Nose rings?

[Marmite&Noodle]

We recently got two wonderful KK pigs and prior to buying them I spoke to lots of people who owned them and was told that they never rootle and only graze.

Unfortunately not in the case of our kunekune pigs. From day one their substantial paddock started to resemble a ploughed field.

It now does not have a blade of grass left in it and I have never seen them graze.

It has been suggested that I get rings for their snouts and so I approached my vet who seemed happy to oblige until she contacted the vetinary association who said that they did not agree with it and their members should not carry it out. I have another large amount of grass waiting to move them on to but dont wish to do so until I can be sure they will graze and not rootle.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received

Many thanks

[simon]

At this time of year there is very little nutrition in the grass, even if it looks long. Its quite possible your pigs are just hungry and are going for worms, roots and anything they can get.

At this time of year our pigs go out on dry days or when the ground is frosty. But they are not that bothered about being out - as there isn't really any grazing to be had. When we let them out they will go for a wander, but will soon return back to the warmth and to the hay rack to eat. Come spring and it all changes.

That said, kunes do sometimes root, and if you search through this forum you'll find lots more discussion on the subject.

[wendy scu]

pigs root i'm afraid. whatever their size or breed.

So glad to hear that your vet had been advised against it. Ringing is a barbaric practice that denies the pig its most natural pastime.

Is it possible to restrict them to a smaller area which you can 'sacrifice' during the winter months and then put them onto a fresh patch in the summer? this way you will preserve your grazing and not end up destroying the lot.
The other thing i would say is that some pigs don't root so much as they mature - you may well find the first winter is definitely the worst !

[The Rushbury Pig]

Adding to all that Simon and Wendy have said I have had sows here for stud purposes that have been determined diggers at home but when they arrive here they don't even scuff the surface.

It is possible that in a different area they may not dig as much or at all.

[Lynndb]

On a similar subject; our two kunes have destroyed the pretty large area at their disposal with rooting and are now trudging around a very wet and sodden field - which brings me to the question - do pigs ever suffer from foot rot? They do have a very dry stable with very deep straw and, as Simon says, they spend quite a lot of time indoors at this time of the year.
I'm hoping that Wendy is right and that as they get older they won't root as much. They are only two years old at the moment.

[The Rushbury Pig]

This year I have had a pig that has had foot rot but I have never had this before and I am pretty sure it is not a common complaint in pigs but worth being aware of. I treated with Terramycin spray, put her on a deep bed of straw and confined her to the stable for a couple of weeks. All recommended by my vet. She is fine and has stood for my boar so no sore feet now

She actually became lame when I moved her from her soggy field to hard standing and a stable. At this point I could see her feet were bleeding as she walked on them. There were slight cracks on the underside of the clay where the flesh meets the nail. I have got a photo somewhere but not sure where.