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my piggie bites me when trying tpo pick her up

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lynneprice

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Hi ,wondering if anyone can give me some advice.
I have a little girl aged 5 months and when I got her at 12 weeks old she was very reluctant to be handled,kicking me and trying to bite me.it materialized some weeks later that she was pregnant so I did not try to handle her too much through fear of hurting the babies .she had 4 gorgeous babies about a month ago.the 2 boys have been rehomed and we kept the 2 girls.Anyway the family seem happy but she is still trying to bite me when picked up .she gets very stressed and am worried it will make the babies the same .should I persist in picking her up in the hope she improves or try leaving her and just stroking her in cage.would appreciate any advice on this
thanks lynne x
 
Most piggies have a problem being picked up - they are more of a four-feet-on-the-ground type animal. 3 out of my 6 pigs will allow you to pick them up - whilst the other 3 give you the run around. I find the easiest thing to do with those pigs 'less comfortable' with the prospect of being picked up is to coax them into their snuggle bed or up-turned pigloo (this was how i used to get them out to their run in the back garden - and they were quite happy to jump in for a ride).

A lot of your sow's grumpiness could be due to her giving birth a short time ago - i never really handled my sow during her pregnancy, but she sure has changed since having her babies. She's mellowed out a lot, but she has her moments and little signs which tell you she's not happy. She's very sensitive to people touching her tummy area and will jump around quickly as if she's going to nip you (she's never actually bitten or nipped) - she does this to her daughter also - but when she was pregnant she's never let us touch/feel her tummy and would always jump out the way or kick.

Try coaxing her into an up turned pigloo - a few of her favourite veg/treats will help. Try also having some veg/treats at hand even when you are just stroking her in her cage. If she thinks you have good things, she may be less inclined to nip/bite.

Another thing i do is frequently go to my piggies cages and stroke them - i don't actually pick them up - i think if everytime you approach the cage to pick them up they associate you with doing something they are not very comfy with. Mine always come to the side of the cage for a stroke and a chat - i think this helps with building their confidence up also.

Hope this helps :)
 
Very good post above :)

Piggies are naturally shy creatures as they are prey animals. They are also all different and will get used to being petted and picked up etc. in their own time.

It just takes patience. You need to be aware of each piggy's pace in terms of letting you pick them up and go step by step. You can pet you mummy pig in her cage and then try petting her with two hands. Then you can try using a cosy and eventually you will get there. It's just a question of trust and some piggies are very slow to trust. Try to remember it's not personal, it's no reflection on you, it's just how they are.

We have two boars, while one bonded with us very quickly, the other one is only now coming around to being handled and petted (after 7 months!)
 
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