# knocking tusks off with a hammer?



## tansyflower (Dec 16, 2013)

i had a guy tell me yesterday to make sure i take a hammer and knock my boars tusks off once they grow in.....is that like, even safe? i know that the tusks are dangerous and a boar can unintentionally (or intentionally) hurt you with them but isnt there some other way to do it? do you really have to do it?


----------



## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

tansyflower said:


> i had a guy tell me yesterday to make sure i take a hammer and knock my boars tusks off once they grow in.....is that like, even safe? i know that the tusks are dangerous and a boar can unintentionally (or intentionally) hurt you with them but isnt there some other way to do it? do you really have to do it?


get you a pair of stainless real heavy duty side cutter nail clippers. when the pigs are a day or 2 old stick your finger in their mouth and break there tushes. another trick we did for every pig born was a soap top squirter screwed on a bottle of Pepto-Bismol and give them 2 squirts when you break the tushes. it will help them not get the scours.


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Bad idea and inhumane. Don't do it. 

If you really want to remove the tusks then use a wire to cut them off. 

I do not cut tusks. I have a lot of boars and some with very large tusks. I don't keep boars, or sows that have bad temperaments - I eat mean people. By the time they get to breeding size only the nice ones are left. Temperament is highly genetic. I find it better to breed for nice animals. Remember, the tusks are but one part of their armament. 

It is also not necessary to cut the wolf teeth, the baby teeth. They are not the final tusks. Breaking those off won't prevent tusks from later growing.

Pigs can mangle you with the rest of their teeth, their sharp feet, their crushing weight. Farm safely and don't make an enemy of your boar by hitting him in the face with a hammer.


----------



## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

highlands said:


> Bad idea and inhumane. Don't do it.
> 
> If you really want to remove the tusks then use a wire to cut them off.
> 
> ...


:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:


----------



## tansyflower (Dec 16, 2013)

highlands said:


> Bad idea and inhumane. Don't do it.
> 
> If you really want to remove the tusks then use a wire to cut them off.
> 
> ...


*insert huge sigh of relief* gosh that makes me feel better. i honestly dont think i have it in me to beat an animal in the face with a hammer. plus the large black i just got is a sweetheart. i sit on a bucket and give him pets and talk to him and he is a very gentle soul, you can see it in his eyes when his ears are not in the way lol.


----------



## ben70b (Jan 15, 2013)

Ya, u go beating on him with a hammer he won't be such a gentle soul, I never heard of that before.


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

The only boar I ever took the tusk off kept catching him self in the gate with them, a couple of snips with a pair of bolt cutters took care of that problem.


----------



## tansyflower (Dec 16, 2013)

ben70b said:


> Ya, u go beating on him with a hammer he won't be such a gentle soul, I never heard of that before.


 i was shocked and then i googled it and all these old threads (different sites) came up about knocking them off and how not to make the pig sick afterwards and i was like :shocked: because it seemed incredibly cruel. and not only that but by the time my guys tusks will be big enough he will weigh twice as much as me or more! the last thing i want is a ----ed off boar coming after me while i was trying to get the second side done. it is really nuts and hard to believe people still do that. if i can train my boar to be friendly i would feel much safer doing that then smashing his face over and over again with a 10 pound maul.


----------



## tansyflower (Dec 16, 2013)

Allen W said:


> The only boar I ever took the tusk off kept catching him self in the gate with them, a couple of snips with a pair of bolt cutters took care of that problem.


see now that would make sense. i had a dog once that had an abnormally large dewclaw and it would get half torn off at least twice a summer. i finally had it removed because it caused him so much pain, but i left the other side because it was normal and never bothered him. 

i guess i just dont really believe you need to cut their tusks and their tails and their teeth if its not really necessary.


----------



## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Cutting needle teeth was one of those experts brilliant ideas that didn't do any good and isn't common practice any more in the big condiment operations. Tail docking is a confinement practice so the pigs don't chew each others tails out of boredom. Tusks are subject to wear and breakage so probably aren't as sensitive as our teeth to pain, but I don't know why one would routinely break them out.


----------



## solsikkefarms (Jun 1, 2013)

I wouldn't want to be the guy with the hammer..


----------



## Pig in a poke (Mar 27, 2013)

So at what age do they start growing tusks? Do barrows also grow them?


----------



## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Yes, barrows can grow tusks, and no they don't have quite the same pain threshold that we do concerning their teeth. Most barrows are butchered long before their tusks get long enough to protrude from the mouth. On the big high fence hunting preserves, (if you even call that hunting) the "trophy" wild boar, are mostly barrows. Boars fight and break each others teeth out, barrows get big and fat and grow impressive, unbroken tusks. Citified trophy hunters, and politicians that want to appear "pro gun" never walk around to the back end. But, I have never seen where a hammer was a good choice for any veterinary procedure.


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Barrows, gilts and sows can grow tusks. None of those are nearly as big as boar tusks. I have recovered some boar tusks, post death, that were 11.5" long and almost complete circles. The largest sow tusk I have is about 5". Sow and boar tusks develop with a different shape. Boar tusks start getting significant at around 18 months to two years - it varies breed to breed.

I save heads from our weekly slaughter and have accumulated thousands of tusks. They're very interesting in shape, color, texture and other details. They tell of a life. Sometimes they do break off the big boars out in the field but I never find those pieces. Some I have recovered from the boars - the largest have sold for considerable amounts, almost as much as I get for a whole pig. But that is an unusual tusk.

For images of some see:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/products/tusks/
But don't dream of gold, or ivory, trade too soon... I ask a lot for them because I'm not particularly incline to sell the big ones. I like my collection. Small ones are not such a big deal.


----------



## bmurphy96 (Nov 23, 2013)

Ha ha ha ha. I would dare someone to hit my boar with a 5 pound sledge. He was dosed up with tranquilizers that would knock out 1,000 pounds of horse by the vet and the boar still chased him around the pen when the vet poked a needle in his ear. If you hit him with a sledge and don't knock him out or kill him he isn't going to stop until you are mud under his feet.

*snort*

Oh, and it's inhuman too. If you don't think so I'll take a chisel and a hammer and remove one your teeth and see how you like it. Why do people think that animals don't feel pain?


----------



## PasturedPork (Jan 22, 2014)

Those tusks are unreal!

I have used a wire type saw to cut boars tusks. I had a boar I loved that accidentally really hurt a sow of mine. I saw the whole thing so I knew it was accidental. He tossed his head from a fly and she was there. I had to ship her to market.

Then I figured out that keeping the boar(s) separate makes more sense for my operation and is safer. After that I don't cut tusks. 

Also I usually don't keep boars that long (constantly improving).


----------



## ErikaMay (Feb 28, 2013)

My sows got some decent tusks coming in. Man, I'd never want to hit her in the face with a hammer! as it is shes sweet enough I can poke and prod her, even stick my fingers in her mouth (so i was curious how big her tusks were and how healthy her teeth were!) 

I always laugh when people sell weaners/feeders and let you know their needle teeth were clipped! By the time they are off the sow, it doesn't matter anymore! Its not any use to me if you clip their needle teeth! heck, I kinda don't care when folks mention they got their iron shots the first day. I'm all like, "yah. i expect you either did or they got their iron somewhere else because they are alive still. why do I care 1 1/2 months later if they got their iron shot at birth?"

Hopefully I don't see anyone selling a boar with "tusks smashed off by hammer!"


----------



## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

I remembered an acceptable veterinary use for a hammer, but a half brick works better. Removing a retained placenta from a cow. Used as a weight to provide constant traction. The contemporary method is to just cut it off and give antibiotics. But still, hammers are not the go to for dental work.


----------



## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

I can't believe using a hammer is being discussed?! I am far from being anything remotely resembling peta... but if I saw someone using a hammer to knock out a tusk on a pig... I would have to call animal control etc. I don't even want to say what I think about the OP right now. :grumble:


----------



## bmurphy96 (Nov 23, 2013)

I don't think anyone is actually advocating for it Hershey. What I said was a joke. Probably in poor taste. Seriously, if someone messed with my boar like that I doubt they would live. Not from me, although I would be really mad. I would never get a chance to intervene. For 500+ pounds he is crazy fast when p***d off.

keith


----------



## tansyflower (Dec 16, 2013)

HerseyMI said:


> I can't believe using a hammer is being discussed?! I am far from being anything remotely resembling peta... but if I saw someone using a hammer to knock out a tusk on a pig... I would have to call animal control etc. I don't even want to say what I think about the OP right now. :grumble:


do you mean my post or me personally? i was sickened when i heard him say it....and having never owned a pig past 6 months i had no clue people even removed tusks. i hope you dont think i would ever condone or do something like that.


----------



## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

Not you Tansy, whoever told you that. And I'm not on about anyone on here... just the thought I guess. Weird... I've dehorned goats, cut pigs and slaughtered plenty of game as well as livestock and this gets me????

I don't know... I must be getting old? Lol! Actually if you think about it, knock the tooth around a bit just to loosen the gum tissue and give them a yank with a pair of channel locks is probably way less painfull than sawing.

But... I like Walter's take on keeping gentle pigs, although accidents do happen in a herd. Just don't be in the wrong spot at the wrong time? Horses kick but I wouldn't cut their leg or off.... just saying. :thumb:


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

There was research done up in Canada about tusk breaking vs cutting and other related issues. I know because they contacted me to get permission to use some of my photos in their report. Their conclusion was breaking tusks was very bad, sawing was the way to do it if it was to be done. They pointed out a whole lot of injury and bad stuff that comes from breaking including long term pain from fractured teeth, damage to nerves, damage to gums, infection, death - the usual suspects. They published a paper report/booklet but I don't have a link to any online version unfortunately.


----------



## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

They are going to do a head swipe every now and then when they get around feed. A curled up tusk is going to do less damage if it makes contact on the bend, instead of on a broken jagged end. It was good hearing everyone's input on cutting out the milk teeth. (Not something I was real worried about doing.) Didn't the big hog producers shift from late weaning, to extremely early weaning. Late weaning is where the milk teeth would be an issue. I remember reading an old article about how much your pigs will grow from leaving them on for ten weeks, now they wean them at four weeks. Maybe milk teeth in pigs and horns on goat kids are natures way of saying "kick him momma, he's big enough to make it without milk."


----------



## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

barnbilder said:


> They are going to do a head swipe every now and then when they get around feed. A curled up tusk is going to do less damage if it makes contact on the bend, instead of on a broken jagged end. It was good hearing everyone's input on cutting out the milk teeth. (Not something I was real worried about doing.) Didn't the big hog producers shift from late weaning, to extremely early weaning. Late weaning is where the milk teeth would be an issue. I remember reading an old article about how much your pigs will grow from leaving them on for ten weeks, now they wean them at four weeks. Maybe milk teeth in pigs and horns on goat kids are natures way of saying "kick him momma, he's big enough to make it without milk."


A little off topic but you said pigs on for ten weeks may grow more. I did wonder about this for sometime. Last piglets i had i weaned them at 5 weeks and penned them up and feed them 16 percent feed. Except for one piglet. I weaned her at 10 weeks and last week put her in with her sisters. Looks like she is about 10-15 lbs lighter than the others. She had been on the Sow and also eating 14 percent feed along with the rest of the Sows.


----------



## Pig in a poke (Mar 27, 2013)

HerseyMI said:


> But... I like Walter's take on keeping gentle pigs, although accidents do happen in a herd. Just don't be in the wrong spot at the wrong time? Horses kick but I wouldn't cut their leg or off.... just saying. :thumb:


Yes, wrong place at the wrong time when I caught an accidental swipe from a 2.5 year old boar (AGH) on the back of my thigh. First time I've ever needed stitches. His tusks were maybe 2.5 inches long. We have a gilt and 2 barrows left from his and the sow's litter. They are going on 9 months and don't seem to have any tusk growth yet. But I was just wondering, as they sometimes bump my lower legs when I go to feed them. Never hard, but I gather it doesn't take much force to do damage to comparatively delicate humans. 
(As for horses kicking, mine aren't allowed to. A caught a young mare throwing a kick at her baby sister a couple days ago and she regretted it as soon as I raised my voice, skedaddling out of the hay pile she was not wanting to share. Now if only I could instruct the pigs in such manners.)


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I got a cut once on my thigh outside edge by a six year old boar. See tusks at the link below and wave your cursor on and off the picture to see the full effect:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/goof-ball-grin/

That's about how long his tusks were at the time he cut me although he was older when it happened.

It was an accidental bump. The tusks are razor sharp - I cleaned up the wound and no problem. No punishment for the pig (e.g., I didn't eat him) as it was totally an accident in a crowd. My bad for having shorts on when surrounded by 12,000 lbs of milling pigs during weekly sorting. Normally I wear a suit which provides protection.

It takes a long time for tusks to grow large so finisher pigs don't have anything to speak of. Very big sows only have minimal tusks exposed and theirs are not sharp like a big boars because they're not constantly grinding the lower tusk against the upper tusk. It is the lower tusk on the boars that gets so sharp and long.

Do discourage pigs from playing the boot/pant leg biting game. That is cute when they're piglets but not cute when they're 200 lbs.


----------



## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

gerold said:


> A little off topic but you said pigs on for ten weeks may grow more. I did wonder about this for sometime. Last piglets i had i weaned them at 5 weeks and penned them up and feed them 16 percent feed. Except for one piglet. I weaned her at 10 weeks and last week put her in with her sisters. Looks like she is about 10-15 lbs lighter than the others. She had been on the Sow and also eating 14 percent feed along with the rest of the Sows.


Why didn't the gilt piglet also get 16% feed offered too? The only reason to wean early is if the sow is run down and / or you want the sow bred back sooner.


----------



## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

HerseyMI said:


> Why didn't the gilt piglet also get 16% feed offered too? The only reason to wean early is if the sow is run down and / or you want the sow bred back sooner.


I left the one piglet with the Sow to see if it would stay up with its sisters that i weaned off the Sow. It did not. The piglets i weaned early did better off the Sow. Now i know its best to wean a bit early and give the Sow a chance to recover and breed the Sow soon.


----------



## Danniczai (8 mo ago)

tansyflower said:


> i had a guy tell me yesterday to make sure i take a hammer and knock my boars tusks off once they grow in.....is that like, even safe? i know that the tusks are dangerous and a boar can unintentionally (or intentionally) hurt you with them but isnt there some other way to do it? do you really have to do it?


using a hammer to remove the tusks is animal cruelty and depending on where you live, you can be arrested for it. Just saying. Forget being arrested for it, morally that would just be awful to intentionally hurt any animal. Try the most humane way possible and no offense but whoever told you to use a hammer is a complete idiot.


----------

