I raised 3 pigs, I carried a piece of pipe in with me, they never did get friendly. They circled around, trying to get behind me. When they got bigger, I never went in their pen unless my husband was home too.

Our pigs stay friendly or go in the freezer. We dont take chances with them, if we cant go in the pen with them we dont want them because AI would be impossible and cleaning pens etc would be way harder.

American Guinea Hogs - I love them! We've recently had two litters and both mama's are just as laid back as they can be about me handling the babies. No aggressiveness at all. The most I've gotten is a grunt when I wouldn't put one of the babies down.

I had let the boars out yesterday morning to root around in the pasture and when it was time to put them up all I did was shake a can of feed and they came running. However - they are eager to eat and on the way back to their pen one of them stepped on my heel and I managed to bust my butt right in front of them. I had visions of the headlines: Woman Farmer devoured by Hungry Hogs. But, they were so respectful - maybe surprised that I was at their level - that they just stood there and looked around (for the corn probably) and left me totally alone while I gathered my pride and got back on my feet, lol.

One good thing about cold weather is that I had so many layers on that my fall was pretty well cushioned!

One would be better served to save one's life and limb from ill tempered pigs, great marbling for best tasting meat and bacon and not to mention a better return on investment by raising Poland China, Berkshire, Tamworth or Duroc.

Duroc/old spot is my current favorite cross. Mixing in some Berkshire this year... Should be delicious!

NH homesteader said:

Duroc/old spot is my current favorite cross. Mixing in some Berkshire this year... Should be delicious!

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We are pretty heavy on Berk and find it very tasty

Potbelly pig we didnt like, it tastes sweet and the fat is a little different then a full size butcher pig.

We shall see next year how Berk X Landrace tastes.

We had plans to breed a few gilts that had beautiful lines for meat... But their personalities didn't make the cut. I wouldn't go in with them alone so we ate one and sold one. Now the girls we have are sweet and respectful of my personal space. And our barrow is a space invader but has never thought about biting or nipping. I just trip over him a lot because he thinks he's starving lol. I assure you, he's not! He circles me like a dog when I'm carrying grain.

About 35 years ago, I had two Duroc boars that got into a fight. I was a brave "he man" then, and tried to separate them, since they were really going at it. The blood and foam was flying everywhere, and one of them nearly had lost an ear. I jumped into the pen, and within a few seconds, one of them had gotten hold of my right leg, and ZIP! I had my blue jeans ripped nearly off, and a huge gash in the outside of my calf, which required 30 stitches. Took me nearly a year to heal up, since boar tusks have LOTS of bacteria on them, and I had to take antibiotics for a long time. Don't mess with aggressive pigs! They can and will hurt you! And, I've castrated many baby pigs, and have found several with only one testicle, and at least one with none. They were up in the bellies of the pigs, and I had to have a vet cut them out. Good luck!