Keeping Wild Boar

[gdb]

I've enough land - and the right kind of mix, I think - to keep some boar.

Has anyone kept them?

It's not the rules and regulations I'm after, as they might be different here in Sweden anyway, but more of an idea of what they are like to keep.

Like, are they easier than pigs? Harder?
Are they bad-tempered?
What sort of feed and how much do they need?
What about fencing? Would a standard electric fence be ok?

Stuff like that.....

[marshlander]

Sorry, no experience myself but this looks like a good resource for research http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/index ... ctice.html Best Practice Guidelines including biology, management & fencing

[oldfella]

Here in SW France we are over run with wild boar , but I do know someone who a few years ago kept one for a very limited time. It use to walk through the electric fence, smashed down the night shed door, gave his right leg a good seeing too,at which stage he became a rather tasty roast, and sausages

Oldfella

[gdb]

That's a great link, Marshlander. Very useful stuff. I think I'd need a grant (or a pools win!) to put that fencing in....

Same here, Oldfella. I think the latest estimate said that there are over 100,000 wild boar in Sweden now - having returned in just small numbers in about 1980 they've really flourished. But hunting is pretty limited here (unlike France) and so there is more and more interest in 'growing your own' so to speak with local butchers becoming keen on selling the meat.

[darkbrowneggs]

Many of the "Wild Boar" here in UK are actually Iron Age type pigs, which I think is a Tamworth type cross. I had some years ago, and they were fine. Taste was good, bit gamier and firmer than usual pig breeds and leanish

They were very, very intelligent and if they get out (which they did quite often) they do more damage as they are "ploughers" rather than rooters.

I don't think you need any extra stuff than usual to rear them and there (edited to say were not are) were no real regs to comply with as they came to me via a dealer who bought them at Hereford market - they just looked and tasted a bit different.

[marshlander]

Looks like legislation has taken over since you kept them darkbrowneggs, The protection against cruelty afforded by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 apply to wild boar, as does the Dangerous wild animals act. Not sure how this applies to cross breeds though.

[darkbrowneggs]

Should have said were - not are will edit it in case it causes anyone probs.

Mine were very small and striped as weaners, and developed into a darkish brown and very hairy with extra long snouts. Interestingly their tails always hung down straight and they were extremely clever at escaping, but not bad tempered in any way.

I had them in an electic netting pen, pegged down at the edges which they kept getting out of and destroying the lawn. I hid and watched how they did it. The biggest of the group (when they were all around 12 weeks old) carefully picked up the bottom unelectrified wire in his mouth, lifted it to let the other 5 run under, and whilst they were going under he dropped it and ran under too whilst it was supported on their hairy (insulated) backs.

Needless to say I didn't keep them again - to much trouble basically. And I much prefer the taste of Middlewhite or Berkshire.

[oldjerry]

OK ,I know someone that keeps wild boar near Gloucester (not''iron age'' pigs!!).The big advantage (UK)is they are considered wild animals,so don't have to go through the slaughter process,and he shoots them as required.They live in family groups,and need MASSIVE fencing.

[Mustardseedmama]

In Texas they are having terrible problems with massive numbers of wild boar. We don't have many here in the middle of the country, but we are encouraged to immediately eliminate any we see on our own land.

[MKG]

I know nothing about them. But I can take an educated guess ...

Keeping wild boar is going to lead to problems - they're wild. If you keep them, though, through a couple of generations, they will no longer be wild boar - they'll be domesticated boar and will be used to humans. They'll also know that there's not a lot of point in going beyond fences (any more than pigs) because the easy food is just inside the fence. But then they're not going to be eating wild food, which is surely the point about wild boar - they taste different because of the wild food.

Given that pigs are easier (and you can feed them on what you want) I don't understand the movement towards wild boar. I've tasted what was presented as wild boar and I'm sure that what I had wasn't wild, in fact - it was like eating ... well... pork. The difference between a wild rabbit and one bred for food is quite marked (one's tasty and the other is like stringy chicken).

So, wild or domesticated boar? Wild boar can be dangerous (extremely so). Domesticated boar are just pigs. Why bother?

Mike

[gdb]

Massive Fencing definitely seems to be the ideal. But I've noticed that some farms here in Sweden have just two or three strands of electric wire. (The Boar regularly crash out .. but that doesnt seem to upset the boar or the farmers!)

Mike: Boar are a good bet for several reasons. The meat is leaner (and gamier) than pig meat. It sells for a lot more money too(!). And they are - as far as i can tell - much hardier than your ordinary porkers too. So fenced in they would have to be - but once inside a compound they would then be more or less left wild and able to look after themselves. The land here is extraordinarily rough, basically it is unfarmable where I am. And the winters are very hard. But boar are happy with both - the poor land and the harsh winters. Pigs would need housing.

[oldjerry]

Couple of things,but you keep what you like, firstly,animals(pigs,Wild boar,goats whatever)going through an electric fence IS a big deal,otherwise why fence them in?....good fences really do make good neighbours,and even if you live totally isolated escaped animals ALWAYS find your veg patch\fruit trees.An electric fence would have to resemble the Berlin Wall to incarcerate Boar,here they are housed in rigid fencing Reinforced by electric.
The right variety of pig,say Tamworth, Mangalitza etc (something hairy) should be OK with the most rudimentary shelter,and the meat be of premum value as a 'rare breed'...I've kept British Lops (a non-hairy breed) at 1000 ft and they thrived.
Be aware that the 'latest fashion' syndrome applies in livestock farming just as it does everywhere else,I remember well how at one time we were all going to make our fortune raising Ostrich\Alpaca\Worms etc.. etc.. all very worthy I'm sure,but despite appearances, generations of countrymen,on the whole, arent stupid,if they raise a given animal (or nothing) in a certain place
it's for a reason.You may well succeed in raising penguins on your allotment in Kidderminster,but you try selling them(just sourcing the silver paper would be a nightmare)........sorry, I was getting to sound a bit Sage- like.
And that brings me finally(wake up at the back) to largely agree with Mike's assertion,I've hunted and ate a good bit of Cinghiale,as it's known in Emiglia Romagnia (mrs OJ's stamping ground)and it doesnt taste that much different to real outdoor -reared pigs.However why not buy a couple and prove us wrong....Best Wishes.

[gdb]

Some wise words there. Thanks for that.

I have eaten boar many times myself - in France, for example, and I certainly like the taste. A sort of cross between pork, beef and game.

[Niele da Kine]

Most of the boar around here are just feral pigs, I'd guess. They are black and hairy and have tusks, though, so maybe they are true boar. They are pretty tasty, especially during guava or avocado season when they are eating fallen fruit. Around here the sows are considered much tastier than the boars, especially older boars that may occasionally have a musty flavor.

I've seen a fairly small one walk right through a fence and sideswipe a shrubby tree that was in it's way and completely uproot it. It doesn't seem like a livestock that would be easy to keep fenced in.

[123sologne]

Where I live, in the Sologne region of France (very central with large forests) we are plagued with wild boars. You would simply not be allowed to keep those animals even fenced as the risk of them escaping and adding to the already massive population is way too big. The animals have to be hunted by all land owners and if you don't comply the local government can actually send selected hunters on your property whether you like it or not... There are generally no problems of such as there are always a few guys ready to hunt the beasties.
They make for lovely roast and lovely stews. However, don't think they are not fat, they can be quite well insulated and you need to remove quite a bit of fat off before cooking the meat. Still it is very nice meat with a lovely gamy taste.
Another very important detail I want to add about these animals is that they carry a few diseases and you need to make sure the meat is well cooked, quite like pork actually. Many people also say that a stay in the freezer for a few month helps curing the meat from a few baddies, but I would not bet on it.
One disease which is on the up is the Aujeszki disease and it is actually very dangerous for humans as it could kill us if we eat contaminated meat which is not cooked properly (it does not hurt the boars which carry it without being sick, of course!). It is also dangerous for dogs or cats if they ate some of the raw meat.
So whatever you decide to do, just be very careful and study the subject fully before going ahead with your project. And good luck!