Rooting?

Question
My little piglet is 9 weeks old and will come up to my arm or leg or any body part and start nudging it with his nose.  He does it really hard and putting all his body weight into it. Not just for a minute or two.  He'd be happy doing it for 30 minutes.  Is he trying to feed thinking I'm his mom?  Or is this just rooting?  Do I need to discourge this?  Or will it eventually stop?

Answer
Body rooting is a very very common issue in weaned piglets.
Piglets "root"  on their mother to get them to let down their milk.
It is more common in pigs that were weaned at 5-6 weeks or younger.

It can turn into an aggresive act or manipulation.
A firm bop on the snout with a flat hand and saying NO will probably be effective. Reward the pig with praise when he retreats from rooting.

But you must be 100 per cent consistent or later on you will have a demanding pig and bruises around your arms and ankles.
Best to nip it in the bud.
Our book answers this question and many others at valentinesperformingpigs.com
Good luck,
Priscilla Valentine