EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5937834.html

ROSHARON — Call her Squeaky the Wonder Pig, or the cowpig or a 385-pound guard pig. But most of all, call her when it's time for pizza.

Squeaky is clearly no ordinary pig.

The pet and partner of Mike Veara, manager of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan's China Grove Ranch in Brazoria County, she herds cows, eats pizza and greets most visitors to the ranch.

"And she's a wild pig," Veara said. "You never see a feral pig like that."

Veara insists that Squeaky taught herself all of her skills, not all of which are helpful.

She's been known to break into the ranch house and raid the refrigerator to messily slurp up raw eggs and leftover pizza. She considers a wallow in mud to be the height of fashion and doesn't like to be washed off. Although she seems to think of herself as some sort of porcine breed of dog, complete with barklike "oinks,"she's never become the least bit housebroken.

But Veara forgives Squeaky's little faults — and Squeaky clearly loves Veara.

She was only hours old when he found her on the ranch 2½ years ago. "Her mother was dead," he said. "Probably somebody had shot her somewhere else and she came here to die." Several other piglets with her were also dead.

He fed it the same formula used for orphaned calves with a baby bottle. "My grandson named her Squeaky because she made a squeaking noise," Veara said.

She adopted the 1,800-acre ranch as home.

Feral pigs, which weigh 100 to more than 400 pounds, are not normally welcome on Texas ranches, except as things to be hunted. The descendants of escaped domestic pigs many generations ago, they have the reputation of being fierce and destructive.

There are about 1.5 million feral pigs in Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

But Veara's partner likes to distinguish herself.

"Squeaky hates other feral pigs," Veara said. "She will chase them away. When she runs across one of their tracks her hair will bristle up."

Squeaky has known at least one feral hog. Seven months ago she gave birth to a pair of piglets.

"I wanted to put them on the barbecue pit," Veara said. "But Mr. Ryan has a soft heart for all animals and he's said we're going to send them to one of his other ranches in South Texas."

They haven't yet shown their momma's cow-herding abilities.

One day Veara and some ranch hands were herding some cattle on horseback when Squeaky got between the riders and the cattle. "I said let's just back off and see what she'll do," Veara said.

Squeaky herded almost 200 head of cattle into pens, just where Veara wanted them. Since then she's been a real cowpig.

She absolutely refuses to eat pig food. Her main rations are cat food and deer corn, Veara said. "And fish sticks. She loves fish sticks," he said.

He often gives her cookies for snacks and she nibbles on marshmallows with delight.

She loves to wash down a snack with a nice bowl of Dr Pepper, Veara said.

"Mr. Ryan likes to bring her candy, but I have to discourage that," Veara said. "If she gets too much sugar she goes into some sort of sugar high and starts running around all over the place.

"Ol' Squeaky is getting to be better known than the historical marker," he said, referring to a marker on FM 521 that notes that China Grove was once part of the plantation owned by Texas Revolutionary War hero and Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston.

Squeaky loves to play as much as work. She tugs at ropes and loves to play with balls. "You can throw her a soccer ball and she'll bat it all around with her head," Veara said.

If she gets the ball in her mouth, however, "she'll pop it," he said.

Some visitors to the ranch get her approval if they scratch her head. Others she won't let out of their vehicles.

She's not mean. She's just doing her job as a first-class watch pig.

 ;D That is AWSOME!!! Thanks for sharing, Could the next shoat u find be the next squeky? ;D

I raised one from football size to 250lbs and all he could do was eat and fight off my jagds.
Where did I go wrong? ???

Neat story Circle C. --John

cool story circle c.. thanks for sharin

I raised one from when he was about a day or two old. I named him Baby. He thought I was his momma and would only let me carry him. I had him until he was over 2 years old, well over 100 pounds, and came up over my knees. Some people said that he would get aggressive if there was a female in heat but that never happened. Kids would play with him and he would let us sit on him and take him baths, I could stick my hand in his mouth and feed him and he did not bite, he did rip my jeans a lil one time when I was playing with him but that was just play. His favorite food was pineapple chunks. He was really smart, he knew how to unplug the tv and other appliances, he knew that got on our nerves. Unfortunately while I was away my dumb brother castrated him and he got real sick, some of our dogs got in his pen and tore him up so bad my dad had to put him out of his misery. R.I.P. Baby  :'( He was like a dog. That was the coolest pet I've ever had. I'll post some pictures up of him.

i bottle fed one once. it was as good as any other pet i've ever owned. smart too. it used to come to its name, roll over, let little kids ride it. it was awesome  ;D just like a dog. having one as a pet you can learn so much about their habbits that can be useful in hunting. mum never liked it when in dug up the lawn though  :P haha