info.

Question
QUESTION: I bought my pig from an unhealthy environment.He is being kept in a stall.Plenty water,food, etc. Walks occassionally on long lead and harness. 7 months old.If I allow him to "roam" on the property outside the barn, do you think he will run away?I have horses but they are pretty far away.He is really sweet but still, after 8 weeks is still sort of leery of me.  He will take snacks from my mouth if I lay down in the stall with him but he is obviously still scarred of me.

ANSWER: Eventually, yes. But fences aren't just for keeping things in - they keep things out, too. Things like stray dogs, coyote, nasty neighbors, mean or ignorant drivers, etc. All bad things that piggy needs to stay away from (and need to stay away from him).
Young pigs have lots of energy and do love to wander and explore, so even when he does settle in you'll still want to keep an eye on him. Pigs are smart enough to find trouble in places people often don't expect.
It can take awhile for a pig to be socialized. If you are able to put his harness on and off then you're well on your way with him. Some people believe that the best way to socialize a piglet is to give treats only when training or as meals, then spend a lot of time interacting with them (esp training, because it helps the pig understand you, and you understand the pig). Other people give training treats, and all other food by hand. In other words, the pig ONLY gets food from your hand no where else.
Either way, try touching him and rubbing his belly while he's eating. Always tell him what you're going to do before you do it - like Touch Piggy Ears or Scratch Piggy Butt so he isn't startled by your touch. If he knows what will happen next, he'll be less fearful.
I would wait until he is no longer scared and comes when he's called, and knows that you are Food Person.
Hog panel makes an inexpensive, sturdy piggy fence. My yard is not fenced except for the piggy run, but I still didn't feel comfortable letting them roam free until they were a couple of years old. I block the driveway because they like to lay on it in the sunshine, and worry about someone driving in and not seeing them.

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QUESTION: Thanks so much..not familiar w/piggies.Have two horse, 8 cats, two dogs (not allowed to run property-only in fenced area & supervised)four ducks and piggy. Last nite when interacting, ( was sitting in stall) he jumped up on my back. I also noticed him "humping" a soft doggie bed in his stall. Should I interpet the jumping as aggressive? Does he just want to play?How do I determine if he has been nutured?I can't ask the people I got him from.  Really appreciate the info.

Answer
You can tell the sex of a pig by how they pee.
Male pigs pee from the center of the tummy. They stand straight and still with all four legs apart. Female pigs pee from under the tail. They squat while they pee. Male pigs have two small lumps under the tail. The testes are inside the body, the only trace on the outside is a bulge in the skin.
Intact male pigs hump everything. At age 8- 12 weeks, an intact male will begin to hump and foam. At 7 - 9 months, an intact male will have have tusks starting to protrude, and secretes a strong odor that female pigs adore but most humans don't like.
Intact female pigs go into heat. They try to hump things, and get moody or super friendly, and may forget their potty training.
Unless there's a visible scar on the tummy, the only way to tell if a female pig ix "fixed" is by her behavior (or x-ray or ultrasound). A neutered male pig will not have the small bumps under the tail. The tusks grow much, much, more slowly, and they do not foam or smell (unless under stress).
You indicate that you've had him 8 weeks and he came from a bad environment. Bad breeder often lie about the parentage of pigs and their ages. Many breeders wean at just 1 week old!
If this pig is a male and exhibiting "boar behavior" for the first time, he might be as young as 2 months. If this pig is a female, she may be closer to 7 months.
Another possibility is cryptorchidism, where one (or more) testicles do not descend. Unless the person doing the neutering knew enough about pot-bellied pigs to look for and remove the undescended gonad, the result is a "neutered" male who really isn't neutered at all.