farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
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I will say one thing in defense of the sow. IF the pigs you were trying to catch were squealing, it is just nature telling her to protect the pigs...doesn't matter if they are her piglets, any squealing pig will bring most sows to the notice in a hurry...
Not trying to talk you out of killing her once she has weaned off her next litter.
I had upwards of 12 sows that I farrowed out regularly. If a pig was squealing like it was scared or hurt, they would all come to the "rescue"... and I had a couple otherwise very easy going sows get upset and want to attack when they thought a pig was being hurt.
Even had a piglet get its head through a board fence, get stuck, screaming like bloody murder... sow got so upset/enraged... as I was trying to get it unstuck ( I was on the other side of the board fence... ) that she started biting the piglet and then killed it... but as soon as it stopped squealing, she calmed right down.. Not that killing it was the idea... but it just sets them to the thought to stop whatever is screaming like that... and because I was on the outside, she went after the piglet.
If a sow got violent, and I felt for my safety, they got sold/butchered... But if they were reacting to a situation, I gave them a second chance. Only had 1 that I never turned my back on her from the first when she farrowed... and she got those pigs weaned off, raised a second litter and I just decided there was something not right with her... and she went. I've had others that I could grab their pigs and they'd squeal and I could talk to the sow and tell her it was okay, it was only me, and they would watch but not attack.
If you don't feel you can trust them, then they need to go... and believe me, some breeds and some "lines" of hogs are more aggressive. I found that the big red Durocs, and the belted Hampshires were the 2 best dispositioned breeds I had ever raised... Berkshires were okay... Spots and Tamworths were more aggressive ... big white Yorkshires were lazy mothers and would lay on pigs alot... and were either nice or aggressive... not even tempered across the breed. But the one that I mentioned above that I never trusted was a Hampshire out of one of my best favorite sows, and from the start she was just more aggressive. None of her litter mates ( I kept 3 of the gilts from that litter) were a problem and they all would have 10-13 pigs and raise every one...
Not trying to talk you out of killing her once she has weaned off her next litter.
I had upwards of 12 sows that I farrowed out regularly. If a pig was squealing like it was scared or hurt, they would all come to the "rescue"... and I had a couple otherwise very easy going sows get upset and want to attack when they thought a pig was being hurt.
Even had a piglet get its head through a board fence, get stuck, screaming like bloody murder... sow got so upset/enraged... as I was trying to get it unstuck ( I was on the other side of the board fence... ) that she started biting the piglet and then killed it... but as soon as it stopped squealing, she calmed right down.. Not that killing it was the idea... but it just sets them to the thought to stop whatever is screaming like that... and because I was on the outside, she went after the piglet.
If a sow got violent, and I felt for my safety, they got sold/butchered... But if they were reacting to a situation, I gave them a second chance. Only had 1 that I never turned my back on her from the first when she farrowed... and she got those pigs weaned off, raised a second litter and I just decided there was something not right with her... and she went. I've had others that I could grab their pigs and they'd squeal and I could talk to the sow and tell her it was okay, it was only me, and they would watch but not attack.
If you don't feel you can trust them, then they need to go... and believe me, some breeds and some "lines" of hogs are more aggressive. I found that the big red Durocs, and the belted Hampshires were the 2 best dispositioned breeds I had ever raised... Berkshires were okay... Spots and Tamworths were more aggressive ... big white Yorkshires were lazy mothers and would lay on pigs alot... and were either nice or aggressive... not even tempered across the breed. But the one that I mentioned above that I never trusted was a Hampshire out of one of my best favorite sows, and from the start she was just more aggressive. None of her litter mates ( I kept 3 of the gilts from that litter) were a problem and they all would have 10-13 pigs and raise every one...
