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Wet Summer Could Mean Surge in Feral Hog Numbers PDF Print E-mail
Written by Robert Burns, 903-834-6191, rd-burns@tamu.edu   
Sunday, 23 September 2007
They may look cute now, but in a few months these juvenile feral hogs could be producing litters of four to six piglets of their own, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas Cooperative Extension fisheries and wildlife specialist. Higginbotham recommended that traps be made with mesh no larger than 4-inch by 4-inch squares so as to prevent small hogs like these escaping. (Texas Agricultural Experiment Station photo)
They may look cute now, but in a few months these juvenile feral hogs could be producing litters of four to six piglets of their own, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas Cooperative Extension fisheries and wildlife specialist. Higginbotham recommended that traps be made with mesh no larger than 4-inch by 4-inch squares so as to prevent small hogs like these escaping. (Texas Agricultural Experiment Station photo)
A wet 2007 following two years of extended drought could mean larger litter sizes and more far-ranging herds of feral hogs.

By conservative estimates, Texas has 1.5 to 2 million feral hogs. The animals are descended from domestic hogs, Higginbotham said.

"Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that an increase in available nutrition for feral hogs will have a similar effect as it does with domestic swine," he said.

Domestic hogs will produce larger litters when food supplies increase, said Dr. Jodi Sterle, Extension swine specialist.

"Pigs actually respond very quickly to increase feed resources," Sterle said. For example, in the case of domestic swine, a particular breed may have an average litter size of eight. But with food resources the average litter size might increase to nine or nine and a half.

"In domestic pigs, if you increase their energy (nutrition reserves) just prior to mating – we call that 'flushing' – they will actually ovulate more eggs," she said. "It's especially effective if they are in a lower plane of nutrition before."

Feral hogs typically have litters of four to six pigs, Higginbotham said. Just as domestic swine do, they have a 114-day gestation period and can produce two litters a year.

"And it's possible for a female born in the spring to reach sexual maturity six to eight months later, and produce a litter before her first birthday," he said.

Also, landowners should expect to see feral hogs ranging wider than they have in last couple of years, he said. Feral hogs tend to stay near water sources and where there is vegetation providing heavy cover. This year, with even small ponds filled, Higginbotham expects they have expanded their range.



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The most effective way to control feral hogs is by trapping them, Higginbotham said. But two factors may make conventional methods less effective this year.

One is the expected increase in the number of juvenile hogs. The smaller hogs can worm their way through the metal mesh of many traps. Higginbotham recommended that traps be made with mesh no larger than 4-inch by 4-inch squares.

"The smaller mesh will retain all the hogs trapped," he said. "Control of juveniles is essential if the landowner's goal is to reduce the hog population."

The other factor is that a good to excellent acorn crop is expected this year, he said. Traps are usually baited with shelled corn, but hogs prefer acorns over corn and may ignore the traps once the acorns begin to fall. One solution may be to substitute soured corn (fermented corn) in place of shelled corn.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 September 2007 )
 
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