Mischievous Piglets Lock Owner In Barn!
If anyone tells you that pigs are not intelligent then I wouldn’t believe them. Since I have been keeping pigs in the last year I have witnessed many things that lead me to believe that pigs are intelligent. (I’ll leave them for another post!)
I have 7 remaining piglets that are nearly 11 weeks old. Since birth Blacky Leftfoot has been inquisitive and curious and not afraid to lead the other piglets into mischief. He has always been first at the door or following behind me when I’ve been carrying a bag or bucket. He just seems to know where the action is!
He seems to love the plastic feed bags and if I happen to place a feed bag on the floor he will soon pick it up and carry it around with him or have alittle wrestle with it. When I want to move my piglets from one barn to another I will shake an empty feed bag and the piglets dash off into the other barn. Blacky however is becoming immune to this method of movement as he loikes to play with the bags. It is funny when he gets on and starts running around the barn, all the other piglets think that they need to dash off to the other barn. maybe soon I can get Blacky to herd the rest of the piglets where I want them!
Anyway back to Mischievous Piglets Lock Owner In Barn! On Sunday, as I did my evening muck out and feeding routine of the sows and piglets, whilst waiting for a courier to deliver 100 quail, the piglets managed to lock me in the barn. The barn is separated into 2 - the outer barn is where I keep the food and let the piglets have a run around whilst I muck out their pen. The inner barn consists of 2 pens, one for the sows and one for the piglets. When I go into muck out the sow I have to keep the piglets in the outer barn otherwise they will be in with the sows causing mayhem. I have to lock the top bolt as I go in otherwise the piglets would open the barn door with their snouts. So on Sunday after I had done a quick muck out of the sows, i turned to the barn door and unbolted the top bolt which I can just manage to reach over the top of the door. I went to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. When I looked over the top I could see some of the piglets pushing and sniffing at the door. It was then that I realised that one of the mischievous piglets had pushed the bottom bolt with his snout. The only trouble was I couldn’t reach the bottom bolt and secondly there wasn’t anyway of climbing over the barn door. I called out, “Is anyone there, can anyone help me?” But the sound of tumbleweed echoed in my ears, well it would have done if the piglets hadn’t been making so much noise with their excited and mischievous play. It was at that moment I realised that I didn’t have my mobile and there was no way out. This wouldn’t normally have bothered me but I knew that any minute now the courier could arrive with 100 quail which I had been waiting for. I tried asking the piglets to push on the bolt, but their intelligence suddenly seemed to have disappeared! So what did I do, well I kicked the door and thankfully the bolt came loose and I managed to get out, so all was well and I was there to greet the lovely pretty cream coloured quail that arrived an hour later.
I couldn’t tell the piglets off as I thought the incident was funny. Well looking back it was!
Have you ever been locked in or out of somewhere by an animal?
My Pigs Pig Behaviour Piglets
Hi Sara. As I was reading your post I saw the whole thing as if it was a movie! Hilarious..
Comment by Diane — June 26, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
Sara, this is a terrifically funny story! I will never doubt (selective?) pig intelligence again. Emmaline is like that with a plastic bag (my previous cat was quite afraid of them). Think you can train this little piggy to herd the rest?
Comment by nikkipolani — June 26, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
Hi Diane,
I have to say that I was shocked beyond beief when I went to try the barn door and it wouldn’t open. I couldn’t believe they had looked me in. I wouldn’t put it past them to have done it on purpose!
I wish I had got the whole episode on film!
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Kind regards
Sara from farmingfriends
Hi Nikkipolani,
I have to say I think it is funny to but at the time when expecting 100 quail from the other side of the country, not so funny!
It is great to see animals with objects that amuse them. I’ll let you know once I have trained Blacky Leftfoot to herd the others. Today Flash has learnt to walk down the step which is not a good move as this means he will be running around the yard in no time when I don’t want him to with me running after him!
The joys of animal keeping - I wouldn’t swop it for the world.
Thanks for your comment and visit.Kind regards
Sara from farmingfriends
Comment by Sara @ Farming Friends — June 26, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
rah
Comment by Farmer giles — June 29, 2008 @ 7:53 am
I have a similar story Sarah. It was on foggy November night and my sister and I were alone in a remote Farm house when all of a sudden the outside door Knob was being turned this went on for quite a while, and though I was younger than my sister by a few years I thought I should be the man of the house and go and investigate, so I went to confront who was at the other side of the door guess what i found at the other side of the door? a calf had got out of it’s pen and was sucking the door Knob on the outside of the door.– Keep up the good work Sarah. Kind regards john
Comment by Farmer giles — June 29, 2008 @ 8:17 am
Hi! a few years ago, i was staying at a friends house looking aster her huge dog whilst she was away. The dog was boisterous, and used to getting his own way, so he took an instant dislaking to me when i told him off for catching birds. anyway, i went to the outside shed to put away some tools that i had been using(to fix the radiator) and it was on a slope, so the door was hard to push open.(it was also a heavy door) and as i went inside, the door swung shut. I placed down the tools, and went to open the door. I was very suprised to hear growl. I looked out the window, and saw the dog leaning against the door, barring my way out! i tried coaxing him to get off the door, but the fat lump wouldnt! i was stuck in that shed for 4 hours, whilst the stupid dog chewed on a bone, and slept! luckily a neifghbour heard my cries and let mne out. i wont be looking after that dog again!
Comment by emily — October 9, 2008 @ 4:55 am