A pig’s health can become sensitive or vulnerable which is why we need to be careful and maintain a clean environment for our pig’s safety and that includes our safety too. Rats can be problematic so..
Do pigs attract rats? Pigs don’t attract rats but the abundance of feed in pig pens do. Rats are commonly found in farms where pigs are raised possibly because of various elements such as the abundance of pig feed that rats can consume.
The reason why there is no accurate response to this question yet is that researchers are not sponsored enough to keep the study going.
Despite this, we still compiled all the possible reasons as to why rats are often found near pig pens and also add in the dangers of having them around your pig.
Rats can eat food given to pigs when no one is looking as they are stealthy animals. A pig may also not react to a rat when rats come to steal their food.
Clearly, the pig’s food is what attracts rats the most especially because pigs normally don’t react to rats upon seeing them out of stealth mode.
Even when pigs do react, they may only make noises but they are not fast enough to catch rats.
The way the pen is built can also potentially raise the possibilities of inviting rats in that is why it is important to have a proper pen for pigs and other animals too.
Rats are dangerous for pigs not because they can directly harm pigs but because rats are known carriers of various diseases. They are scavengers and also not picky eaters like pigs.
They can consume food that has been already contaminated by bacteria and carry health threatening illnesses that can develop into risky zoonotic diseases.
Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be transmitted to other animals including people.
Since rats can be found around pigs, they may easily infect a pig when they share a pig’s feed. When a pig gets infected, they can infect humans next!
The most probable causes of rat presence in farms and even houses are the abundance of food, security of the place and the cleanliness of the area.
How rats can infect pigs
Now, just like pigs, rats carry a bad reputation and most of the time it is because they are proven as pests in most areas unlike pigs that are only labeled incorrectly because of misunderstandings.
Rats are dangerous and can cause life threatening diseases for animals including humans. They are as opportunistic as a pig and will consume nearly anything they can get their paws on!
How can rats infect pigs?
- Rats can leave their saliva on a pig’s feed that pigs may unknowingly consume
- Rats can also leave their waste on a pig’s feeding area which pigs will also consume
- Rats can bite pigs especially young piglets for several reasons. It can possibly because they were threatened, cornered or thought they can eat the young pigs
- Pigs may also attack a rat if they are able to catch one by chance. Direct contact can also easily infect pigs
- Pigs can eat dead rats.
- Rats can also attract predators like snakes.
What kind of diseases do rats carry that can infect pigs?
We listed the diseases that rats carry and can transmit to pigs and other people. They can be deadly and must be treated as soon as possible.
- Leptospirosis
- Listeria / Listeriosis
- Hantavirus
- Salmonella / Salmonellosis
- Campylobacter
- Yersinia
- Pseudotuberculosis
- Crypto / Cryptosporidium parvum
- Trichinosis / Trichinella spiralis
- Toxoplasmosis /Toxoplasma gondii
How to keep rats away from pigs
If your pig pens are being invaded by rats there are ways to avoid them or potentially get rid of them without exerting much effort.
- Spray pesticides that can kill or drive rats away. Note that the pesticides should be beyond a pig’s reach and cannot harm pigs
- Lay out rat traps that should be beyond a pig’s reach.
- Always keep the pig pen clean
- Clear out possible hiding areas for rats. When a rat cannot hide they will potentially evacuate from the area to look for other safe places.
- Threaten hiding rats with loud sounds in order to force them to flee
- Place a “guard” cat near the pig pen or pig area so the cats can chase out rats which can potentially drive them away permanently. Cats may not be always effective, so this is simply optional.
- Renovate the area as a “rat proof” place. There should be no way for rats to sneak into the pen if the pen is properly built and secured with cleanliness.
There are other methods one can follow when it comes to rat control, but these are one of the most common and effective process that we can recommended.
Why you should permanently remove rats for your pigs
Like what many people say, prevention is better than cure. Simply avoiding may not be enough, it is best recommended that permanently removing the rats can give pig owners their peace of mind.
Rats populate quickly because of their capability to breed all year round which means setting traps or applying pesticides won’t be sufficient and you may need to keep doing it forever because their numbers won’t run out.
Removing rats permanently may be a hard task on your own as they can be persistent. They may leave for a while but they will come back when they think you are no longer paying attention.
The best option is to contact a professional exterminator to do the job for you.
What are the similarities of a pig and a rat?
Both animals are prey animals and can be both scavengers. Each has their own pros and cons when it comes to nature’s order. Both have the right to live but if you are raising pigs as livestock, pigs should be kept healthy.
There is a reason why several areas or countries have a disease prevention act in order to control possible disease outbreaks.
This is why rats must be eliminated from your places.
If rats are present in your home where you raise a pet pig, get rid of them immediately before they grow in numbers.
It is not only for the health and safety of your pigs, but it is also for your health and safety too.
Related Questions
- Can pigs kill snakes?
Yes, pigs can kill snakes of the average size. However, larger snakes may give pigs a hard time and can pose a serious threat for the pigs.
A specific breed of pig called the Guinea Hogs (not to be confused with Guinea Pigs) can easily kill backyard snakes and they are known for that skill.
Pigs not only can kill snakes but they can also eat the snakes afterwards which can be risky if the snake is venomous and poisonous when consumed.
Snakes are not part of a pig’s normal diet so they do not actually hunt for snakes. Pigs only kill snakes when the snake comes to them. It is only a defensive act to protect themselves from the sly predator.
A snake can easily dominate small piglets and vulnerable pigs if they are strong and big enough to immobilize a pig. One bite can also be the end for pigs.
If given with other options, snake usually do not hunt larger prey like pigs and will avoid the animal if possible. However, if hunger strikes, there are no stopping snakes from attempting to attack pigs.
- Are pigs faster than a rat?
Physically, yes. Pigs are faster than rats with an average 17 kph (11 mph) while rats are only at 13 kph (8 mph). However, pigs can hardly catch rats because of their small size that allow rats to hide easily compared to pigs.
A pig’s poor eyesight can also hinder their ability to catch rats. Rats are small and can be difficult for them to see.
Pigs also only have their hooves and small dewclaws that can help them dig and their only way of catching prey is their mouths which may be difficult if they are catching a small and swift prey like rats.
Rats are also always on guard and sensitive to their surroundings which makes it challenging for pigs to even try and catch them.
- Why would a pig eat rats?
Pigs might eat rats if they catch them stealing their food. A starving pig will eat almost anything in their sight.
They can also be annoyed and not tolerate a rat around which may lead them to eating the rodent.
Pigs eating meat is dangerous and can be the easiest cause of diseases among pigs which is why it is important to keep pigs away from rats.
Most of the time, pigs do not hunt rats or intentionally kill them for the sake of consumption but they may occasionally do and may stumble upon rat corpses that they can eat if they are not supervised.
Pigs are generally not aggressive especially when they are often properly fed. Their reaction to animals such as rats would be nothing more than eyeing on the animal out of curiosity instead of desiring to kill.
