# Will a pig eat me or my kids?



## kile529 (Jan 14, 2014)

Okay - so I was totally on board with getting a couple feeder pigs and then I read an article with a bunch of comments that basically said "whatever you do, don't fall down or the pigs will eat you". Now I'm totally creeped out! I was looking at getting a Duroc or Hamp..... Is this true or is it really not that bad?!?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I've never seen people eaten. The husband of my 7th grade math teacher kept hogs. We ended up at the farm and moseyed by the hog pen one day when no one was around. We weren't sure if the skeletons were mules or horses. They were clean as a whistle.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

My Grandparents had a large pen for their very large pig who they bred to sell the piglets. They warned us to keep out of the pen and we were carefully supervised around the Mama when she had piglets. My sister had pigs and she was very cautious with them. Yes, I have heard that they will eat humans if they fall in their pen as they are meat eaters. I looked up a few stories but also read that the Duroc was a gentle variety except during breeding times and possibly when they have piglets to protect. 

There are some scary stories out there but they seem to involve accidents and lack of proper supervision around large pigs. A 70 year old man was eaten by his pigs in Oregon but it is not known how he fell into their pen, authorities were looking into possibilities including a heart attack or foul play?


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

I don't think they would eat you unless you died first. I had a sow with four week old pigs, had been good about following the bucket when I moved the electric netting. One day I let her out, off like a shot. She was headed out to the main road so I took off on the 4 wheeler. Evidently a 4 point buck had been hit in the road and crawled down over the bank and died. She had been smelling that thing the whole time, she made a bee line for it. So here I came, with what was left of a deer dragging by the horns, pulling a sow and all her pigs. Truth was there was no pulling her, I just tried to keep from going backwards and when she let loose to chew I walked ahead a little. By the time I got her in, I was kind of done pig farming for the day, just left the deer in her pen. Next morning there was not much left but the pelvis, part of the skull and the horns and some hair. Good to know if you ever need to get rid of a body.


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## LuLuToo (Dec 19, 2015)

So much for having pigs.

LuLu


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## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

You'll be fine. Spend time in their pen with them when they're little. Give them snacks. Feed them well. Butcher at 250 pounds. When they're no longer afraid of you, they'll be very curious and nip your legs. A whack on the nose will teach them you're in charge. Be consistent with that and they'll respect you. But never trust them. They're big strong animals. I would not worry about it unless you keep them larger than butcher size and/or you start breeding activity when hormones can start affecting behavior. A good way to get them friendly quickly is to make a bedding area you can trap them in. They'll tremble and snort at you, but keep petting them and giving them back scratches and they learn pretty quick that you're OK. Even if they try to bite you or escape, a 40 pound pig won't do much to you. Friendly pigs that respect you but aren't afraid of you are easy to handle.

Pigs are about the only livestock that might eat you, but that fear is way, way, way overblown. Get them.


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## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

I have my first two pigs right now... and I've heard all of the horror stories about pigs, add to it that these two are uncastrated boars and the stories get worse... but I got them from a friend at about 120-150lbs and he had already spent a lot of time with them so they were friendly with him, it took them a few days to get used to me and the smaller of the two is still a little afraid of me, but the big guy is now 200+ and he isn't a problem... the little guy if I get in the pen and try to touch him just runs away, the only way I can get close enough to touch him is through the fence with food in his face then he'll let me scratch his head/neck... the big guy lets me scratch him when I'm in the pen, but he still isn't a fan of me being all over him... I tried taking a sewing tape measure to measure around his girth to estimate his weight and it took me probably 15 minutes of following him around in the pen before he finally let me reach around his back and under his belly to grab the tape and get a quick measure of him. So I guess what I'm saying is even though these guys are getting big and they are somewhat comfortable with me now they are still more afraid of me than you would think... they get pretty excited when they see me out in the yard and they start dancing around jumping up and down and crawling in their water tank talking to me telling me to come feed them... mine even turn their nose down at 'slop' if they have a choice between slop or grain they go for the grain and only eat the slop later when they run out of grain... so you can use that to your advantage that if you want to get in the pen to do something just put some grain in front of them first and they will be more concerned with eating the grain than with what you are doing in the pen.

I honestly don't believe they would eat a person unless they died first... if you fell over and made any quick movements they would run away from you... at least mine would... but I'm still cautious around them just because they are still big and very strong animals that can move something like 4x their weight... so I'm still prepared to quickly jump the fence if need be.


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

Be cautious around breeders and farrowing sows. But realistically it's not an issue. A sow defense instinct around ligs is no different than a ****zu growling and snapping at you for messing with her pups. 

If it really worries you cut the top and bottom out of a plastic barrell and then cut it long ways in thirds. Cut a handle hole. Carry this between you and the pigs. 

I kept wild caught hogs I'm a pen for 10 years, never had My issues feeling fear for my life. Even the occasional charge was mostly a bluff to cause me to keep my distance, not draw me closer for a tasting, lol. 

However several friends would bring their de boned deer carcasas over and throw in, gut pile too. Gone in a day or two. Bones and all. 

With what I've seen ID have to say they'd sure enough scavage a human, but predation is highly doubtful.


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## jkleven (Feb 28, 2016)

kile529 said:


> Okay - so I was totally on board with getting a couple feeder pigs and then I read an article with a bunch of comments that basically said "whatever you do, don't fall down or the pigs will eat you". Now I'm totally creeped out! I was looking at getting a Duroc or Hamp..... Is this true or is it really not that bad?!?


Don't let your concerns stop you from having a couple feeder pigs and raising them. Pigs are domestic cattle and can be conditioned to you. They are very popular as 4H projects and young children parade them around a pen all the time. 

Get a couple of young ones, provide them with a comfortable and safe home, be diligent around them, (no kids in playing in the pen obviously) feed and interact with them and you'll be fine. Only the pigs will be in any real danger of being eaten, and they won't know it till it's too late!


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

kile529 said:


> Okay - so I was totally on board with getting a couple feeder pigs and then I read an article with a bunch of comments that basically said "whatever you do, don't fall down or the pigs will eat you". Now I'm totally creeped out! I was looking at getting a Duroc or Hamp..... Is this true or is it really not that bad?!?


IF you fall and knocked-out the pig may eat you. If you have a heart-attack a pig may eat you. 

A dog may eat you also or a big bird.


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## mmoetc (Oct 9, 2012)

Any livestock can be dangerous. Fuzzy little bunnies can inflict some nasty scratches. Roosters can inflict some painful wounds to the unwary. Sheep, pigs, cows and horses can all hurt or even kill you if you don't know what you're doing or even if you know but you're complacent or careless. Learn proper handling procedures. Work with your animals. Supervise children. Follow the rules. Millions of pigs are raised every year. Many by kids who show them at the fair. It's hard to find a story of anyone being killed. Learn what to do and not to do and youll be fine. Have fun and enjoy the chops.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Our pigs would not eat anyone. However, remember sows with babies and then of course boars are hormonal and should be handled with extra care for your safety and theirs. If you are raising feeder pigs just mess with them often and let them get to know you well. They won't eat you. I understand my pigs are special  but the only problem I see with them are that they don't realize they now weigh 300# and not 50# therefore they can not expect me to let them bang into me trying to get me to play. My dogs, cats, chickens, ducks and geese all wander into and out of their pen with no harm coming to them. I worried at first but nope, nothin. The sheep are next to the pig pen and go over and lay their head on the gate and he cleans their ears. Gross, I know but I did worry he would take a bite but it is like they told all their sisters and now they all do it. It's the weirdest thing. 

As a kid we had upward of 200 sows. I was always scared of the boars (which were housed in a different area) but the sows were never a problem. All of us kids were in and out of the big lot constantly. I remember carrying a stick sometimes but don't remember using it much. The only time I remember a sow scaring me (I was on the outside of the pen) was when our SF would wean. He would grab the pigs and bring to the side and hand them off to us. As soon as the squealing stopped the sows turned around and back to their business. He was pretty quick about it but our sows I guess were all pretty socialized because I have heard how dangerous that is. I don't know what us three kids would have done if one of them would have gotten ahold of him but he had done it his entire life so I guess he knew what he was doing. 

Now I just turn the sows out to eat and shut the gate to the creep and it's done. Weaning is easy.  No squealing necessary.


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

We have raised feeder pigs that come from the really large hog farms. When they start to get i the 300+lb range we always make sure there are two of us around. One thing we learned the hard way was if a pig that size wants to go/or not somewhere there ain't nothing that will stop them.

You never know what will float their boat. We had one pig who loved ducks. The chickens would go in and out of her pen and she would not give them a second look. Problem was she was actively breaking out of the pen to eat the ducks. Watching her eat the feet whole I realized what wonderful garbage disposal they are.

I would go ahead and get them. Just remember there is no set size for butchering. If they get too big,keep getting out, or look at you cross-eyed they are tasty at any size.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

one of the most prolific serial killer,,,fed the bodies to the piggs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pickton


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## kile529 (Jan 14, 2014)

LOL Okay, thank you everyone for your responses!! I'm not quite sure I feel any better, but I think I'll still pigs a shot. Y'all had me laughing AND cringing!


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

7thswan said:


> one of the most prolific serial killer,,,fed the bodies to the piggs.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pickton


*Dead bodies


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

kile529 said:


> LOL Okay, thank you everyone for your responses!! I'm not quite sure I feel any better, but I think I'll still pigs a shot. Y'all had me laughing AND cringing!


I love our pigs and think they have tons of personality. They don't scare me at all and I take care of them on my own. I'm not dumb and I am careful but I think it would be a great thing.


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## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

How could you resist the excitement... these guys are a hoot! This is the response I get every day when I get home, they are normally laying down and when they see me walking out they start running around jumping and carrying on like this until I feed them...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzdYD0m9CJ8[/ame]


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

kile529 said:


> LOL Okay, thank you everyone for your responses!! I'm not quite sure I feel any better, but I think I'll still pigs a shot. Y'all had me laughing AND cringing!


A friend of mine had to have 150 stiches on his thigh. Not from a pig attacking him, but one got him accidentaly while he was standing amongst them and the pig went after another pig. Needle tooth sliced him open. I've been at UofM in the hog barn, the second you turn the light on, those piggs go crazy. They only get a ration of food and are in farrowing pens. My instant impression, they looked at me like a nice snack.
Dh and I used to raise piggs. Dh got attached to a few sows, and we have never raised them again. We have done it with a neighbor tho and had no contact with the animals.It's my hubby too that feeds the feral cats here and lets all of our brood cows spend their last days on the farm,not be sent to auction. 
I'm just saying, try not to get attached, that's hard sometimes. Better not to get too "close".


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

"Will a pig eat me or my kids?"

Yes. Don't leave your kids alone with pigs even half their size. Pigs are opportunistic omnivores, just like you and me. They will eat anything that doesn't object to being eaten. They'll eat some things that do object. Other pigs are on the menu. So are you. Keep the pig on the menu instead.

-Walter


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## toyaandtilly (May 12, 2015)

I have 6 potbelly pigs, one Hampshire boar and a Yorkshire cross sow. My Hampshire boar is the biggest baby. My daughters 14 and 9 are closer to him than any of the others ( which is why we had to get him a girlfriend lol) I hear the stories of pigs eating ppl and have seen someone trap wild hogs and feed them deer carcasses which they quickly disposed of so I know they are capable of it... I think properly feeding them and constant reminders that you and your family are boss hog should make you feel safer. I do stupid things that would probably be frowned on to show trust... I put my knuckle to their snout and let them put their mouth on it. If the bite down at all I pop them on the head. I started when they were piglets and for a year now I haven't been bit... They have a great memory, if you let them get away with something once they will try it 20 more times to see if they can get away with it again. I'm more confident around my pigs than my chickens... I can't read a chicken to save my life


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

I think there is a huge difference in the way your pigs are raised. Not saying one way is better as far as quality and reaching your goals but I would think that a pasurized pig that fends for itself on pasture (which actually makes very good meat quality) would tend to be one I would be more leary of than one that has been hand fed and messed with daily. 4-H kids from 9 years old have been raising show pigs from weaned age to 200 plus pounds for generations and maybe I don't know about them but I have never heard of a 4-H or FFA kid being eaten by it's market hog. Which I think is what she was asking about. Maybe not a show market hog but a hog raised up for their family to butcher.

These are my girls and they are past feeder pig size but the worst thing that has happened is when I was chasing a goose and ran around the corner and Opal and I collided. She stopped dead in her tracks like........oops. We both laughed a little and went on with our business. I did get a bruise on my shin. BTW I have actually fell while getting over a panel and with the feed bucket full and they came running but not to me but to the feed. If I don't have a feed bucket they could care less what I am doing. 

Not trying to really make light of the question or the answers but people make it sound way worse than it is. They are like other livestock and wild animals. Sure you have to be smart and if you starve them they could get hungry enough to get more aggressive but as a rule to feed out market pigs (which you feed pretty well to get to market weight) I think you will be fine and really enjoy it.


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## Tall Grille (May 4, 2011)

A pig could eat you. My kids hang out in the pen from the time my feeders are piglets. A dog could eat the kids also, but my German Shepard sleeps right beside my sons bed every night.


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## ArmyDoc (May 13, 2007)

Ziptie said:


> If they get too big,keep getting out, or look at you cross-eyed they are tasty at any size.


They aren't likely to mess with you if you are bigger than they are. Once they are your size, you need to be cautious, but it is still not likely they will bother you. Once they are 50% larger than you, caution should be the rule, and probably best that there be a fence between them and you. 

For what it's worth, when I raised pigs, I always butchered at 250# - never had a problem with them at that size, and they always moved away from me, never towards me. I had a friend who had a 500# sow and a little bigger boar he bred. He never seemed to have trouble with them, but they made me nervous.


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## kile529 (Jan 14, 2014)

Okay, so say I get the two pigs and raise them to 250#. How do you get them on a trailer to head to the butcher?


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## brittlois (Feb 15, 2016)

Just a little funny....I was feeding my pigs some produce goodies yesterday. The gilt got a little carried away and tried to chew on my new Muck boots. I ****'ed her away and thought of this thread. Now that I think of it, my goats tried to eat my clothes more than my pigs do.


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## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

kile529 said:


> Okay, so say I get the two pigs and raise them to 250#. How do you get them on a trailer to head to the butcher?


Very carefully and in any way you can... those are my two suggestions =)

I'll be finding out how much fun it is in about a month... I remember helping my uncle load a couple of hogs once that didn't want to go and it was not good, 3-4 guys pushing/pulling stubborn hogs to get them on the trailer... but his trailer sat up pretty high too, so I'm hoping I will be able to back my trailer up to the pen and block off the sides and just toss food up in the trailer to convince them to walk on it... my trailer sits really low to the ground so hopefully it won't be too hard.


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## toyaandtilly (May 12, 2015)

Loading pigs on a trailer can be a pain. My tips are a solid ramp, goodies, and at least two pig boards. Oh and patients lol


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

We had one that just did not want to go into the trailer it took five people four hours..never never again. 

I actually called the butcher to see if we could just shoot it and have them process it still (they would not).

So now what I do is a week or two before they are to be shipped off. I pull the trailer up to the pen,open the back, and that is the only place they will get feed. They eventually get hungry enough to go in (our trailer is high off the ground). After that initial time getting in they have no problem. When it time to go... Throw the food in the front of the trailer close up the back and off they go.:bandwagon:


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

The simplest thing to do is let them self load. Setup the vehicle with bedding and food in it for several days ahead and give them access. Don't feed them otherwise. They should figure it out and then start sleeping in the vehicle. If this is not possible - the case for us - then setup a good path that has fencing barriers on the side plus a trail of breadcrumbs. Pigs can be easily herded. We use sorting boards and do this every week. See:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2015/07/11/sorting-driving-pigs/

and follow the links to additional articles with additional photos of the sorting boards, paths, loading pen, truck and chute system we use.

-Walter


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## spur (Jul 18, 2012)

I've been around a few thousand hogs and haven't had one try to eat me yet.There are some other dangers that I have seen first hand that someone new to hogs should be aware of though. When working around sows that have new born pigs you need to know where the fence is at all times. Even sows that have been very tame before they farrowed can get pretty testy when one of the pigs squeals. Careful working around boars that are next to sows in heat,they have one thing on their mind and it might not be listening to what you want. Even sows can get nippy when they come in heat and there isn't a boar around to take care of what they want. Probably the most people get hurt by hogs running into them and spraining a knee or ankle or getting knocked down and stepped on. Your best bet is to remember that the most sensitive point on a hog is their nose. From the time they are little teach them to respect your space. I'm not saying you can't scratch them or pet them but they have to know from day one who is highest on the ladder. If you learn early how to properly use a hog board you will be ahead on the game.As was mentioned above you don't make a 3 or 400 pound hog go any where,you use a board and 'guide' it to where you want it. Another important thing is to NEVER stand or jump in front of a hog to try to stop it,that is the easiest way to get hurt I know of. You will find what my Pap told me is very true " The slower you go with any animal the faster you will get done". If you try to rush,beat,yell and that type thing all you will do is get the critter scared or mad then things will go from bad to worse real quick. Long story short don't let your fear get in the way of having some good times raising a few hogs.They are easy to get along with if you just take your time and think about what you are doing before you do it and you will be fine.


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