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One of our daughters raised pigs as a 4-H project when she was a 'teen.  I learned:  1) a pig deliberately will go in the opposite direction from the one you want, so if you want it to go from point A to point B, you put a bucket over its head, it will go backwards, and you just direct its backward motion in the direction you wanted it to go in the first place; 2) do not disturb a piglet with the mother in range (such as clipping a ring in the piglet's nose), or be prepared to climb the nearest fence VERY quickly; 3) sows are huge and occasionally crush their young when they lie down.  They also can rip open a piglet's skin with a sharp hoof.  Such tears can be mended with a curved upholstery needle and silk thread, using a light topical anesthetic such as sore throat spray, when there is nothing else available.  They can heal, but sometimes they don't.  Pigs, like people, are omnivorous, and will eat most anything.  An excess of pear peelings are likely to give them stomach aches.  Pigs also eat meat, such as the dead chickens we had over time when I was a child growing up on a chicken farm.  Pigs are very intelligent.  We have a friend who had a pet one that was potty trained and always asked to go outside of the house when Nature called.  Our daughter's Hampshire boar weighed 780# and stood hip-high to our 5'9" daughter when she went off to college and sold her herd.  She had already asked me if I would keep them for her while she spent 4 years in college, but I declined the opportunity.

Anything else you want to know about pigs, just ask............

 

Barbara

----- Original Message -----

From: Tom Sites

To: suendavid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; 'ridecamp'

Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 1:42 PM

Subject: Re: [RC] Ed, Re; Zoological Correlation between Pigs and Horses

Pigs also don't bite, kick or buck and if you fall off it ain't far to fall.  Piggy has quickly learned cues in leading or more like pushing in a direction like sheep.  I found out why the staff has a hook, so that you can grab them by the neck.  Pigs are also treacherous to their own kind while i doubt a horse would eat its dead brothers blood that fell to the ground or human urine.When i saw that, i put a salt block in thinking they were in need of salt and it was not touched.

 

The question i have is, have they ever been a beast of burden in History?  or else just an animal grown to eat or despise, which explains why they destroy everything in their space. 

 

ts

----- Original Message -----

From: Susan E. Garlinghouse, D.V.M.

To: 'Tom Sites' ; 'ridecamp'

Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2005 5:25 PM

Subject: RE: [RC] Ed, Re; Zoological Correlation between Pigs and Horses

Pigs and horses have different dentition, skeletal features, reproductive and digestive tracts.  Not much correlation there.  The rumor of a close biologic relationship got started based on the behavior of a few equine individuals at the start of endurance rides when asked to leave their buddies.

 

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM, MS

 

---

From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Sites
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2005 4:05 PM
To: ridecamp
Subject: [RC] Ed, Re; Zoological Correlation between Pigs and Horses

 

Ed, i punched that in, and all i got was elephants and stuff i don't know.  The pig has a cloven hoof and are segmented into that category and i would never pretend to say something i know nothing about, but if there is something there, it would suprise me not. ts