How to catch a pig
Pigs are great escape artists. You wouldn't believe what they can get out of and into. They have been known to chew right through
chain link fences, crawl under fences through spaces you wouldn't think they could fit, lift wooden poles right off their supports,
and muscle their way through briar patches - all of these often with resultant injuries. Pigs can puzzle out how to get out of things and yes they can climb if they want to. Some of the smaller pigs can even jump!
Pigs have a natural instinct to root and dig around in the dirt, so they are capable diggers and may dig under a fence or wall and escape. (They usually aren't trying to actually leave their pack (you) and their food source; they just think the grass is tastier
on the other side of the fence. But they still can get into big trouble or danger when loose.)
Catching a pig once it escapes is challenging and can end up with someone or something being injured if it is not done properly.
But often once your pig gets hungry it will come back to where the food is; pigs are not stupid and they like to eat. So if you
live in the country and there aren't loose dogs or large predators around, you may not have to panic and mount a search, but just wait until evening and feeding time. But otherwise, you should find the pig and bring it home as soon as possible, as dogs will attack a lone pig, and so might angry homeowners whose gardens your pig just ate.
You will need two groups of people to find your pig: One group to fix the fence where the pig escaped and one to search for the
pig. The group that is searching for the pig should be two or three adults who are familiar to the pig. A lot of noisy activity, people and animals will only frighten the pig and make it harder to catch.
Have some antiseptic spray, your pigs favorite treats, some rope, and a wheelbarrow on hand. Pigs are not the stealthiest creatures
in the world and often when you go out searching you will hear the pig clumping about and being generally noisy. When you
approach the pig, speak to it in a soothing voice and keep yourself in its eyesight at all times. If you can, use the treats at this time to lure the pig into a pen or a space that can be closed.
If your pig is already in distress, luring it with treats may not work. If your pig is distracted, talking in a high voice may get its attention again. In a worst case scenario you may have to grab it, tip it, and tie its feet with a rope. If you do that the pig will scream because pigs hate to be confined, but it won't be injured. You can then lift the pig into the wheelbarrow and cart it home that way.
If your pig is happy with you and likes being with you, often it will calm down once you untie it in its pen. Put some antiseptic spray on any scratches and wounds. Do not yell or chastise your pig for escaping, your pig is just being a pig. Be sure to fix where
you pig escaped from and get some sturdier fencing. Once a pig figures out that it can't escape it usually won't try that spot
again. If your pig is not already spayed or neutered you should get it done as soon as possible because some of that wanderlust can be attributed to hormones and natural instinct to mate.
We hope you will never need this advice, but we also hope that if you ever do, these suggestions will help your pig's adventure end
well and safely for all concerned.
If you aren't able to locate your pig, take some dirty clothes (I know, that sounds gross) and put them in an area that you think your pig may go to, kind of a way to help your pig find its way home. Place a bowl of food outside, shake a treat bag, put up flyers and post in EVERY single Facebook group that your pig is missing. On that post, share a picture with text typed onto the picture as to the last known location, date that your pig went missing, YOUR contact information and your pigs name/age/general size. this will help others quickly identify a pig that has been found as yours.
This may or may not be your pig that you are attempting to catch as well. If you are trying to capture a feral pig, we warn you NOT to attempt this with your hands. You will need to create a trap or build something, but NEVER try and catch a feral pig using your hands. You can (and probably will) get injured.
Pigs will do what pigs want to do and that isn't always what you want to do. We have discussed it elsewhere on the website, but you should have a word or phrase that you can use to call your pig back to you. Some use the word "treat" or "come eat" as a fool proof way to have their pig running full throttle back to them.
Low stress handling is preferred. Pigs tend to stress out easily.
chain link fences, crawl under fences through spaces you wouldn't think they could fit, lift wooden poles right off their supports,
and muscle their way through briar patches - all of these often with resultant injuries. Pigs can puzzle out how to get out of things and yes they can climb if they want to. Some of the smaller pigs can even jump!
Pigs have a natural instinct to root and dig around in the dirt, so they are capable diggers and may dig under a fence or wall and escape. (They usually aren't trying to actually leave their pack (you) and their food source; they just think the grass is tastier
on the other side of the fence. But they still can get into big trouble or danger when loose.)
Catching a pig once it escapes is challenging and can end up with someone or something being injured if it is not done properly.
But often once your pig gets hungry it will come back to where the food is; pigs are not stupid and they like to eat. So if you
live in the country and there aren't loose dogs or large predators around, you may not have to panic and mount a search, but just wait until evening and feeding time. But otherwise, you should find the pig and bring it home as soon as possible, as dogs will attack a lone pig, and so might angry homeowners whose gardens your pig just ate.
You will need two groups of people to find your pig: One group to fix the fence where the pig escaped and one to search for the
pig. The group that is searching for the pig should be two or three adults who are familiar to the pig. A lot of noisy activity, people and animals will only frighten the pig and make it harder to catch.
Have some antiseptic spray, your pigs favorite treats, some rope, and a wheelbarrow on hand. Pigs are not the stealthiest creatures
in the world and often when you go out searching you will hear the pig clumping about and being generally noisy. When you
approach the pig, speak to it in a soothing voice and keep yourself in its eyesight at all times. If you can, use the treats at this time to lure the pig into a pen or a space that can be closed.
If your pig is already in distress, luring it with treats may not work. If your pig is distracted, talking in a high voice may get its attention again. In a worst case scenario you may have to grab it, tip it, and tie its feet with a rope. If you do that the pig will scream because pigs hate to be confined, but it won't be injured. You can then lift the pig into the wheelbarrow and cart it home that way.
If your pig is happy with you and likes being with you, often it will calm down once you untie it in its pen. Put some antiseptic spray on any scratches and wounds. Do not yell or chastise your pig for escaping, your pig is just being a pig. Be sure to fix where
you pig escaped from and get some sturdier fencing. Once a pig figures out that it can't escape it usually won't try that spot
again. If your pig is not already spayed or neutered you should get it done as soon as possible because some of that wanderlust can be attributed to hormones and natural instinct to mate.
We hope you will never need this advice, but we also hope that if you ever do, these suggestions will help your pig's adventure end
well and safely for all concerned.
If you aren't able to locate your pig, take some dirty clothes (I know, that sounds gross) and put them in an area that you think your pig may go to, kind of a way to help your pig find its way home. Place a bowl of food outside, shake a treat bag, put up flyers and post in EVERY single Facebook group that your pig is missing. On that post, share a picture with text typed onto the picture as to the last known location, date that your pig went missing, YOUR contact information and your pigs name/age/general size. this will help others quickly identify a pig that has been found as yours.
This may or may not be your pig that you are attempting to catch as well. If you are trying to capture a feral pig, we warn you NOT to attempt this with your hands. You will need to create a trap or build something, but NEVER try and catch a feral pig using your hands. You can (and probably will) get injured.
Pigs will do what pigs want to do and that isn't always what you want to do. We have discussed it elsewhere on the website, but you should have a word or phrase that you can use to call your pig back to you. Some use the word "treat" or "come eat" as a fool proof way to have their pig running full throttle back to them.
Low stress handling is preferred. Pigs tend to stress out easily.
Pigs have a "blind spot" and you can see by the picture above that they also have a point of balance. The point of balance is located at a pig’s shoulder. The pig responds to a handler’s approach relative to the point of balance. If a handler enters a pig’s flight zone, the pig will move:
A lot of states have troubles with wild pigs (or feral pigs) and have dedicated a lot of resources in trapping them. Here is one of the websites that can show you step by step how to trap pigs. Many of these articles are geared towards destructive pigs in areas where feral pigs are out in masses. http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/bait-wild-pig-traps.html
- Forward if the handler approaches from behind the point of balance
- Backwards if the handler approaches from in front of the point of balance”
A lot of states have troubles with wild pigs (or feral pigs) and have dedicated a lot of resources in trapping them. Here is one of the websites that can show you step by step how to trap pigs. Many of these articles are geared towards destructive pigs in areas where feral pigs are out in masses. http://wildpiginfo.msstate.edu/bait-wild-pig-traps.html
This is a great article written about loss stress handling that is worth the read. http://www.dnlfarmsltd.com/lowstresspighandling
Sources: http://petcaretips.net/how-catch-runaway-pig.html
Sources: http://petcaretips.net/how-catch-runaway-pig.html