piglet distress

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:49 pm

I had a call over the weekend from a lady wanting to get rid of her 14 week old piglet because it was rooting.
She had had its snout ringed and it was still rooting.
I agreed to take the piglet and the lady delivered it to me today.

I spent a horrible 20 minutes or so (with help) wrestling with this poor panick stricken little pig cutting the rings out of its nose. we got them out but with difficulty and the piglet was pretty distressed. She is now fine and resting quietly with a friend until tomorrow when she will go outside and find she has the use of her little snout again.

The lady left my house to go and collect her replacement pig which she had bought despite my insistence that pigs root and she will probably have the same problem. I do hope that poor little pig doesn't suffer the same fate.
please people, when you sell piglets, stress that they do root as it is just not acceptable for these poor little pigs to be treated like this and discarded for doing what comes naturally to them.

redgeorge · Post by **redgeorge** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:30 am

Thats very sad Wendy, l hope the little piglet is ok, you'll probably be getting another phone call from the woman in a couple more weeks about her next piglet

jenhix · Post by **jenhix** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:42 am

That's terrible! When I got my pigs I was resigned to the fact that they would more than likely root, I can't imagine getting rid of a piglet for this reason, let alone replacing it with another pig that will quite possibly do the same.

misslux · Post by **misslux** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:50 pm

Im a little confused right now. I was always led to belive that kunekunes graze, not root?? I always though that this was what made kks different and more ideal for pets? My kunekunes have never ever hand on my heart rooted. Looking at there shape of snout i beleive it is physically impossible for them to do so!!

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:01 pm

no definitely they root!! the ones with the squashed snouts just put their head underground!

having said that, i don't think they do the extensive damage that big breeds do and some don't do it at all.

misslux · Post by **misslux** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:03 pm

Oh right. im obviously very lucky with mine then!!!

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:11 pm

it could even be your ground - i have some that root some fields and not others so i think if the ground smells good - it gets rooted! here are a couple of links to conversations and photos on this board:

http://www.britishkunekunesociety.org.u ... .php?t=165

http://www.britishkunekunesociety.org.u ... .php?t=491

Di · Post by Di » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:26 pm

I can say quite truthfully that my kunekunes do not root. However I always tell potential purchasers that they can root. I believe it is to do with the soil. I had 2 gilts that I had bred back to go to the boar last year. The owners were laughing and saying "now see if they don't root. They have turned over our field like its going out of fashion". 6 weeks or so later they came to collect their girls and could not believe that they had not once attempted to root up my grass!

I think its always worse in the winter when there is not much grass and the ground is wet and soft and perhaps more interesting.

HappyHippy · Post by **HappyHippy** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 8:34 pm

I'm really shocked by the ignorance or apparent lack of care/understanding some potential owners have - this lady's a prime example

How can you have an animal and deny it it's natural behaviour ? It's not fair - be like banning me from the PC lol!

I find with mine that the youngsters root a bit, but nothing like the major hole digging that happens with other rare breeds (GOS, Large Black etc etc etc) my adult KK's don't root - at all. Even in the winter when the grass is sparse they're quite content.
Karen x

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:00 pm

an update -
little piggy is doing really well. she has the full use of her snout back again and i can say, hand on heart, she has not rooted ONCE since she arrived. she's as happy as larry!

so i think it must be the lady's ground........

ambriel · Post by **ambriel** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:57 am

I'm pleased to learn she's recovering, Wendy.

What an ordeal for her to have to go through at such a young age, though.