A New Predator....PIGS!!!!

[justusnak]

So, I have to little piggies....that we are raiseing for the freezer. Thier trough is of course next to the fence, for easy filling. Well, as pigs do, when they eat, food falls all over the place, and my chickens stand at the fence, waiting to get a treat. Today...DH and I was cutting firewood, when I hear a commotion over by the coop and hog pen. I ran over there to find the pigs MAULING one of my little sweet BR babies. They had pulled her THROUGH the 1x2 fencing. She was squaking....they were smooshing her into the mud with thier big fat noses. I literally had to get a stick and beat them off. DH ran up, while I kept the pigs at bay....then I grabbed a rake, thinking I was going to pull a dead or dying chicken from the pen. Grabbed her by the leg with a rake, then DH reached in and grabbed her leg and layed her on the ground. I was in tears...she is soo sweet...loves to sit on my lap....talks to me. I bent over, and picked her up....and she raises her head...blinks at me...and starts cooing like a dove. I held her close for a few minutes...smoothing her feathers....and decided to let her rest in the nest box. I went back to cutting wood...and after about 15 minutes...I went to check on her...just knowing I was going to have to bury my sweet girl. Well, there she was...greeted me by the willow...just cooing...and walking around like nothing happened! THANK YOU GOD!!! She is a sweet baby..and I was dreading the thoughts of loseing her. I scooped her up, and took her to the garden...to give her all the japanese beetles I could find! She is fine now...cant even tell that she was pulled through a 1x2 hole!!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Glad you were there at the exact right time. Pigs a known to eat chickens, so take a little more caution I guess.

Good save!

-Kim

 

[justusnak]

Yes..I am putting up chicken wire, over the 1x2 fencing...to keep the chickens from sticking thier heads in. I have it most of the way around already...but there was a 3 ft section, I had not finished. I will be finishing it tonight, after it cools dwon a bit.

 

[jkcove08]

You might want to put stakes up about 6 inches outside the pig pen and put a second fence up... Pigs have no discrimination about who or what they will eat. My FIL raises hogs and if one dies in the morning while he is at work chances are only parts will be left when he does chores in the evening. He has had some very mean hogs come in too.. These will run at you and try to knock you down. Hogs have beed know to eat humans that have fallen in their pens.. Well deserved that they taste sooooo good!!!! Glad your baby is fine and not affected by the incedent. Jenn

 

[d.k]

*Whoa! That's wild. I never thought about pigs trying to kill chickens-- at least not on purpose! Eating eggs, sure, but not a whole, live chicken! (Just read jkcove's post-- Now, I'm really freaked!!! No piggie pets for me!)

 

[FlockEweFarm]

I have even see a hog catch and eat a cat!

It happened to a young cat i had when I was about 10 years old. The kitty had gone into the pen after a mouse or something, and before i could even scream, they had grabbed her. Luckily it was over in seconds, but I saw those same hogs kill and eat chickens, a possum, and whatever else got into their pen, and they chased me and my sis more than once. I dont like pigs, except in bacon or ham form. They can be mean, nasty and they bite like a dog, so watch your birds around them, and if you have to reach into the pen, I would keep a hotshot nearby. I just dont get folks that keep potbellied pigs as pets, but then they probably wouldnt understand my pack of hounds thing.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Years ago some of our friends had chickens and acquired a pig to raise up to butcher....the pig pen was beside the henhouse...chickens kept coming up missing and friends wondered who or what was taking them til they saw with their own eyes.....pigs eat chickens......

 

[Solsken Farm]

I HATE the food chain!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so glad your poor lil one is ok. LOL stuffing her with Japanese beetles.

 

[d.k]

* If a pig ate my cat, I think that at the very least, I'd have all his teeth pulled.

 

[jkcove08]

Everyone has to remember that only some of them are mean and eat other animals.. Others are very friendly and you dont have a problem at all. I have helped sort hogs ready for the market several times and have never ran into that problem. My hubby and FIL usually dont have me help,1.. Because I am not very good at it..lol and 2. if they are acting kinda mean, they dont want to take any chances. Hogs will usually be agressive from when they are young and get older. It is not usually where you have a wonderful grown hog that lets you pet it and then the next day it tries to eat your arm off. Just something for people to be aware of when getting meat animals to raise for farm fresh meat... We have butchers about 5 to 6 hogs and it is very refreshing to have fresh meat!! You just have to watch your self and your kids and animals around them. Jenn