[michael ark]

I just bought 3 mix breed pigs hampshire X berkshire.The guy i got them from is going through a ugly divorce and has not been able to spend anytime taming them or their momma. She tried to get him when he took the piglets for me . The little guys are super skittish and will run from me when i'm outside their pen much less in it. I am looking for any advice to make them more manageable so i can care fore them.My cute little pigs try to bite and run through the pin making their snout bleed . They also have been biting each other. Basicly i have 3 wild pigs.HELP.:teehee:

 

[highlands]

Every day spend some time just sitting with them, talking softly and feeding them bits of bread by tossing it on the ground as close as they'll come. They'll tame in time.

-Walter

 

[3acres]

Congrats on taking the leap!

I love taming down pigs and have yet to buy a tame one.

I put them in a small safe pen and start spending lots of time with them down low....laying and sitting so I look less threatening. If it's not hot I grab them and cover them in baby oil, rubbing them all over, to get rid of any lice and start getting them looking real good and feeling good and used to being touched. I don't grab them and force it again until I have to move them. ..but I do ease up to them and put my hand on them every so often a lot.

I put them on a good protein feed and start using milk and eggs to get them liking me and to know I'm a good thing. As they get use to the eggs and milk and start really liking it, I use that to really get to petting them. They run at first and gradually start staying more and more not wanting to leave the treat.

Pretty soon they are crazy tame.

IMO, more than one at a time can be different than just the one. They seem to be braver all together and all flee easier.

It's fun! I love it! I take some mags out with me and read them and let the pigs do their thing with the feed right next to me...things like that. I pass their pen and say hi every chance I get while choring other animals.

I find them to be one of the most easy animals to tame down.

Then you start having to train them to behave and be good mannered pigs...:happy2:.

I'm sorry if that is unclear....lots of time!

 

[3acres]

I'm shopping for another boar to buy and use on my gilts I'm keeping. I'm trying to find the youngest one I can find that is going to be good for what I need. He'll probably be wild and I can't wait to start in training him! I'm already thinking about! I think I may have one spotted and it's still on the sow. Can't wait! I have come to the conclusion that I just don't get along with any animal that has spent much of it's youth and adolescent years somewhere else???

 

[bigtuna]

Hey. good job. ull be happy you got those. like walter says spend time with them daily . treats like bread acorns.. yes they should calm down in a day or 2 . good luck

 

[cooper101]

Take a 5 gallon bucket in with you, sit on it and throw them mini-marshmallows, old berries, white bread, etc. They'll eventually warm up. There's a moment when they go from fear to curiosity. Then they'll approach you and start calming down. It can take weeks to get them not to fear you. Some may never let you pet them, but they won't fear you being around them.

What has worked for us is to make them a little bedding area with one small exit. When they're in there, block the exit and start petting them. They'll tremble and snort for the first few days, but they learn pretty quick that they like back scratches. Might not be an option based on size and wildness, but when we've done it, we've had big cupcakes pretty quickly.

 

[njenner]

I got mine at 6 weeks old and they were very skittish. They learned very quickly that I bring goodies. Now I have to bump them to keep their distance when I feed them; they are a little too in love with the feed bucket and at 170+ pounds, I don't need them knocking me over!

 

[michael ark]

Ok thanks for all the advice. I have been out with them 2 times a day and been feeding the apples. They still pile up in the corrner trying to get away from me but at least they stoped trying to run through the fence.

 

[michael ark]

Here are some pictures i took of them with my phone. I have them in a old dog pin with a wire roof . We have some big bobcats and coyotes in the area.

 

[michael ark]

Well here is a update .They are doing good and are no longer in the dog pin.Yes that boar got zapped 2 seconds after i took the picture.

 

[michael ark]

Thanks for looking and the likes.:thumb:

 

[michael ark]

They tolerate me now cause i got all the goodies. I am hoping they will be ready at the end of February while its still cold.:thumb:

 

[3acres]

They seem to be growing well! Looks like you have a real nice place for them to live in!

 

[michael ark]

Thank for all the encouragement. It was all clover and wheat and oats.Now it's all dirt but it should plant well now . Have some more food plots for them in this 2 acres i just have to get the time and money at the same time to fix it up.

 

[michael ark]

Update.:thumb:

 

[myheaven]

they are looking good.

 

[njenner]

Nice! Now the fun begins!

 

[michael ark]

Nancy it already been fun.They were rooting for a few chicken eggs i tossed into the hay.Our favorite game.Porkchop is the boar with the white legs bacon is the gilt with the saddle,and ham hock is the larger black gilt.

 

[dlskidmore]

I like your naming scheme. My first three lambs were "Curry", "Sausage", and "Roast".

 

[Zimobog]

They are going to dump that rickety old feeder! Get ready with q new feeder soon:thumb: