[Blinkers]

I've got a sow due to farrow in about 3 weeks - appears perfectly healthy, eating well, drinking well etc....but has suddenly started to eat her own faeces!!!!!    As a consequence, she's now a bit 'squitty' and is trying to eat that too.    Because of the lack of rain, the paddocks are very dry and bare, but she does have a long strip of greenery that she can access as I moved the electric fence...but I'm not sure she's eating it        I rush out there and try and pick it up before she does, but I can't be watching her all the time.   She's never done this before and I can't find anything on the Pig Websites about this 'condition'.   Anyone any ideas please???

Thanks all.

[doganjo]

I can help with reference to dogs - puppies do it - sometimes an indication of lack of vitamins; dams clean up after their pups for the first 3 weeks and sometimes get into the habit and clean up after themselves too.

For vitamin deficiency I use a childrens' tonic - Minadex; for breaking the habit I add pineapple to their food - apparently it takes on an unpalatable flavour when it is excreted

Don't know if your sow has a mineral deficiency but maybe worth looking into.  Not likely to be a habit and don't know if you can give pigs pineapple.

Hope that helps?

[chickenfeed]

this behaviour usually starts with the pig starting to rootle through theier own dung then they start to get a taste for it followed by the eating of it which soon becomes a habbit. it is said it usually starts through boredom or humid conditions.

btw this is not me talking the info is taken from my old pig vet book 

[Blinkers]

this behaviour usually starts with the pig starting to rootle through theier own dung then they start to get a taste for it followed by the eating of it which soon becomes a habbit. it is said it usually starts through boredom or humid conditions.

btw this is not me talking the info is taken from my old pig vet book 

Well its certainly been humid.

I did wonder about the mineral deficiency - but nothing has changed in her or any of the others diets.   She doesn't seem to eat ALL of it cos when I fed them this morning, I went round the paddock and picked up all the poo that was lying around.  It seems to be after she's eaten her feed, she then goes to the loo and that's when she turns around and eats it.    I just about managed to wrestle it all out of the way this morning before she ate very much 

That's dead interesting about the pineapple - I might try that 

Thanks guys

[Hilarysmum]

Sorry this is going to sound daft but have you tried covering the poo with pepper, enough to make her sneeze as she approaches it.  Might work.  On the other hand she may like the extra condiment ....

[Blinkers]

Sorry this is going to sound daft but have you tried covering the poo with pepper, enough to make her sneeze as she approaches it.  Might work.  On the other hand she may like the extra condiment ....

Yeay - that's a good idea, hadn't thought of that 


HOWEVER......problem solved I think       Had lunch with some fellow smallholders today, came home at 4.30pm......no sign of said pig..... but found her in her ark with 7 piglets on her      Frantic few hours then getting farrowing stable ready (she wasn't due for another couple of weeks ?!?!?!?) and then finally we moved her and her family down into the safe and secure stable complete with her usual barred off corner and heat lamp......and all now happily snuggled up.   Mum her usual relaxed self.   Will have to wait until tomorrow when her system starts working again to see if she still feels the need to eat her poo...... or whether she thinks everythings lovely again    Bless her.

[Beewyched]

Congratulations on the little ones arriving safely - piccys please 

New one on me - only known of dogs to eat their poo - as Annie says usually indicates vitamin deficiency in dogs - but my pigs loooove pineapple 

[Eastling]

Congratulations hope they keep her distracted, pineapple does work in dogs!

[Hilarysmum]

Congratulations on the new arrivals.  Pictures

[Sylvia]

My dogs eat lots of fresh fruit and veg.(destined for the pigs!) and now aren't interested in each others poo.Maybe this will work for pigs too. They love really ripe bananas, apples, tomatoes, ripe pears, carrots and cooked spuds(dogs that is, not pigs!) I have never seen my pigs eat poo either so maybe this is the solution.
Go to your nearest fruit and veg shop and ask for their waste, they will probably fall on you with joy as they have to pay to have waste taken away. You will get plenty of "compost heap" stuff but still very worthwhile.

[SallyintNorth]

Go to your nearest fruit and veg shop and ask for their waste, they will probably fall on you with joy as they have to pay to have waste taken away. You will get plenty of "compost heap" stuff but still very worthwhile.

I wish!!!!! Maybe there's just a lot of pig-keepers around here...

[Blinkers]

Go to your nearest fruit and veg shop and ask for their waste, they will probably fall on you with joy as they have to pay to have waste taken away. You will get plenty of "compost heap" stuff but still very worthwhile.

I wish!!!!! Maybe there's just a lot of pig-keepers around here...

Yeah - ditto.    I WISH....... its all 'bagged' .... as in 'spoken for' around these parts too 

Will post some pics soon as we get some decent ones - That's hubby's job 

[Beewyched]

Go to your nearest fruit and veg shop and ask for their waste, they will probably fall on you with joy as they have to pay to have waste taken away. You will get plenty of "compost heap" stuff but still very worthwhile.

I wish!!!!! Maybe there's just a lot of pig-keepers around here...

Yeah - ditto.    I WISH....... its all 'bagged' .... as in 'spoken for' around these parts too 

Will post some pics soon as we get some decent ones - That's hubby's job 

I wish too ... double ditto - apparently none of the supermarkets round here have any "leftover" veg or fruit  Asif

[ambriel]

this behaviour usually starts with the pig starting to rootle through theier own dung then they start to get a taste for it followed by the eating of it which soon becomes a habbit.

Useful reminder for me that I need to give the neighbours their regular treat of me wandering round the garden filling up a bag with pig poo in the morning...

[Hilarysmum]

Would it be worth asking at allotments or putting a card in newagent windows for spare veg.  Could always offer a pork joint at killing in return for a good haul of veg?