You nailed the issue of raising hogs and the fear of losing animals from predators. You don''t really want to get between a Sow and her liter. She would go after any predator that gets to close.
We are also in WV, but out in the eastern panhandle. Stray dogs, especially when they run in packs, are perhaps the biggest threat to them. Large domestic dogs don’t seem to have the risk assessment skills of wild predators. My father lost some pigs to the neighbors German shepherds years back. Also, as others have mentioned, the black headed buzzards are terrible and will kill newborn pigs, calves, lambs, etc.. I really appreciate your videos!
I was born in Puerto 🇵🇷 Rico and spent some years at a farm there. I came across your channel and thought it very informative, congratulations 🎊. Thanks to you now I know how to keep a large property maintenanced the most natural way. I appreciate your God given wisdom. Thank you.
Never been attacked by a bear, panther, wolf, or coyote, but very big sow came at me once and I have no doubt she could have killed me. But just made her point and stopped. I no longer treat domestic pigs like they're someone's pet. They are not. In fact, in the video he shot next to that big boar eating, I realized I never heard a word of what he said.I was thinking how easy that boar could have ruined his day. He knows him. I can't tell what he's thinking. I'm not the pig whisperer. But in less than a second, he could have hurt him bad. Predators don't have much future if they risk their lives every meal. Nice work on the video and thanks.
Agreed! In fact, I’ve been wanting to ask him if he has ever feared for his safety around those boars. I read an article about a teenage boy who raised a bore from a piglet and they were best friends-until the day the boar killed him when he was in the pen alone. Just suddenly used those sharp tusks to cut up his lower legs until he fell to the ground and… well that was the end of it. Those beasts are definitely not pets! They’re very intelligent and very dangerous. I have the same problem whenever he’s up close to them in a video, wondering if this will be the last video on the channel… 😢
Gotta go to a West Virginian for advice on how to deal with mothman predation. Had the pleasure of running into the guy responsible for tourism promotion for point pleasant a couple years ago, fantastically nice guy.
Southern Oregon here; our biggest concern is the cougars. We’ve lost a considerable amount of sheep to them so when the kids wanted to do 4H pigs, we completely covered the pens in hog panels. I have bears on my property; never had any problems with them. Cougars though are a whole other story 😞😞
Lost a 7-month old cross to a black bear a couple of years ago out here in western Virginia. Same set electric wire set up as yours. Unusual event. Very upsetting for my wife who was home alone.
Oh yeah, I agree. We bought some young Hereford feeder calves before. The coyotes invaded and even got into the pasture, but I noticed they didn't bother the hog side of the barn at all - only the the beefy babies. I locked those feeder calves up tight every night and wished I had a pack of donkeys.
Great video enjoyed it a lot. Took me back to high school when my dad raised pastured pigs. We have a lot of coyotes here in north Louisiana. There where several times my dad and I would be out checking the pigs and find a dead coyote in the pasture. You could tell that either the bore got it or the old head sow. We kept our bores in separate pins from our sows so if the bore wasn't in there pin the head sow would look after all the others. Y'all stay safe and be careful.
Good info troy, I kind of guess that pigs can be quite gnarly and defend themselves, glad to hear you have not lost anybody. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend buddy.
When I was a young boy, we and all our neighbors keep hogs. We and our neighbors lost maybe 10 young ones between 6 and 12 weeks old to a German Shepard that just like killing them at night. He did this over a month or so before he was caught in the act.
Thanks for your insight. I have 2 hogs in the back woods of the PNW and have had no issues with predators. We keep them on hot wire pasture. Wolves are a concern, but I believe our dogs keep most critters at bay.
In my second year raising pigs in what is basically the exurbs I lost a pig to a combination of a pack of dogs, a stream bank they pinned it up against, and the sheriff who thought shooting the squealing, bleeding 250 lb hog was the right call. After moving to a truly rural area, and 700 pigs later, we’ve never dealt with another attack.
Idk if you've ever watched any of Stan's videos ' Rocky Creak homestead' he had a bear come and take a just weened pig. He put up an electric line. It worked the bear came back but was not willing to deal with the electric fence.
i feed my pigs pellet feed. I see you and others using the "dust" looking feed...must be cheaper but it looks like they lose a lot wasting it on the ground. Have you done a cost analysis on it?
Bears hate electric fence, and bears in our area are well trained to avoid electric from a number of commercial beehives in the area. But we also have had no problems, even when a bear took out a neighbor's goat not 100 feet from where our pigs sleep.
Perhaps this has been covered since this video... As a hog farmer, do you have problems with feral hogs, outside your fencing? I would think as a domestic hog ffarmer, losing your herd to boars fighting over territory and females, is a problem in already affected areas. Also, the modern day wolf pack is now packs of stray dogs. Usually larger stronger than coyotes, but sometimes just as sneaky. Do you think about stray packs as possible predators to your farm?
good video you left off buzzards they will go after a new born calf we have had a few killed by them. take care, be safe and well. have a happy thanksgiving.
Northern Canada only a grizzly old black bear or maybe a cougar could do it. Yotes don't stand a chance if you have a good number of hogs, and wolves are nearly extinct up here unfortunately. My pot belly's have a couple dogs and two roosters for protection. And me of course. Heads up, dogs and hogs don't usually get along. It can be bad. Be careful when you introduce.
A large black bear would be able to take a pig if he wanted to. One possible explanation is risk. The biggest threat to a predator is injury, is it worth the risk of potentially getting injured trying to take a full grown pig or is it preferred to go after something easier and less risky. I will also say that most predators like to take their prey off to hidden spots where they can eat in peace. A full grown pig can be moved, even by the largest black bear so that might be a deterrent as well.
It's amazing how far the coyote has spread. A hundred years ago, maybe even fifty, they hadn't crossed the Mississippi. Of course pigs stand their ground well. They are a bear that grows tusks, doesn't have to fear Dad, and doesn't have claws. Pack bears, one could say. Now, in grizzly country, it might be a bit different. Wolves and pumas, a little, too.
In our case, the only predator we encounter for our pigs is BigFoot. Is almost impossible to catch him... So we understand everybody has to eat in this world...
If pigs can fight off a bear, how can you be sure you are safe working with them? What if they get very very hungry since they are omnivores? When trying to be profitable, I would like the pigs to be pressured to do maximum food dependent on the land, and only use feed for training, moving, etc. However, I don't want a massive pig or 3 to attack and eat me.
Domestic pigs are normally docile. My heritage breed (large black) are exceptionally docile. I still respected them however. It was in the footage but when I was feeding the sows midway through the video, Dan the boar, came to rub his face against my leg as how he displays affection but I have to watch as he has hooked a risk on my pants and torn a huge hole in them. If a pig feels you are threatening their lives (or their babies) then they will become aggressive.
@@mlauntube if you're honestly worried about that just bring some food every time you check on them. He already said in another video he does that and spends time with them. He also moves them regularly. He should be able to tell if they're getting really hungry when he visits them and gives them snacks. Then he can just move up the moving schedule
@@mlauntube although pigs can survive in a pasture setting without feeding them if your area is large enough but it's going to take along time to get a hog at butcher weight without feeding it. And it's a good idea to feed them if you dont want to spend alot give enough grain to keep it coming up to eat and not starving. Just hopefully the area you put the pigs in is large enough to sustain your animals with plenty of hickory oak walnut and fruit trees around. If you truly want a meat hog that doesn't need much feed you may want to look into Idaho pasture pigs or KuneKune that can survive on mainly grass.
@@tkfarms4337 Thank you so much for the recommendation. It looks like you are raising the Idaho pasture pigs, is that right? Yes, I planned to use food for training and socializing. I plan to buy 15 to 20 acres of wooded land and the pigs will help till the land as I clear it, and feed on as much as they can. I will be buying land in Northern Alabama. As I clear out the wild trees in the stand, I will be planting fruit trees for me and the pigs and to sell a little. I will also keep some select trees for lumber and since the trees are the whole lot of most lots I'm looking at, I will use them as fence posts to run barbed wire around the property, give wind-break, and shade. Do you have any other advice?
Just picking your brain on the urinating in the woods. I just watched a deer hunting video, where the guy made his own scrape by rubbing his boot in the ground under his blind, urinating in it, and then hanging a piece of vine over it, so the deer could leave their scent on it, as they do when they make their own scrape. He said that it's okay to start the scrape with your own urine, because within a few hours, it smells the same as any other urine.....I found this to be a bit hard to believe, but he showed trail cam video of deer after deer visiting his "fake" scrape, and urinating in it as if it was natural. If that's the case, would urinating on a predator's trail deter it at all? Just curious what your thoughts or experiences are with this?
i can attest that hogs are the top dog in the natural world. We rented a place in the middle of the woods. We would see fox and coyote all the time, but never near our pigs. We also had chickens and never lost any. However when a friend of ours moved in to the same place she immediately got predation issues. She is worried about her horse and cows thats how bad it is. We never had a boar either, just sows.
Woodboogers or Samsquanch, what ever you call them, they dont like pigs due to the loud squealing pigs make when alarmed. After all, you cant remain the World Hide and Seek Champion for long if everyone is looking to see what's making all the noise.
Popping in to add chicken hawk/red-tailed hawk and osprey to the predator list, but they're not really an issue for anything that aren't chickens or rabbits.
There are some militants, without saying much regarding ethnicity, who are moving into the Virginia regions. Be careful. I personally met a young man who was college aged. He spoke of their ontentions. I was shocked he would dare to say....
Aren't domestic pigs just one step away from being feral hogs? And if that's the case, hunters of feral hogs are very cautious because those beasts will annihilate a human in a heartbeat if they get the chance. I'm admittedly, uneducated regarding this, but it seems like a pig could quite handily take care of itself when push comes to shove .
No more than a domestic cow becomes a wilderbeast. A domestic pig that is managed will stay with the farm. Guaranteed food and shelter will always bring them back
My point regarding domestic pigs versus feral hogs, is that if they are forced by predators to defend themselves it seems like they're be well equipped to do so.
Down in Alabama near the coast, just bought 5 acres and really want pigs to clear the 2.5 acres we are not planning to build our home on. I was thinking about Mangalitsa or Idaho. The land is woods not pasture. Any thoughts what breed is best to clear bush and forest and then have for meat?
I would avoid Mangas due to their grow out time. If you need good disturbance go with a duroc or hampshire. Something less heritage breed or just keep their paddock area small for a longer period. This will force them to tear up more ground.
Interested you made a video about this. I live in Alabama and I'm in the process of starting a 20 acre homestead. We haven't moved to the property yet but im there every day. Well earlier this month a coyote killed one of my Berkshire sows which was about 80# and almost killed another sow and a 150#boar. I had a 2 strand polywire fence around them. Ended up building a hard fence and wrapped it with a hot wire.
I raise berks here in Kentucky but haven't lost one to a predator we hear coyotes all the time but my dogs take care of them I got a big male anatolian and female pyrenees best investment I've made the dogs do good they dont mess with the pigs and the pigs stay away from the dogs except for the piglets they run and play with the dogs.
Sounds more like a pack than just one coyote if it was really coyotes. I had a pack of coyotes that was running the creek next to my fenced property. My three white english farm bulldogs would get very upset at them, but the coyotes never came over the fence to fight them. Smallest dog was 67lbs and heaviest was about 100lbs. The skinney big headed pup is only about 90lbs and due to his speed the deadliest.
Reference piddling to mark your area it may not work so well if you're a vegetarian. Probably not a problem if you're raising pigs for market/home use but, if you're keeping them as pets, a predator could tell the difference. Heck I've had vegetarians tell me they can smell the meat on my breath and, if human noses can do that, a wolf wouldn't have a problem.
0 predator issues for me so far. We have basically the same predators as you except we do have bald eagles and less black bears. Out coyotes gather in large packs and you can hear them hunting and carrying on from time to time. One thing I’ve heard is that predators have figured out that pigs (wild and domestic) are not worth the fight and so they generally leave them alone. Not sure of the truth behind that.
I cull my meat pig next week and move my boar in with a couple gilts. I have a deer carcass already. Does raw meat and bone turn your pigs mean. Duroc/Hampshire mix, 8 months old...I'm new to this part.
Feral pigs seems to have little problem in multiplying in many areas of the country. So I assume that the adult pigs can deal with non-human predators. As mentioned, I too have heard of domestic dogs killing piglets. The stories of predation that I have heard concern smaller feral pigs and large alligators. The Alligators can come out the water very fast and pull an animal under the water and drown it. Eagles locally, this is northwest florida, have attacked very young lambs. They would have to eat most lambs on the ground since there is a limit to what they can lift. LGDs will drive them off. I have white english farm dogs that do not like large soaring birds such hawks. Many rural places in the eastern USA have cougar these days. The do get seen on game cameras and are seen off and on by citizens, usually in the evening hours. We have them locally in my suburban area a few miles from pensacola. Most black bear probably will not hunt domestic pigs, but if a bear starts killing livestock, it needs to be taken out fast. I am not even sure how a bear would kill one. Black bears can exceed 400 lbs and even surpass 500 lbs. Rare, but it happens.
We have black bear I haven't known of one getting in my current fence. but I recently purchased some land I'm currently fencing I know that bears are using I hope that once I'm finished and get hogs on it that the bears aren't a problem. I will have to do some research on taking it out if it becomes a problem.
It's not predators need worry about but dog packs and loose dogs. Predators have a risk reward to deal with. They need to worry is it worth getting hurt or killed. Dog packs or dogs left to roam by asanine owners do the most damage. They have no fear built into them. When they attack it's not for food hunger but drive to kill and attack in pack mob mode anything that moves.
You did not mention on your list of predators that are by far the biggest risk to a big farmer and that is the really dangerous Homosapien. As for all other predators they know about wild boars and know not to mess with them. As far as any predator knows a farm pig is no different than a wild boar other than farm pigs are far bigger and as such far meaner. Then with the known risk that wild boars pose on top of that they can small humans are in the area. What predator wants to get into a fight with a 500 or so pound pig and humans possibly fighting together.
By far my worse, and only, predator experience with pigs is black vultures killing just born piglets. Otherwise, everything seems to know better. We have bears, coyotes, bobcats(which have tried but failed to get piglets), and raccoons..
I have no idea if this would work. but let me shoot it by you. Could turning a bunch of pigs/hogs loose in the Florida Everglades be one solution to the python problem? Maybe some would get eaten, some would eat or kill pythons, and oops, I don't know. Would we then have big problems with ferrel hogs? Just thinking out loud.
I would never encourage releasing pigs. They, like other domestics, need to be managed. That being said, I would be interesting to see a managed area tested like that. Probably would just drive the pythons elsewhere outside the managed area but they would definitely eat the smaller ones
The piglets are at risk to adult pigs have experienced mom eating piglet while rare does happen something I belive with getting taste for blood I livie north west Bob cats lynx cougar and bear coyotes hawks , eagles (owl s but not so much but will) having dogs in general do good job for the 4 legged preditors But good night shelters go long way the cats verify usually avoid humans so make your presence known leave scent lol
How do you keep from getting eaten? Where I grew up in the Ozarks there have been several cases of cereal pigs attacking hunters who narrowaly escaped with their lives but got eaten up pretty badly.
Here in Ohio the invasive coyotes work like a wolf pack by surround the hog and then the one in the rear of the hog will keep biting the haunches of it trying to weaken it
My cousin did that trick on me when I was a kid, they were older and wiser, I never did it again. But I bet my uncle tricked my cousins when they were younger, he was a character.
Fail Army on YT has a clip of a bear getting into a pen and being run off by two pigs pretty quickly. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JzASaIRBlEw.html
