Fruits and Veggies For Your Pet Pig

First and foremost, your pigs pig chow should be the mainstay of their diet. It has all the protein and nutrients that our pigs need. Everything else is a bonus and moderation is key as with most foods. 

Though our pigs can eat most of the same foods that we do it doesn't mean that they should. Just like us some pigs also prefer to eat their veggies cooked rather than raw.  

In addition to their diet of pig chow, most pigs will enjoy a daily salad of fresh vegetables. Dark leafy greens are best as they provide ample amounts of vitamins. They also make delicious snacks.

 

Fruits are an especially delicious treat for pigs, but one that should be given only occasionally. Because of the sugar content found in fruit, pigs should only be fed one or two small portions of fruit a day as a treat. Small pieces of fruit can also be used as a reward if you're attempting to train your pig; they'll love the sweet prize. Pigs can eat a wide range of fruits, so long as it's in moderation. Give your pig opportunities to try a variety of fruits - from bananas and apples to strawberries and pineapple - to see which they like best.

There is nothing cuter than watching your pig’s face as they try something new. If they don't like it or want it they will spit it out.

As for fruits, most seem to like apples, melons, grapes and berries. We have found here over the years that most don’t care for oranges or grapefruit. There have only been 2 pigs that would eat them and it was always fun watching them peel the orange. We watched as Oshay would go around the orange trees searching for good oranges knowing to avoid the rotten ones. 

When feeding fruits with seeds or pits; we do not worry about the seeds as the pigs either eat them or spit them out. If it is a food with a pit we do cut it out. And depending where you live you might end up with new plants growing in your yard. 

Foods with rinds like melons can be fed, but beware as they can choke on them as well as banana peels. Know your pig and what he can handle. We do feed melon rinds here, but try to leave some meat on them and slices are of a size that we know they can handle. 

We have found that our pigs are pickier with veggies than fruits. And like us will eat those certain vegetables if they have been cooked first. We have one picky eater here and he will not eat any kind of lettuce, squash or zucchini, he prefers soft fruits. Our senior pigs also do not like pumpkins.

 

Again, moderation is key with most foods. Remember that most fruits and some vegetables contain natural sugars that turn into fat if not burned off.

Winter and Your Pig

Depending on where you live temperatures are already well below freezing and the pigs have come down with a severe case of the winter “grouchies”. House pigs are appalled that they are forced to go outside to potty.

The girls will attempt the fake squat and run back to the house, but a seasoned pee watcher can easily recognize her theatrics and block her path to the house and force her to return to her favorite spot until there is observable production. The boys on the other hand will look you right in the eye while peeing as you pet them in the house.

It is not necessary to put coats on our pigs or keep them completely indoors during the cold months no matter what part of the country you live in. They will do quite well as long as they are put outside for a short period of time.

House pigs really hate going out in the cold. They complain and moan and groan all the way to the door, but it is important that they go out so that the systems stay working well. Most pigs learn to potty in a hurry and get back inside to their blankets.

It may be necessary for you to shovel snow from the walk to the potty area and the areas itself as most pigs do not do snow.  Make sure that footing is as good as you can get it to prevent falls and injury. If necessary you can place throw rugs over slick surfaces.

This is the time also to watch for constipation problems since house pigs are prone to holding it rather than staying out long enough to get the job done. You can increase fiber in the cold months or on older pigs we have given stool softeners if needed to keep things moving. 

Older house pigs and grown pigs would rather not go out in cold weather but it is important that they move around some and going out to the bathroom will not hurt them.

It is well to remember also that your pig’s temperament may not be the same during the cold months. They tend to be more cranky and irritable during the winter months.

Pig Hair Loss

If your pet pig is over a year of  age it will most likely shed or "blow its coat". This generally happens at least once a year. Some will do this twice a year. They may loose their hair all at once or in stages. Once this shedding starts you can easily pull the hair out by the handfuls to help your pig along. This usually happens sometime in the spring or early summer when the weather starts turning warm. I've had some hold out till late summer and others that have blown their coats during the winter when it is unusually warm.

Below are a few pictures of my pigs in the middle of blowing their coats. As you can see it happens in stages and they seem to turn elephant gray when all that black hair missing. Mindy the pig that still has all her hair lost it late summer when all the others had lost it late spring early summer. 

Hansel blowing his coat.

Cindy blowing her coat and Mindy still with all her hair.

You will almost immediately see the new hair coming in.  Please remember that each pig is different and not all will get back the same amount of hair that they lost. As they get older the hair may remain short and have a patchy look to it.

When your pig is loosing it's hair it will itch terribly. You may notice him running around trying to itch on trees, walls, furniture, your leg, other pets, whatever is around!! Just help your pig along by pulling any loose hair. It will come out very easily. Also, a good scratching and/or brushing a few times a day will be appreciated. I would do this outside if I were you, unless you have your vacuum cleaner handy.

Pot-Bellied Pig Nutrition

Your pig’s diet begins with a good quality pig food formulated specifically for potbellied pigs. Since pigs are hungry all the time, and they will do anything for food it is up to you to control your pig’s diet by allowing it to eat the correct amount of food and treats to maintain a healthy body weight. Weight control is an important issue for every potbellied pig owner. Potbelly pigs are just like humans regarding their metabolic rates. Some pigs can get fat on 2 cups of pig food a day and some will need much more to maintain a healthy body weight. It is imperative to watch closely the development and weight gain of your pet pig.

Because food makes a pig so happy, it is easy to over-feed your pet. In a worse case scenario of over feeding, a potbellied pig can be 100 pounds overweight. Extreme obesity can lead to blindness due to heavy fat accumulations around the eyes, deafness due to heavy fat accumulations around their ear canal; as well as negative behavior due to pain caused by its overweight condition. This overfeeding will lead to severe disabling diseases and physical problems, such as coronary artery disease, premature arthritis and joint disease. The obese pig is more prone to heat stress. It is much harder for your veterinarian to make an appropriate diagnosis if your pig is overweight. The pig vital signs can be distorted, collection of blood and urine can be extremely difficult. Should your pig become ill and need surgery, ultra sound, radio-graphic examination are hindered, anesthesia is a high risk and the obese pig is at a much higher risk for post surgical complications. Although sizes and weights of mature potbellied pigs may very greatly, even the heaviest mature weight for even the largest frame pig should not exceed 125 to 150 pounds.

Potbellied pigs have a large stomach capacity, requiring a diet high in fiber. It is important to provide your pig adequate grazing time in your yard and to add roughage to its diet. If grazing is not possible, a large green salad can do the same thing. Excess fat and protein consumption will lead to obesity. Dog food and cat food are NOT a good alternative to a quality food such as Heartland Feeds, which are made specifically for potbellied pigs.

Remember fiber bulk is important. Be sure and supplement your pig’s diet with extra fiber. By providing adequate grazing time in your yard and/or added roughage such as a daily salad, you are giving your pig a well-rounded diet plan. Wash all the insecticides, preservatives and waxes off the food prior to giving it to your pig. Low caloric vegetables such as cucumber, celery, lettuce (Iceberg Lettuce has little nutritional value), spinach, (cabbage and broccoli can cause gas) can be fed in larger quantities. Some parts of vegetables we throw away such as the tops and bottoms of beans, the core of a head of lettuce and the rind from a soft melon, pigs find delicious. Do not include food by-products such as the husks or cobs from corn, artichokes leaves, whole fruits with pits or seeds still inside in your pet pig’s diet. It is a good idea to limit the amount of fruit your pig eats each day. Pigs prefer sweet tasting foods, but some pigs seem to have sugar intolerance. In some cases, too much sugar is thought to cause pigs to display bad behavior. A suggested serving ratio of 2/3 vegetables to 1/3 fruit is recommended.

Potbellied pigs should not be fed swine feed made for commercial hogs because it is designed for rapid weight gain of the hog, in a relatively short time. A specialized diet containing the right amount of fat, protein and fiber is always best. The Heartland feed products provide an excellent, balance diet, and are made specifically for your pet pig’s nutritional needs.

Over the counter vitamins and supplements are not necessary for the pig to maintain a balanced diet. Supplements are in highly concentrated doses and are absorbed quickly through the stomach wall into the bloodstream. It is much better to provide your pet pig a good quality potbellied pig food such as Heartland, well-balanced diet of vegetables, and adequate grazing time than to supplement its diet with vitamins.

Some human foods are not appropriate for the pet pig. Meat, poultry, fish, cooked leftovers from the table, canned foods and alcoholic beverages should not be included in your pig’s diet. Eliminate crackers, chips, pretzels, pizza, ice cream, cookies, cakes, pies and candy, expect on very rare occasions. The foods mentioned above, if fed regularly, can cause anything from obesity to an intestinal blockage. Salt and chocolate are two foods you never want to feed to your pig. Pigs can acquire salt poisoning from having too much salt in their diets. In some cases pigs are highly allergic to chocolate. Either of these foods have the potential to kill your pet pig. In addition, should you have Oak trees in your yard, be aware your pig cannot continuously eat acorns. If a pig ingests too many acorns, over a period of time, the pig can exhibit a toxic reaction. This can even lead to death in extreme cases.

On the other hand, some misinformed people believe feeding their pig a small amount of food each day will make their pig structurally smaller than other potbellies. This is dangerous misinformation. If you underfeed your pet pig in the hopes of keeping it small, you do your pet a grave disservice. The skeletal size of a potbellied pig is directly related to its genetic makeup and not to the amount of food it eats. By underfeeding your pig, you are not allowing it to develop in a positive physical and mental manner. Potbellies are again just like people. Through under feeding you are stunting the piglet while it is trying to develop good muscle and bones. You can cause malformed bones, poor bone density, bad hair, coat and severe psychological problems and learning disabilities. In the extreme cases of underfeeding your potbellied pig, you can even cause the premature death of your pet. To keep your pig in the best condition you must help to control your pig’s diet by providing it with the correct amount of a nutritionally sound food such as any of the Heartland Products.

Suggested Feeding Guidelines:

Heartland Feeds do not have specific feeding guidelines on each bag of feed. Remember the metabolic rate of pet pigs differs. The exact amount of feed given to your pig is based on your pig’s body condition.

Piglets - Up to 12 weeks - Mini-Starter Feed
As your piglet reaches 6 weeks old it will be weaned. You can change to Heartland Mini-Starter Feed, which comes in 10-pound boxes. Gradually decrease the amount your pig is eating to approximately 1/2 cup of Mini-Starter. This 1/2 cup of feed is given to your pig three times a day. You can also begin to introduce different vegetables and fruits, one at a time. These vegetables can be a fourth meal, or you can offer them as dessert after your piglet finishes its Mini-Starter. Piglets are just like children. They have their own likes and dislikes. In some cases, they will learn to like the broccoli you offer and in some cases broccoli will be on their "No” list. A good ratio is 2/3 vegetables to 1/3 fruit. Remember each pig has its own metabolism, so adjust its food level based on your piglet’s appearance and its total calorie intake.

Piglets 12 weeks to 5/6 months - Mini-Pet Feed (Maintenance Diet)
At approximately 12 weeks old, your piglet is fed Heartland Maintenance Feed, which comes in 10 or 20 pound bags. Your piglet is now fed two times a day, approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cup of feed at each morning and evening feeding. Again, a daily salad of fresh vegetables is recommended. We suggest you limit the intake of fruits due to the unneeded extra calories and the potential harm of too much sugar in your pig’s diet. Weather permitting, be sure and allow your pig daily outside grazing time. All animals need to be in the fresh air and sunshine. Remember each pig has its own metabolism, so adjust its food level based on your piglet’s appearance and its total calorie intake (feed, vegetables & fruit, grass, and treats).

Pigs 5-6 months to 5-6 years - Mini-Pet Feed (Maintenance Diet)
The Mini-Pet Feed, offered in 10 or 20-pound bags, is designed for the young pig, through its adult life, until it reaches its elder years. Your pig can continue its daily salad, outside grazing time and healthy treats. Many pigs face obesity as they age due to unneeded calorie intake. Be sure and watch how many extra treats your pig is getting. On the other hand, when a pig has a very inefficient metabolism it can become too thin. Watch your pig closely and adjust it calories based on how its appearance. Should you pig become too fat, decrease its fruit first, then its treats, then its vegetables and finally its feed. Should your pig become too thin, increase its food first, then its vegetables, then its treats, and finally its fruit. Never discontinue its grazing time outside.

Elder Pigs – Over 5 to 6 Years - Your adult pig is fed approximately 1 to 2 cups of pig food a day, split between two meals. Of course, continue the daily salad, outside grazing time and healthy treats. As your pig ages, its dietary needs can change. All pigs have a large stomach capacity requiring a diet high in fiber. Since constipation can be a problem for some aging potbellies, it is wise to increase the fiber content of your older pig’s diet. Bulky Lax Plus, to be put on top of the pig’s feed, is designed for that purpose. Bulky Lax has proved to keep your pig regularity and to decrease the likelihood of aggression. Remember obesity and excess protein consumption will lead to the same geriatric problems we see in other animals such as arthritis, kidney failure and heart disease.

Elder-Aide GM
The first all-natural product, which is made by Heartland, aids in the discomfort or pain in pets due to old age or arthritic conditions. Heartland has combined Elder-Aide, Glucosamine and MSM, three of the best pain relief remedies available for pet pigs today, and established the best over-all pet pig pain deliverance. It is made up of an all-natural biological source of vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, digestive bacteria, yeast culture and yucca shidigera extract. This product is for pigs that are suffering from loss of memory, loss of hearing, poor muscle tone, un-thriftiness, alertness, pain and discomfort.

Recommended Additional Treats and Dietary Supplements
Acceptable special treats for your pet pig are unbuttered, unsalted popcorn, all natural cereals or crackers that contain NO salt or sugar, and fresh or dehydrated fruits or vegetables. In most cases a well balanced diet of a good potbellied pig food such as Heartland feeds and supplemental vegetables, with grazing time will provide your pig all the nutrition it needs.

Inappropriate Foods and Treats
Dog food
Alcoholic Beverages
Cat food
Chocolate Salty foods – i.e. chips & pretzels
Candy and Sugar Treats
Fatty foods – i.e. meat & pizza
Dairy Products – i.e. cheese & milk
Poisonous Plants in your yard/home

Written by Kathleen Myers for Heartland Animal Health

The Saga of Petunia

…or How We Became Unsuspecting Pig Parents
By Jennie Staub

Last Tuesday started out normal enough.  Little did we know how far from normal the next few days would become. My husband, Jay, and I woke up, fed dogs, cats, and chickens, drove to work, and decided to have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants where our friend Julie happens to work as a server.  As always, we asked to be seated in her section.  When she saw us, she immediately rushed over and without preamble asked if we had purchased our new farm yet.  We’ve been on the hunt for a new place with more acreage and more privacy and had told Julie a few weeks prior about a place we’d found further out in the country with eight acres and how, if we bought it, we planned to add to our menagerie of cats, dogs, and chickens with maybe some pigs and goats.  When we told Julie no, we didn’t have a new place yet, she sighed heavily and said how much she had hoped we did because she was going to ask a huge favor of us.  And here’s where the story gets really interesting, really fast.

Julie told us that her brother had been given a pot belly pig by a friend who, in turn, had gotten her from another friend who works at a local animal shelter.  When her brother mentioned to this friend in casual conversation that he was thinking of getting a pig to raise, his friend took him to mean a pig as a pet (we assume) and knew that a pot belly pig had been turned in at the shelter by some folks who said she wandered into their yard.  Since coming to the shelter no one had come to claim her so away she went to Julie’s brother. 

The only thing wrong with this picture is what Julie’s brother meant was he wanted to get a pig to raise for food and he had no intention of keeping a pig as a pet.  Some of his less enlightened friends (think Beverly Hillbillies-type folks) heard him mention that he needed to find a new home for the pig because he did not want to keep a pig for a pet.  Seeing a flashing neon sign saying “FREE PORK”, they offered to take the pig off his hands, have her carved into pork chops and bacon, and both sides would stock their freezers. 

Needless to say, Julie and her husband, Jerry, were appalled and beside themselves when they heard this but were in no position to take her since their neighborhood was not zoned for pet pigs.  They had been going to her brother’s house for the past week to feed and care for the pig, which they came to adore and had named Petunia, all the while trying in vain to find someone, anyone, willing to adopt her and NOT slaughter her.

I think Julie viewed us as Petunia’s last hope.  She was practically in tears telling us how the very next day her brother’s backwoods buds were coming to take Petunia away and straight to the butcher.  We agreed with her that these people were unconscionable to take and kill a pig that had never been anything other than someone’s pet.  Feeling awful, but not knowing what else to do, we left it at that, finished our lunch, and went on our way.  But I couldn’t stop thinking about that poor little girl and how I could possibly help save her from what seemed an almost inevitable fate.

On the way back to work, I thought of my sister who lives about 60 miles west of us and is very plugged in to the north Alabama animal rescue community.  I contacted her, told her the story, and she began working her contacts.Very soon she contacted me with good news.  It turned out one of her good friends, Amber, who is actively involved in rescue and fostering had her own pot belly pig, coincidentally also named Petunia, and was willing to foster our Petunia and try to find her a home…..but there was a catch.  We had to get the pig to her, some 60 miles away.  Neither Jay nor I could afford to take time off work.  Julie was scheduled to work also; however, Jerry had the time and a truck but not the financial means.  Julie doesn’t make a lot at her waitress job and Jerry is currently unemployed.  I gladly offered to give them gas money if they could deliver Petunia and they jumped at the offer.  It all seemed to be coming together and we both agreed we would sleep soundly that night knowing Petunia had a safe place to go.

The following morning, Wednesday, Jerry went to his brother-in-law’s house and got Petunia in his truck to make the long trip to drop Petunia off with Amber at the veterinarian office where she works.  Amber would get her home from there.  All seemed to going well and I breathed a sigh of relief that Petunia was safe from the butcher and would be well cared for until a home could be found.  The original plan was that Amber would keep our Petunia with her Petunia in her backyard, and work on finding her a forever home.  By this time in the process, I was already sold on adopting Petunia myself IF (and it was a big if) I could figure out a place to keep her.  My dear husband, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of my decision.  We have two acres at our current residence but none of it is fenced except for a portion of the backyard where the dogs stay and three adjoining garden plots which are set up with welded wire fence.  We have been using them as extra roaming space for our flock of chickens.  I decided we could retrofit one area to be fit for a pig and estimated that we could have her back with us in a week or two. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans….

I awoke the next morning, Thursday, to an urgent text message from Amber that said she was terribly sorry but didn’t think this was going to work out after all and needed me to come get the pig.  It turned out that our Petunia was a good 70 pounds heavier and several inches taller and wider than her Petunia and she was afraid to leave them alone unsupervised, plus our Petunia had charged at her dogs upon seeing them.  To make matters even worse, Petunia had bitten Amber’s foot the previous evening in her anxiousness to get to the food that she was bringing her.  Amber was just afraid she was going to be too much to handle.  My heart sank.  What were we going to do now?  By this time, I had sold Jay on the idea of having a pet pig (surprisingly easier than I expected) and we had a quick brainstorming session.  We decided we could get something put together by Saturday. We asked Amber if she could possibly keep Petunia until we could make it over Saturday afternoon to pick her up.  She had a 10x10 chain-link kennel that she sometimes used for rescued dogs and she could put Petunia in there for a couple of days.  Now the clock was ticking louder and we really had to get to work.

Friday afternoon we both left work after lunch and ran to our local feed store to purchase a truckload of straw bales and a large molded plastic dog house similar to the one Amber said Petunia was already sleeping in at her house.  The fenced area I wanted to put her in had been our garden this past summer and still had all of the tomato cages, the remains of the plants that had just recently died off, and snaking through it all a long half-buried soaker hose. 

All of that had to be torn down or pulled up, and the plants dug up and removed, specifically the tomato plants, because I know they are poisonous to many animals.  We worked HARD for several hours and finally had a double stacked row of straw bales along the fence Petunia would share with the main chicken run, effectively blocking her view just in case she decided to try and “play” with the chickens.  We had a large pallet we had kept to use as a foundation for a new dog house but hadn’t yet so we brought that out, put her house on top, and then stacked straw bales around it for insulation.  The last bales we stacked one tall along the opposite end of the pen where the fence is shared with one of the older garden plots that the chickens are allowed into each day to scratch and explore.

We knew from Amber’s description, and a few pictures she sent me, that our little Petunia was not so little after all.  She was a big girl weighing in at perhaps 100-120 pounds and just a little shorter than knee high.  Amber had also tried putting a makeshift harness on Petunia the day she got her and Petunia freaked out, telling Amber that no one had ever harness or leash trained her.  Our original idea of leading her out on a leash, picking her up and placing her into the bed of the truck went flying out the window.  After reading about ramps on the Pigs 4 Ever website, I told Jay that’s what we needed – a nice sturdy ramp with little cross sections of wood tacked on so she could get traction and not slip…AND it was a job I was assigning to him.  He nodded his head and assumed the mantle of patient long suffering he wears whenever I decide we need to adopt a new pet and he is tasked to help.  Soon after, the sound of his table saw could be heard whining away in the garage and soon there emerged a very nice ramp.

Amber worked until noon on Saturday so we planned to leave our house in the late morning.  This would give us plenty of time to stop at Tractor Supply on the way to pick up pig chow, suitable food and water bowls, then on to Amber’s house to load Petunia and get back home with plenty of daylight left to get her settled in.  One of our three dogs sleeps in an XL wire crate each night so we borrowed it to transport Petunia and put lots of nice fresh straw in the bottom so she would feel more secure and her hooves wouldn’t slide.  We loaded up the rapidly made but surprisingly sturdy ramp in the truck bed alongside the kennel and headed west.

For those of you who have pet pigs, I’m sure I’m not telling you anything new when I say wrangling a pig the size of Petunia and getting her to go where she doesn’t want to go and to do what she doesn’t want to do is no small feat indeed, but when that pig doesn’t know you and has recently been shaken up from being shuttled from one place to another and another, it’s practically impossible.  We were woefully unprepared for just how difficult it would be getting her out the small fenced area where she had been sequestered, along approximately 15 feet of fence line, around the corner, and through the gate where we had backed the truck and lowered the ramp.  I believe it took us at least seven attempts (maybe more), and several handfuls of dog food as an enticement, just to get her to the gate.  Once we got Petunia to the open gate, Jay got behind her and partially closed the gate so she couldn’t back up, and then it was up to all three of us, with more dog food dropped up the ramp, to push, pull, and bribe her all the way up the ramp and into the kennel.  Jay and I had just experienced our first, but I’m sure not last, up close and personal encounter with a creature whose personality traits had spawned the word “pigheaded”.  We caught our breath, thanked Amber again for being so gracious to take Petunia in,then we headed back home.

Once we arrived home, it was surprisingly easy to get her into her new pen.  We backed the truck as close to the gate as we could and lowered the ramp.  With Jay using a blunt wooden garden stake to gently encourage from behind and me waving a bowl of her new pig chow under her nose, it only took just two tries to get her to make the trip back down the ramp.  She made a beeline for the southwest corner of her new pen, squatted and pee’d a gallon.  With that accomplished, she leisurely explored all four sides of her pen, sniffing and grunting her apparent approval. She inspected her house by walking in, burying her nose in the straw, and coming back out with straw draped over her head.  Seemingly satisfied with her new digs, she settled in to eat her dinner.  I stayed out with her for a while to let her get used to me and eventually she stood still for me to scratch her back.  She bowed her back and the next thing I knew she flopped down on her side for a belly rub, grunting happily. At that point I knew I could tell Julie that the saga of Petunia was going to have a happy ending. 

It’s been only a week since she came to us and already she has grunted and squealed her way into our hearts.  Cold weather arrived here today, a bit earlier than expected, and next week is forecast to be even colder.  We will be building her a lean-to this weekend so she will have a better place to stay warm and dry that is much larger than just her little house in the midst of the straw bales.  Her new Busy Ball is on order and should arrive tomorrow.  Next up is a harness and leash so we can begin that training process.  I look forward to the day when we are comfortable enough to allow her to roam and graze outside her pen and she can finally know that she has nothing to fear ever again.