The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: jennapiggy on November 11, 2012, 10:16:52 am
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Hey, my micro pig percy who isnt very micro anymore but anyway. He has bit a few people including a baby:0! he seems to not lock his jaw but has drawn blood from people...what kind of techniques can i do to help him to stop biting!!!
Please help! thanks :wave: :wave: :wave:
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Jenna, this kind of behavoiur NEEDS to get stamped out asap - he's already a danger :-\
I'm afraid I would have taken steps to retrain him as soon as he showed any signs of nibbling and not get to the stage where he's bitten "a few people, including a baby" :o >:( - you do it the same way you would a puppy, firm tap on the snout and a loud NO, then turn or walk away from them. It's important to nip it in the bud when they're little as otherwise it's harder to break the habbit.
Pigs jaws are incredibly strong, have you ever seen the film Snatch ? There's a scene where a gangster talks about how long it takes a herd of pigs to eat a body - it's not all fiction :o Pigs jaws can bite through bone, even little pigs can do a fair bit of damage ! It's REALLY important you stop feeding him by hand (this seems to be the major cause of it) and do not allow him to bite (use the above technique) - they're smart animals, he'll soon figure it out ;)
As his owner, it's your responsibility to make sure he's not a danger - if it was a dog who repeatedly bit people it wouldn't be long before the police/SSPCA/animal welfare officer arrived at your door. For Percy's sake you've got to make him realise he isn't allowed to bite - or you might not have a choice in the matter :(
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Stay way from his teeth? ::) Smack his nose? Should have been stopped before it got to this stage?
Sorry, I have dogs and just wouldn't tolerate that behaviour from any animal. Only difference between dogs and pigs is we don't eat dogs in the UK
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what?
are you serious?
he needs the one way trip to the abbatoir before your paying out compensation to a maimed child for the rest of your life.
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Trick is not to let any of your body parts get anywhere near a pig's mouth. A little pig can give you a nasty nip, a big pig could seriously hurt someone. In my opinion pigs are not suitable to be kept as pets and shouldn't be treated as such.
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Hi :wave:
My two weaners started nibbling at clothes, and I knew if left unchecked it may become body parts :o so I asked advice on here and having had many dogs, I treated them as such - a tap (didn't have to be hard) on the snout, a firm 'NO' and ignore - only had to do it about 3 times and lesson was learnt. I have a seven year old daughter and even though they were destined for the freezer they still needed to respect our space!
You did not mention how old Percy is and like any animal if it has beed left unchecked then it will be much harder to break the habit. Also is he on his own? Does he have company of his own kind? Animals also learn boundries by their elders and peers and us humans as to what is too much 'rough' play (thinking dogs and horses etc) so are used to being reprimanded from an early age and at the end of the day WE should be alpha and they are beneath us - always!
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Why is the baby anywhere near the pig??? :-\ flippin dangerous situation to put it in ???
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If one of my dogs bit someone it would be put down no question so the pig would be in the freezer.
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As HH and others have said, this behaviour needs to be sorted. This pig needs to know who is boss. His mother would have put him firmly in his place, had he been with her. Part of the problem would appear to be keeping a pig on its own - it doesn't know how to behave.
My thoughts? A smack on the nose when he misbehaves, introduce another pig (or two), or ring the abattoir. Oh, and DON'T, whatever you do, allow children to get close to him, unsupervised.
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Is this pet pig kept in the house? Because if so there is your problem. If he is then you need to get him out in his own large pen with another pig. Do not underestimate the dangers here. A pig is a farm animal and should be handled as such, not hand fed with titbits, and handled as if it was a pet cat or dog. And certainly keep babies and children away from it. It will get worse unless you give the pig the life it needs which is rooting and kept outside with other porcine company.
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My understanding from previous posts is that Percy is just over one year old. I havent read anything about pig company for Percy - does he have any? If not, please be aware this is breaking the animal welfare guidelines : he should have a piggy companion as soon as possible.
Im sure members of the forum can help with finding a companion for Percy and you may find his behaviour is less challenging if he is given more of a natural pig-appropriate life.
for info
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
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Funny how Jennapiggy hasn't been back on .......................
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is percy castrated?
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The other week I read of 2 cases of pigs eating their owners ( both were presumed to have fallen and were knocked unconcious) and one was identified by his false teeth.
My two pigs are almost ready for slaughter and sometimes trash their indoor feeding area but even though the have had the "slap" and "No" routine I am not too keen on spending time playing with them. I will lock them outside when i clean their bedroom in case I get knocked over by them.
Pets !! no way.
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Pigs as pets are fine, as long as they are kept on some type of acreage, rotated regularly, given the correct food, adhere to the rules and regulatons and treated like any other pig, not wrapped in blankies (some micro pigs owners do!), fed food that is illegal, dressed up, nails painted etc. After all a pet pig at the end of the day is a pig you are fond of and wouldn't dream of eating, slaughtering etc. We had two.
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yes - point taken. If we wanted a pet then we would have treated them as you say but maybe not paint their nails. ;D
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Funny how Jennapiggy hasn't been back on .......................
My gut feeling is Jenna is quite young, maybe she's scared to reply :-\
I second Rispain's view that pigs do make good outdoor pets. :) providing they are kept in a suitable environment (outside) with proper observation of the rules and regulations applicable to them (they are a farm animal after all) and proper animal care & welfare.
I think Kunekunes especially, are great as 'pets' - they can easily be trained and are smarter than dogs (no offence, my canine loving friends :-*) I find mine really rewarding to keep and much more engaging than the Large Blacks or OSB's :love: :pig: But, they're still pigs and deserve a piggy life with piggy pals to keep them happy & healthy :thumbsup:
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Biting pigs: A swift backheel and a trip down the road ASAP.