The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Trevor Pharaoh on February 26, 2012, 05:44:01 pm

Title: Pigs Fighting
Post by: Trevor Pharaoh on February 26, 2012, 05:44:01 pm

Hi
I have just bought a Boar to go with my sow and gilt, we got him home ( he is 11 months old ) and put him with my sow who has had one litter of piglets. She was very nasty to him and we had to take him out of her pen as she was being very aggressive and he was scared.
I then put him in with my gilt (8 months old) but they also started fighting, he is now in a pen on his own, what should I do ?.

Beverley Pharaoh

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: little blue on February 26, 2012, 05:55:41 pm

leave him on his own but in sight of the girls ... they'll soon want him when they're in season!!
Or leave them together to sort it out - keep a close eye in case of injury

are you girls housed separately all the time?

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: Trevor Pharaoh on February 26, 2012, 06:03:34 pm

Hi
No they are not housed separately all the time, I just separated them for today when I introduced the Boar.

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: little blue on February 26, 2012, 08:25:59 pm

that could be a factor, a territory thing... maybe they need to be introduced on more neutral territory.
There will be fighting, its just a case of judging how much you think they can stand

our girls pick on the boar - he is only about 8 months old - but they live happily together most of the time :pig:

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: Beewyched on February 26, 2012, 10:46:26 pm

I totally agree with what LB has suggested - it will totally change when they are in season, other than then he will naturally stay bottom of the pecking order - a sow will invariably head of the herd.

Out of interest, are you planning on getting more girls for him or is he just on stud duties? 

  :love: :pig: :love:

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: robert waddell on February 26, 2012, 11:52:46 pm

to introduce a young boar as you have done could impare his macho image        they should have been introduced through a fence or  barrier first let them get there equal aggression out first then introduce them  it can be done the way you have done it with a older boar one that wont take no for an answer
what could happen now is when the sow or gilt is gouping for it he wont want to know  :farmer:

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: Fowgill Farm on February 27, 2012, 09:35:29 am

Would agree with Robert as we have had this exact problem introducing a much younger boar to older girls (only 6mths older!) but the best option is to pen them next to each other so they can spat and get to know each other thro the fence, if he gets beat up now he'll always be timid/shy of sows and you want him to be the boss of them. Bring them to him not the other way around and introduce at feeding time can be helpful.
HTH
mandy  :pig:

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: Trevor Pharaoh on February 27, 2012, 10:26:15 am

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Beverley

Title: Re: Pigs Fighting
Post by: sausagesandcash on February 27, 2012, 07:31:58 pm

I also felt that it was preferable to bring the girls to the boar...into his territory as it were.