Comments on: Man! Pigs Are Trouble!!

By: Rachel R

Rachel R — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:31:01 +0000

My grandpa once gave my sister, Ruth, a spotted pig. Ruth named her Swine. We were able to keep her in for a long time, but once she got big, she got out nearly every day. Once we found her chasing a neighbor around and around her house, she was afraid to stop and open the door to get away!

By: Roberta

Roberta — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:40:49 +0000

We used to say that when pigs get out, their head is always on the wrong end! It’s not like cattle or horses ~ those can be herded.

Although you haven’t had success with electric fencing, pigs are very smart. Once they get zapped by it, they will not cross it. Which can make it quite a chore trying to set up a new area for them because you won’t be able to get them to cross where that electric fencing once was. We would use pig paneling along with a single wire of electric fencing at the level of the nose of the pig.

When sows have young, keep an eye on them. The sow will wallow and lay on and kill her young. When we were in Holland, they had a fenced area for the sow but the piglets could get thru to suck as there was an area big enough only for the piglets to get thru.

A sister in Christ
Roberta

By: Marcy

Marcy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:45:25 +0000

I have to admit we had a similar situation with our chickens, as in, we finally built a fence good enough to keep them in and now I open it and let them out whenever I am home.

Animals are meant to roam. My chickens have half of my large yard fenced in and I still feel like they need to be let out!

By: Kendra at New Life On A Homestead

Kendra at New Life On A Homestead — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:09:19 +0000

Kelle-

Lucky you! Hopefully our pig will learn how to behave herself. And yes, I’d LOVE LOVE LOVE some recipes!!!

By: Kelle

Kelle — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:50:57 +0000

Huh! I guess we pick well behaved pigs*wink* In the 6 yrs we’ve been getting pigs, we’ve never come close to having the troubles you’ve had, sorry for the snicker, Oppps! We always have two or three. They are a herd animal, and seem to like the company of other pigs or animals. Be careful they DO eat chickens! One of our layers got into their pen and next thing we see them running about their pen with something, shaking it. Yep one of my best layers

Our pigs have always enjoyed being scratched, having their belly rubs, and especially the rubber curry comb rub down, Ahhhhh.

Maybe it’s the breed you have, skittish. Our pigs are Berkshire cross.

The two this year root around like mad, sometimes digging down over 4 ft deep. Now that the ground is frozen that has come to an end, so we are giving them old hay,in which they eat, use for added bedding and for entertainment. Actually pigs are quite amusing, well…. when they aren’t on the loose anyway*wink*

Take care and if you want some awesome loose sausage recipes I’d be glad to share. We butcher, cut, wrap and make our own sausage. Soon as the smokehouse is built, we’ll be smoking our own hams and sidepork too, until then we have a friend who does it for us, what a blessing.
Have a great weekend
Blessings from,
The Never Done Farm

By: sandra

sandra — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:42:18 +0000

This is the best thing Ive read anywhere in awhile! the pig is cute! I used to know some people who had 2 pigs, and they let them stay in the house, honestly, they had pigs that lived in the house and went in and out like a dog! now thats extreme ! Ive always heard theyre a little hard to deal with, but I dont know. I still cant belive youre going to end up eatting her. ( are you sure, really? ) I said before, if I had one, it would end up a pet, and Id probably end up a vegetarian!

By: barbara gantt

barbara gantt — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:22:29 +0000

I remember my Mom chasing the pigs down the main road near our house. She was so mad at my Dad. That was the last time we had pigs. After I was married, we were in church one night when a man came running in yelling. His pigs had gotten out . They were running through a farmers cornfield and destroying it. All the man went running out of church to help catch the pig. The bigger they get, the harder they are to catch. But they taste oh so good when they are in the oven.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:19:00 +0000

seriously, this is the cutest post EVER! My husband and I plan to raise animals, including pigs, someday and absolutely appreicate the candid story. They’re little MacGuyver’s, got it! I would be as “soft” as you, it’d be hard not to let them out with the goats knowing they’d likely come back.

By: Kendra at New Life On A Homestead

Kendra at New Life On A Homestead — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:35:04 +0000

john wilson-

Thank you so much for your advice!! I appreciate you taking the time to help us out I’ll tell my husband what you’ve suggested. Actually, we bought a charger separate from the kit. It was like $30, and gives off a constant shock. I think we’ll try three strands like you do.

By: john wilson

john wilson — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:15:50 +0000

Looks like you are going to have to put up a proper fence. I use the hot wire three strands it is heavy barbed wire it keeps the goats and the pigs in I (also keep them together). If she won’t stop running through the thick wire I guess you will just have to let her free range.
FYI those fence chargers that cost only ten bucks? They are not going to do it. I take it that this is a pulse box? Gives off a jolt every second or two? You need to get one that has a constant flow. Ground it WELL two grounds are better than one. The better the ground the hotter the shock.
I will post or send you a pic tomorrow when I get back to the house.