HELP my 1st Pig

[sumi]

Oh my word…. Never heard of pigs attracting predators, but then I kept mine in tame-by-comparison Africa!

I'm starting to wonder myself where the kit's mom is, if she's not taking care of the youngster

 

[NH Homesteader]

We've always felt like our pigs kept predators at bay. But we have full size pigs and we don't have mountain lions. We do have bobcats, but never seen one on our property. Coyotes don't want much to do with a full size hog though, unless they're starving and there's a lot of them!

 

[sumi]

The only predators I had to worry about was hawks, the odd dog and mongoose. And they were only interested in the chickens.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't worry too much about predators and the pigs either - except newborns. I had two disappear out of the last batch before Cowboy figured it out and started jumping fences to chase our resident bobcat(s) away.

 

[CrealCritter]

Daylight and the bobcat kit is nowhere to be found. If it comes back tonight again, I'm going to try and catch it and put it in a dog crate and take it the friends of the Shawnee National Forest. I still have not told my wife about all of this.

I just can't bring my self to shoot it, It's just a little baby. I guess I have a moral rule... I don't shoot anything I won't eat. Taking a animals life is a very serious decision for me.

 

[CrealCritter]

Anyways back on topic... Choppy is growing by leaps and bounds. I'm working on my third bag of swine pellets and switching him over to whole corn slowly. Plus he gets veggies and fruit - he loves sugar baby watermelons. Im trying to not over feed him. No way I could pick him up by myself now.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

He is looking so much better!

 

[CrealCritter]

He is looking so much better!

I agree with you - he really is looking delicious

 

[NH Homesteader]

He does look healthier. Do you know how to tell if a pot belly is overweight? Stand over them and look straight down- if their belly sticks out much to the sides, they're too fat. They're not supposed to carry their weight that direction but will if they eat too much!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I did not know that - good info!