I can't believe my pig did this... (kinda long)

[Country Gal]

This year was my first year with pigs. I got two of them, around 50 pounds each, at the beginning of June.

They have been trouble free all summer. Always running up to the fence to be pet when I go back to the barn. I never got around to burying my 2x10 boards under the fencing to keep them from rutting under, but it wasn't a problem because they never rut around the fencing! I had been blessed with perfect pigs for my first attempt!!!

This Sunday is the big day... they are about 220 pounds each and the butcher is coming. Going into this, I never thought I would get attached to them, but I'm really going to miss them.

Anyways, back to the original story... I have an 80 gallon automatic water for them. It's a large tub with an opening in the bottom with some kind of bobber thing that allows water in from the main tub for them to drink. Water was on the low side, so I went back last night to fill it.

I started dumping water in and one of the pigs got so excited that one of them tried to jump into the tub! HE GOT STUCK!!! His front half was in the tub, his back half was hanging over the side on the outside of the tub. None of his feet were touching ground. He's squealing and oinking like crazy.

How do I get this pig out of the tub? He's over 200 pounds, it's not like I can just lift him out! I'm wary of jumping into the pen and trying to tip the tub over because I have no idea how he's going to react and I don't want to get hurt in the process.

I called my neighbor... he was at the bar in town, but left promptly to come help me. I ran back to the house to put on my work boots, and by the time I got back to the barn, the pig was out of the tub. I have no idea how he managed to get out. Then my neighbor pulled up and I had to explain the situation and thank him for wasting the trip and losing his seat at the bar!

What an exciting evening...

 

[JenniferJoIN]

We raised hogs growing up, and you never know what they're going to do!

 

[2mnypets]

Where are those dad blame camcorders when you need them! I bet that was a riot. You could have made millions.

 

[Country Gal]

No kidding! Everyone at work that I've told the story to says "too bad you didn't have your camera!"

I was so concerned about getting him out safely that it didn't even occur to me to grab my camera while I was in the house calling the neighbor...

 

[greyfields]

I call my piggies the "hippos" now, since they seem to love to bath in the water tank more than drink out of it. I have to dump and wash that thing every other day. But, I did add a 10 gallon tank with a float valve so they always have water, even when one is having a hippo nap.

Slightly related, one of my pigs dropped dead last night while I was feeding him. I had some neighbors over, and we decided to bleed him and hang him up. We couldn't find anything wrong with his organs, so we're going to carve him up tonight. Talk about things I never would have even remotely considered doing in my life; but we just didn't want to see him go to waste.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Wow. That must've stunk. I would have been completely clueless how to help myself! Poor thing. Glad you have such a great neighbor. I hope he was understanding when he got there.

We had pigs when I was a kid. The first one we had we absolutely adored, and let it freerange around the yard. Really, it was a pet. We took it to the 'brook' to go swimming every day in the summer, on a harness and leash.

My mother tells a hilarious story about how she went to the butcher's to pick it up. He led her to the back, where an enormous pig was hanging.
"Is that my pig?" nope, a bit further back.
The next one is also huge.
"Is that my pig?" nope. Next one in.
The next one was small, and half the size of the others.
"THAT'S your pig!"

My parents didn't let our pigs free-range after that.

On the other hand.. I told hubby no pigs for us at ALL unless he wants a 500+ lb pet!

-Meghan