[Smallholder9]

Morning all 

Wonder if anyone has had experience with mini pigs fighting? - apologies for the detail, but I am getting a bit tired of these pigs at the moment so welcome any thoughts to our situation. - We have 5 (pet) mini pigs who are now all 2 years old (in my mind, no longer mini!!) and have been living very happily together since they were young at our smallholding. We know their pecking order 1-5 and so do they...but this looks to be changing!

Pig 1 and 2 castrated males - 3-5 female.

One morning we noticed pig 3 limping, so playback the CCTV and saw pig 3 being attacked by pig 2 which then caused pig 3 to attack pig 5. Pig 5 does retaliate, but only when she knows pig 1 is around to help her out. This issue has calmed down over the past couple of days but pig 3 was pushed out of the sty and left out in the courtyard. (amongst other false information received when we got them, we were told that they will never sleep apart), but as she didn't rejoin the group, we opened up another area where pig 3 could get some sleep. She was later joined by her attacker pig 2. Although they slept across the room from each other! All the others slept in a different (but joined up) area. - happily, these 2 are now back to being friends.

Now we notice some bald spots on pig 4. Again playback the CCTV and can clearly see that pig 5 has a problem with pig 4 and frequently runs after her and attacks her. Out in the barn with us, Pig 5 constantly has her heckles up and always looking out the side of her eyes in an evil manner whenever she see's pig 4. - Pig 4 now hides under the table. - (We have them out in a barn in the evening for about 2 hours to pet them etc so can always catch and tell them off etc when they get a bit feisty.)

Today we decided to shut one of the areas in the hope to re-establish the heard, but this did not go down well. All started fighting again so we have had to leave the other area open. Currently pig 1 and 5 sleep in area 1 (sometimes joined by pig 3) but pig 2 and 4 (siblings) are always in area 2. Pig 1 and 2 (both males) also don't seem to be able to sleep in the same area.

I don't mind letting them get on with what they naturally have to do and expect a bit of hustle and tussle, but we can't stand by and watch them injure each other. I personally don't want the additional maintenance/mess of having to look after 2 areas. They have already broken the door and I already have enough to do. - This is her dream of owning micro pigs but the last week or so have been quite hard watching them fall apart.

They have loads of room, they get let out into a field nearly every day, they wander around the barns at least 2 hours every evening doing their own thing, they eat together on time etc so I am at a loss to how to manage the situation further. - will they sort it out without killing each other?

Has anyone else had experience with this at all? - all thoughts/suggestions/inputs welcome.

Thanks guys, enjoy your Saturday!
-S

[PipKelpy]

Any blood?

I was once told any blood on pigs, get it covered or else.

My last pigs I had, 4 weaners, nasty little sods they were, don't know what went wrong, but they went for the sheep, they went at me a couple of times, I think in the end, I booked them in sooner and had them done for the freezer.

To be honest, NEVER had pigs since, these 4 put me off, now I buy 2 sides of pork once a year.

One thing I won't have here is nasty animals, I may be a soft touch for a bloody hogget? (Tugger), born 24/12/14, never lambed, lived in house for 7 months with the dogs etc, (gets fat over winter so I have to put her on a diet so she doesnt cark it whilst being sheared!) but nasty/fighting animals, (towards me never mind each other) they're gone.

(On another note, 3 psycho ewes I got in last year, bought 4 in, 1 went this year, think I'm the bees knees now, 1 in particular is incredibly friendly, runs to me most mornings! They have no idea how close they came to departing!)

But, crazy cows, gone, nasty pigs, gone, ewes that refuse to accept that charging me, charging the fence, charging my mum, definitely gone!

[Smallholder9]

Little blood as they go for ears, but we have the iodine and some sorta blue antiseptic spray that I can't remember what its called at the moment.

My thoughts exactly. We don't tolerate bad behavior and go to town on them if they dare turn and front up to us!! Sounds like you have had quite the experience!

We are still monitoring it at the moment, I believe its to do with their age they are reaching adulthood. Pig 5 is still very much hanging around with pig 1, so actually quite a clever move to get up the ranks, but this has caused friction with pigs 2-4 as if they try to put pig 5 in her place they are all a bit nervous of pig 1 hanging around and getting them.

We need to get them calm and back to being a pack again, so hope this is a teenage phase as you are right, this is what it is, if they don't like it then it's freezer time!

Thanks for taking the time to reply! Happy Christmas
-S

[harmony]

There are very few micro pigs that remain micro. There are pigs which have been bred from small pigs in a litter. Pigs that wouldn't have been bred from to produce small pigs, which can be passed on as micro. Not only are pigs being bred from that physically aren't suitable but possibly temperament too.


You say these have grown larger than you expected so here are some things to consider.


1. Do they have enough room and enough to occupy them?
2. Your girls will be sexually mature and will have been for some time, so is this behaviour when they are in season?
3. The pecking order should be well established and there may be some dominance shown to keep this but they shouldn't all out fight. If that is happening it is your responsibility to sort it out by splitting them up.
4. Splitting up and trying to put back together will cause the pecking order to change so expect dominance when you try to reunite.
5. I don't know how big they are but are you feeding enough?


You suggest that they turn on you. How often does that happen and what happens? Young pigs are curious and they explore with their mouths but grow out of it usually. Very rarely you get a biter and then a sharp tap on the nose is called for. I don't know what you mean by "go to town" but it's not an attractive scenario.