We have 2 pet pigs, one girl (Sow) named Alana, and a boy pig (Boar) named Leopard. Over the last few months I have become quite fond of my pigs, they've got their own little personalities and they are very cheeky. We have been letting them out in the house paddock during the day, and in the evening they see me coming with the scrap bucket and put themselves in their pen, have a feed, a late afternoon camp in the sun, before they tuck themselves into their tin drum together at night.
A few weeks ago one of my chooks went missing, I put it down to foxes as there's been a few about. A couple of days later another chook went missing, it was at night and in the morning there were feathers in the pig yard. Now the two yards are next to each other and I had noticed the pigs digging around the fence line but hadn't thought anything of it, the chooks however have decided to start escaping that way, and unfortunately the pigs decided that the wayward chook that came wandering into their yard was a tasty morsel.
I was initially skeptical that it was the pigs, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, then one day I let them both out in the house paddock together (the 2 remaining chooks and the 2 pigs). What took place next was my stuff of nightmares. The pigs cornered the chooks in the chook yard, working as a team the had them cornered and went in for the kill. I was screaming 'Stop, Stop' but the pigs were focused on their goal and as I've since been told 'they're not like dogs you know, they're not going to listen'! One chook came squawking out of the yard at full pace, ran straight into the garage where I promptly shut the door to keep her safe. The second chook I thought was a goner, she had escaped to another corner but the pigs had followed and I hadn't heard a squawk from her, then like Lazarus rising she came flapping out of the yard at full pace, I opened the garage door to let her in and quickly shut it down to keep her safe. Needless to say the chooks and I are both traumatised.
The pigs aren't quite big enough to become Christmas Pork and Ham yet, so we have them for a little longer. I now only let either the chooks or the pigs out, never both and make sure the kids don't smell or look too appetising when we feed them at night! I have been wondering though whether my pork will taste a little like chicken and if I'll be sad eating my pork knowing the reason is tastes so good is because it was fattened on chooks?
I have heard that pigs are like sharks, a commotion or panic sends them into a hunting/feeding frenzy, but never knew if it was true until know. My heart goes out to the chickens.
ReplyDeleteI have had a similar issue with chooks and a border collie pup. The chasing instinct got a bit strong with disastrous results....
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend and her hubbie feed chestnuts to their steers to give them a nutty taste. They sell the meat to Neil Perry's restaurant ... Perhaps you have a new market (although as u said, a little traumatic). I'm glad u had a lovely night away too. God bless nanas and pas!!
ReplyDeleteOh Nat, you poor darling. How horrendous. What a relief you could save those two. I hope that's the last of it for you. J x
ReplyDeleteOh dear Nat, have you seen the sequel to Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal? Let's just say it portrays pigs in a very different, very sinister light. Not pleasant at all. And reading this story of your first hand experience, it's a bit like life imitating art. You poor thing AND the poor chooks xo
ReplyDeleteAHH! How horrible. But I guess it is just animal nature, I don't think the pigs can be blamed for their instinct, but it is horrible all the same!
ReplyDeleteOh how traumatic! You poor thing. At our local show this year the kids and I were visiting the animal nursery when right in front of us (thankfully the kids were distracted!) a pig stomped on and started eating one of the chickens that was roaming around!! Poor little chicken. The show workers quickly disposed of what was left before any kids asked questions. I had no idea pigs would do that?
ReplyDeleteOH MY! That would be traumatizing. But I guess thats just what animals are programmed to do, no matter how horrible it appears to us humans.
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