Aggressive Pig Behaviors

[rbruno]

There was another thread posted recently regarding a pig with an attitude. I was going to ask this question in that thread, but thought I would start a new one instead. I am picking up two feeder pigs (berkshires) on Sunday. This will be my first time with pigs. I have worked with horses and recognize bad behavior in them, but am not exactly sure what to look for in pigs. What are some of the signs/characteristics that are consider aggressive behavior? Just want to be on the lookout and want to know what I should be looking for. My two will be going to the butcher in October, so if one does start to get aggressive, it already has a date planned for the freezer.
Thanks,
Rob

 

[Baymule]

My first 2 tried to get behind me. They were creepy. I always carried a metal pipe to poke them with to keep their distance. They were aggressive enough that I never went in their pen to feed and water alone. After several sets of feeder pigs, then turning their feed tubs over, turning their water tubs over, tossing them around. I built a Pig Palace. Best thing I ever did. I can feed and water from OUTSIDE the pen. I’ll try to find my thread. On phone, laptop acting stupid.

 

[Baymule]

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/baymule’s-pigs-2018-herefords.37448/

Found it! I love my Pig Palace. Do yourself a favor and get a blue barrel or it’s equivalent and fix a water barrel like mine with a hog nipple sticking into the pen. Fantastic invention!

I found a 500 pound boar on Craigslist one night for $100. We bought him. He was a sweet boy, but I was glad to have the Pig Palace. We kept him several months before taking him to slaughter. We took the truck and trailer over truck scales. He weighed 820 pounds! Hanging weight was 506 pounds. His former owner had her oldest kid stand outside his pen with a 45 while she went in to feed/water him. She had grown scared of him because of his size.

Bottom line is, feeder pigs are not pets. They can be friendly and that’s ok. If you walk in with a bucket of feed, they are going to run to you. Maybe they will respect your space, likely not. We now have a heavy wood trough in the Pig Palace, secured by rebar driven in the ground at both ends of the trough. No pigs have been able to dislodge it yet. We still use the bin feeder, but not this time. We have 3 boar pigs and they had it half knocked out of the wood frame we secured it with, so we took it out before they tore it up. Bad pigs!

If the pigs give you that creepy feeling, pay attention to it. You may have to carry a stick or pipe to make them keep their distance.

In the same topic in the pig forums, you will find all my pig threads if you want to look. I think the first one was in 2016. You may find something I did that may help you.

Be sure to post pictures! You might want to start a pig thread like I did. I do a new one every year. It’s fun to go back and read them again. Good luck with your pigs!

 

[wolf]

"Gives you that creepy feeling.... has mental images from 'Hannibal'...

 

[Baymule]

"Gives you that creepy feeling.... has mental images from 'Hannibal'...

And the pigs would have you for dinner too!

 

[wolf]

And the pigs would have you for dinner too!

You know, I never looked at Prosciutto the same after that movie! Hey! Remember the beginning of 'Wizard of Oz' how fast the farmhands were to pull Dorothy out of the hog-pen after she fell in? Same reason!