Video Blog - Evidence for Early Solid Food Consumption in Juvenile Wild Pigs

By: Josh Helcel, Extension Associate

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

 

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are well known for their adaptability and survivorship. Considered to be the most reproductively successful large mammal worldwide, sows are capable of reproducing at just 5 months old and can produce 2-3 litters per year thereafter (Baber and Coblentz 1987; Dzieciolowski et al. 1992). The relative speed at which wild pigs become sexually mature has been well documented, but other developmental factors contribute towards the continued success of these animals. The video below shows several juvenile wild pigs both nursing and consuming solid food, in this case shelled corn. The piglets still possess their stripes and are estimated to be around two weeks old.  Please click on the video below to view.

 

 

While a number of factors influence the exact age at which juvenile wild pigs are capable of surviving independent of maternal care, this video suggests that solid food consumption can occur at a relatively young age. Much like the early reproductive capacity present in wild pigs, developmental traits such as relatively early solid food consumption provide a clear benefit to the overall fecundity of the species.  These attributes are also additional factors that compound effective control of wild pig populations.  

Resource availability including access to supplemental feed has been shown to significantly impact wild pig survival rates (Briedermann 1990; Fruzinski 1995; Okarma et al. 1995; Jedrzejewska et al. 1997). Continued widespread access to supplemental feed statewide is potentially a contributing factor as to why there are now more wild pigs in Texas than in any other state in the United States combined. The supplemental feed access in this video was provided for trapping purposes only. Research has shown that providing supplemental feed to wild pigs should otherwise be avoided (Bieber and Ruf 2005).

For more information on wild pigs, including information on how to effectively exclude wild pigs from supplemental feed sites please visit feralhogs.tamu.edu

Wild pig resources listed below are available at the AgriLife Bookstore

– L-5523 Recognizing Feral Hog Sign

– L-5524 Corral Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs

– L-5525 Box Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs

– L-5526 Placing and Baiting Feral Hog Traps

– L-5527 Door Modifications for Feral Hog Traps

– L-5528 Snaring Feral Hog

– L-5529 Making a Feral Hog Snare

– SP-419 Feral Hogs Impact Ground-nesting Birds

– SP-420 Feral Hog Laws and Regulations

– SP-421 Feral Hogs and Disease Concerns

– SP-422 Feral Hogs and Water Quality in Plum Creek

– SP-423 Feral Hog Transportation Regulations

– L-5533 Using Fences to Exclude Feral Hogs from Wildlife Feeding Stations

– WF-030 Reducing non-target species interference while trapping wild pigs

 

Click here for additional resources on wild pigs

 

 

For free educational programming or technical assistance with wild pigs please contact:

Josh Helcel, Central and North Central Texas, 512-554-3785, josh.helcel@tamu.edu

Literature Cited

Baber, D. W. and B. E. Coblentz. 1987. Diet, nutrition, and conception in feral pigs on Santa Catalina Island. Journal of Wildlife Management 51:306-317.

Bieber, C. and T. Ruf. 2005. Population dynamics in wild boar sus scrofa: ecology, elasticity of growth rate and implications for the management of pulsed resource consumers. Journal of Applied Ecology 42(6):1203 – 1213. 

Briedermann, L. 1990. Schwarzwild, 2nd edn. VEB Deutscher Landwirtschaftsverlag, Berlin, Germany.

Dzieciolowski, R. M., C. M. H. Clarke, and C. M. Frampton. 1992. Reproductive characteristics of feral pigs in New Zealand. Acta Theriologica 37:259-270.

Fruzinski, B. 1995. Situation of wild boar populations in western Poland. Ibex JME, 3, 186–187.

Jedrzejewska, B., W. Jedrzejewski, A.N. Bunevich, L. Milkowski and A. Krasinski. 1997. Factors shaping population densities and increased rates of ungulates in Bialowieza Primeval Forest (Poland and Belarus) in the 19th and 20th centuries. Acta Theriologica, 42:399–451.

Okarma, H., B. Jedrzejewska, W. Jedrzejewski, A. Krasinski and L. Milkowski. 1995. The roles of predation, snow cover, acorn crop, and man-related factors on ungulate mortality in Bialowieza Primeval Forest.  Poland Acta Therio-logica, 40:197–217.