~Pig Care/Information~
We try to inform the best we can about the care of pigs so you can make a good decision on wether a pig is the right pet for you. They are definately not the pet for everyone and can NEVER live in an apartment or condo with no yard. The care is different than for a dog and they do need a lot of attention and time. Do not buy a pig in impulse or for a present for someone, they are an exotic pet that requires patience and research. Please get books (see recommended reading below) about them and be well informed before coming to see the pigs so you know what to expect.
Pig Info and Care:
Advantages: Long Life Span (12-18yrs), Clean and Odor Free, Non-allergenic in most cases, no fleas, no shedding, easy to train, no barking, low maintenance, affectionate, clean, highly intelligent (4th smartest animal in world)- can be trained for litterbox, tricks, harness and more!
Disadvantages: You may not be zoned to own a pig, check with the city if you are in city limits, finding a vet who treats mini pigs can be hard-be sure to have the name of one on hand, Pigs can become spoiled and manipulative, they require a commitment of time and energy, they can become aggressive if they get away with bad behaviors and need to be reinforced, aggressive behavior cannot be tolerated as well as any biting
Disadvantages: You may not be zoned to own a pig, check with the city if you are in city limits, finding a vet who treats mini pigs can be hard-be sure to have the name of one on hand, Pigs can become spoiled and manipulative, they require a commitment of time and energy, they can become aggressive if they get away with bad behaviors and need to be reinforced, aggressive behavior cannot be tolerated as well as any biting
Size full grown: The babies born here should mature somewhere around 30-60lbs full grown and 11-14" tall, so a cocker spaniel or bulldog size as long as you feed it properly. These are micro mini pigs, normal potbelly pigs are 100lbs or more. Any pig is capable of becoming overweight and it is the owners responsibility to carefully manage their pigs food intake and exercise routine. We do not lie about our pigs size like most all mini pig breeders, I am the only one in WA with true micro pigs. Please always ask for pictures of parents, recent ones and next to something for size comparison, see our pig parents page for pictures of all parents.
Diet: It is easy for a pig to get fat, they are pigs! Especially a pig of this size that remains very small. A baby pig up to 4 months old should be getting 1-1.5 cups of feed divided into 2 feedings a day. As an adult, they only need about a cup divided in 2 feedings plus veggies and grass time. This amount is a guideline and should be adjusted based on your pigs body condition. If your pig is developing rolls around the face and you have a hard time feeling the hip bones, your pig is getting obese and should be fed less. On the other hand if your pig feels skinny then it needs more feed. The feed I recommend and use is Mazuri Mini Pig Active Adult that is at most feed stores in the US, please get this before your pig goes home in case your store needs to order it for you. Another website for great pig food is www.healthypigs.com which has an amazing selection of skin/hair products, shampoos, vitamins, harnesses and more.
As well as having pig food daily, they also need to be supplemented with some fresh vegetables that should be about 25% of their diet. Things such as cucumbers, celery, peppers, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, frozen peas, eggplant, squash and green beans are good choices (but try to limit starchy veggies like potatoes). Some fruits like peaches, apples, pears and plums can be fed as well but in moderation due to the high sugar content. Most pigs love treats like apples, grapes and raisins but these are good to be used as treats and reserved for training purposes. Do not feed your pig dog and cat food, it is much too high in protein for them. Also do not feed them chocolate or salty things. They love plain air popped popcorn as a treat, just no salt and also raw unsalted peanuts are a good training treat as well as frozen peas.
Extra fiber can be added to their diet by providing them with alfalfa hay and bran. I feed mine orchard grass hay daily and they love it but it is messy in the house so as a snack outside maybe..;)
I also feed my pigs one children's chewable vitamin daily and also vitamin E or fish oil gel cap, just the 200mg ones which is great for their skin. Can also add 1 tablespoon olive oil on food daily for skin.
Pigs should be allowed the opportunity to root in soil and graze on grass (not treated with chemicals). Even if it is a 10x10 area fenced in your yard just for the pig to dig up, they will love it! Also can put dirt in a kiddie pool for them to play in. They cannot live in a 10X10 area, that is just for them to play in dirt.
Make sure your pig always has fresh water available. They love their water and I often have two bowls for mine since they go through it so fast.
Do not feed your pig directly from the fridge or your pig may quickly become an expert at opening the fridge..:)
Do not give into begging or your pig is likely to become a pest and beg constantly.
Care: They are pretty easy to care for but need some maintenance. They should be bathed every so often to clean their skin but not more than every 2 months as it dries them out. You can do this in a kid pool in the summertime or in a tub in the winter. You must feed them the whole bath as they do not like them much..;) you can use dog or baby shampoo on them. For their dry skin you can put Avon Skin-So-Soft Lotion on them daily or weekly, can also use baby oil, but it makes a mess.
On a hot summer day put a kiddie pool out for them with a step to help them in until full grown. Fill the pool half way or so, they will roll and play in it to cool off...:)
The worming medicine helps with the dry skin so be sure to worm your pig every 3-4 months with liquid ivermectin (Ivomec) wormer for pigs and cows. You can get this at any feed store for $50. If your pig is ever itching like crazy on everything then it needs to be wormed or treated with baby oil. Your vet can also worm them or I can tell you how, it is very easy to give to them orally, do not inject them with the wormer.
As well as having pig food daily, they also need to be supplemented with some fresh vegetables that should be about 25% of their diet. Things such as cucumbers, celery, peppers, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, frozen peas, eggplant, squash and green beans are good choices (but try to limit starchy veggies like potatoes). Some fruits like peaches, apples, pears and plums can be fed as well but in moderation due to the high sugar content. Most pigs love treats like apples, grapes and raisins but these are good to be used as treats and reserved for training purposes. Do not feed your pig dog and cat food, it is much too high in protein for them. Also do not feed them chocolate or salty things. They love plain air popped popcorn as a treat, just no salt and also raw unsalted peanuts are a good training treat as well as frozen peas.
Extra fiber can be added to their diet by providing them with alfalfa hay and bran. I feed mine orchard grass hay daily and they love it but it is messy in the house so as a snack outside maybe..;)
I also feed my pigs one children's chewable vitamin daily and also vitamin E or fish oil gel cap, just the 200mg ones which is great for their skin. Can also add 1 tablespoon olive oil on food daily for skin.
Pigs should be allowed the opportunity to root in soil and graze on grass (not treated with chemicals). Even if it is a 10x10 area fenced in your yard just for the pig to dig up, they will love it! Also can put dirt in a kiddie pool for them to play in. They cannot live in a 10X10 area, that is just for them to play in dirt.
Make sure your pig always has fresh water available. They love their water and I often have two bowls for mine since they go through it so fast.
Do not feed your pig directly from the fridge or your pig may quickly become an expert at opening the fridge..:)
Do not give into begging or your pig is likely to become a pest and beg constantly.
Care: They are pretty easy to care for but need some maintenance. They should be bathed every so often to clean their skin but not more than every 2 months as it dries them out. You can do this in a kid pool in the summertime or in a tub in the winter. You must feed them the whole bath as they do not like them much..;) you can use dog or baby shampoo on them. For their dry skin you can put Avon Skin-So-Soft Lotion on them daily or weekly, can also use baby oil, but it makes a mess.
On a hot summer day put a kiddie pool out for them with a step to help them in until full grown. Fill the pool half way or so, they will roll and play in it to cool off...:)
The worming medicine helps with the dry skin so be sure to worm your pig every 3-4 months with liquid ivermectin (Ivomec) wormer for pigs and cows. You can get this at any feed store for $50. If your pig is ever itching like crazy on everything then it needs to be wormed or treated with baby oil. Your vet can also worm them or I can tell you how, it is very easy to give to them orally, do not inject them with the wormer.
Their ears may become crusty and this is somewhat normal as their skin by their ears and neck does get flakey. You can clean them with a washcloth and lightly scrub them if they allow. Q-tips can be used but please be very careful with them. It wouldn't hurt to use ear cleaner on them every now and then, I like the epi otic cleaner for dogs. Don't squirt it down in their ear, just put it on cotton swabs and gently rub their ears. I try to do this when they are eating so they don't get upset..:)
If their skin becomes red, or they have any hair loss, please contact me or a vet. They will need to be treated with ivermectin wormer and maybe some medicine, mange is a common problem with their skin and it does need to be treated.
Their hooves do not grow too fast but they may need to be trimmed twice a yr or so. Just check to make sure they are not getting too long on the edges and if they need trimming use some sharp garden shears to trim the hoof edges, there is info online about this as well.
Make sure your pig has enough exercise. They should be able to run daily either in a large room inside or out in the yard. They need to burn off energy. You can also play with them to get them exercise or have them learn tricks to keep their mind occupied.
Vet Care: Should see a qualified potbelly pig vet once a yr for a general exam and fecal test to make sure they are healthy. If you want a list of potbelly vets in the area, e-mail me. They can get a yearly shot, but just ask the vet what they recommend.
NEVER Ever Hit your pig for any reason, they will never forget and may never trust you again, you must train them to stop the bad behavior, hurting them does nothing, they are very sensitive animals. You may tap their nose firmly and say no though-effective
This is a good website on care as well as the books I recommend and has videos on training them-for bigger potbellies but same care guidelines- click HERE
Bedding: Pigs love to sleep! And nothing is better to them than a nice clean bed. Mine love soft fleece blankets. Sleeping bags are ok if opened but they can get stuck in them if left closed. They love to burrow under the blankets and sleep. Be sure to wash your pigs bed every week or so, your pig will love it!
Litterbox bedding- use white shavings or wood pellets for their litterbox, do not use cat litter as they will eat it. You will need to scoop their box daily and be sure to get a litterbox that is low enough in the front for a pig. A lot of people use a rubbermaid plastic bin that they cut one side out low so they can step in.
Here is how we keep them when inside to sleep and when we are gone.
If their skin becomes red, or they have any hair loss, please contact me or a vet. They will need to be treated with ivermectin wormer and maybe some medicine, mange is a common problem with their skin and it does need to be treated.
Their hooves do not grow too fast but they may need to be trimmed twice a yr or so. Just check to make sure they are not getting too long on the edges and if they need trimming use some sharp garden shears to trim the hoof edges, there is info online about this as well.
Make sure your pig has enough exercise. They should be able to run daily either in a large room inside or out in the yard. They need to burn off energy. You can also play with them to get them exercise or have them learn tricks to keep their mind occupied.
Vet Care: Should see a qualified potbelly pig vet once a yr for a general exam and fecal test to make sure they are healthy. If you want a list of potbelly vets in the area, e-mail me. They can get a yearly shot, but just ask the vet what they recommend.
NEVER Ever Hit your pig for any reason, they will never forget and may never trust you again, you must train them to stop the bad behavior, hurting them does nothing, they are very sensitive animals. You may tap their nose firmly and say no though-effective
This is a good website on care as well as the books I recommend and has videos on training them-for bigger potbellies but same care guidelines- click HERE
Bedding: Pigs love to sleep! And nothing is better to them than a nice clean bed. Mine love soft fleece blankets. Sleeping bags are ok if opened but they can get stuck in them if left closed. They love to burrow under the blankets and sleep. Be sure to wash your pigs bed every week or so, your pig will love it!
Litterbox bedding- use white shavings or wood pellets for their litterbox, do not use cat litter as they will eat it. You will need to scoop their box daily and be sure to get a litterbox that is low enough in the front for a pig. A lot of people use a rubbermaid plastic bin that they cut one side out low so they can step in.
Here is how we keep them when inside to sleep and when we are gone.
Recommended Reading: If you want to know what to expect with your new pig, house train and how to understand them, you must get "Potbellied Pig Behavior and Training" By Priscilla Valentine. I would order this well before your pig arrives, it is really a must have for a new pig owner. I also recommend getting some general potbelly pig care books. The mini's care is the same as a bigger potbelly except the food amounts.
Website to order custom pig harness CLICK HERE
Great website for more info: http://www.jenniferjo.com/Pig_info.htm
It is a potbellied pig site with bigger pigs but the care info is the same for both
And another GREAT site with TONS more info that you should read when you have time is this one CLICK HERE
Great website for more info: http://www.jenniferjo.com/Pig_info.htm
It is a potbellied pig site with bigger pigs but the care info is the same for both
And another GREAT site with TONS more info that you should read when you have time is this one CLICK HERE
Website for lots of Pig Q & A if you have an issue that comes up with your pig is this one CLICK HERE
