will a single pig be happy alone?

[Cara Peachick]

I don't yet have pigs and am thinking about it. I have goats and chickens and would not have "singles" of either of those; they need their herd/flock. However, I've found a few things saying that single pigs do very well. Do they need a buddy? Or not?

Thanks!

 

[autumnprairie]

Hi Cara, I am waiting with you I am looking into getting a pig or 2 for raising for meat

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Pigs are very social animals! But, they can still do fine by themselves! As pets, if you spends a bit of time with them, scratching, talking and all of that they are happy enough!
If you are raising for meat they are also fine by them selves, but from personal experience, if you have more than one, they gain weight a lot faster than when they are on their own!!! Lol, they are competative with their feed!

 

[Parsnip]

I was always told to get more than one pig.
As Four Winds Ranch said, THEY ARE VERY SOCIAL. Love to be around other animals/people. And they do gain weight better if there is competition for food!

I've only had single pigs twice, and both times, they've escaped up into the forest. (never to be found)
They get bored easily if there is nothing to do and no one else around.
The first single pig climbed the fence, and the second single busted through the fencing.

So in my opinion I'd get two
But I'm sure one would be fine as long as you checked up on it frequently!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I have just one right now. He is super cute and friendly and doing fine on his own, he likes to be around us and be petted and also likes to have toys around to play with. And yes we check him often, they ARE escape artists! Though when ours gets out he goes and hangs out with the dogs, lol. And comes running when he sees us.

 

[Parsnip]

IS THAT A BERKSHIRE?

He's adorable! I love it

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Yes!!! He's a Berk!

He is SOO adorable and friendly, I would hate to eat him... lol. But that's what we got him for. Next year I want to get a breeding pair and makes pets out of them.

the Berks!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

When he was a baby:

 

[Parsnip]

Now that I think about it, I guess I've only had Berkshire cross pigs, not a pure Berkshire!
I got mine from a breeder who used a Berkshire boar and a Berk/York sow.
Piglets always came out pink or spotted

Here's some pics from last year when they were little

(L to R - Flo, Myrtle, and Gretchen)
Also Gretchen might be definitely pooping, please ignore that. lol

AND here's Flo when I was at the fair. She had to have her own separate pen because she was a terrible bully. Gretchen and Myrtle shared a pen.

WHAT A CLEAN PIG.
It took forever to get them all shiny and ready to show.
I think I ended up using my own shampoo on them because I had no special livestock shampoo.

Strange how I went from pigs for 7 years to hair sheep!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

LoL pigs are super cute. I love the Berks. Yours are adorable, funny you can tell the different breed in there. =P Funny I've never owned a pig before, this one is our first, but I am sooo smitten, they are SO cute and adorable and friendly, I had NO idea they were so personable. I have had hair sheep however, and decided to sell them asap because they were SO wild. I only have one little ram left that we will be processing later this year.