What Should I Feed My Pig?
Nutrition and the potbellied pig is a complex concern. There are many variables to consider. Pigs do not have a thalamus so they think they are constantly hungry. They will do anything for food! Keeping this in mind, you must help to control your pig's diet by providing it with the correct amount of nutritionally sound food.
Your pet pig cannot eat all it wants, whenever it wants. Potbellied pigs are omnivorous animals in that they eat 
almost anything. They will eat both vegetables and meats. Some foods such as dog food, cat food, sugar, meat/poultry/fish, dairy products, cooked leftovers from the table, canned foods and alcoholic beverages cannot be included in your pig's diet. Also 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 and in some cases pigs are highly allergic to chocolate. Either of these foods have the potential to kill your pet pig. Be sure to keep all indoor and outdoor toxic plants out of your pig's reach. Also, should you have Oak Trees in your yard, be aware that your pig cannot be allowed to eat the acorns on continuously. If a pig ingests too many acorns, over a period of time, the pig can exhibit a toxic reaction.
Your pig's diet begins with a good quality pig food, which has been especially formulated for potbellied pigs. Depending on your area in the country, this food can be purchased through feed stores and pet stores. If necessary it can be ordered and shipped directly to your home. It is important to provide your pig with adequate grazing time in your yard to add roughage to its diet. If this is not possible, a green salad will do the same thing. Be sure to 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 (remember Iceberg Lettuce has little nutritional value), bell pepper, cabbage, spinach and broccoli can be fed in larger qualities. 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. But you should not include foods by-products such as the husks from corn, artichokes leaves, whole fruits with pits or seeds still inside. Speaking of fruits, it is a good idea to limit the amount of fruit your pig eats each day. In some cases too much sugar has been thought to cause pigs to display bad behavior. Pigs prefer sweet tasting foods, but some pigs seem to have a sugar intolerance. A suggested serving ratio of 2/3 vegetables to 1/3 fruit is recommended.
Some pigs alternate between eating and drinking throughout the entire meal. This behavior may be caused by your pig preferring its meals to be moist, or it could have decided to use water to make itself feel fuller after eating. In the worst cases the pig will actually eat, drink and urinate all at the same time. By allowing you pig to eat and drink you may make your pig urinate more frequently and interfere with normal housebreaking. There is an easy method for solving this bad habit. Simply moisten your pig's food and lift the water bowl during meal times. Replace the water bowl about 15 minutes after the pig has finished eating. By doing this for your pet pig, it will have the necessary time it needs to realize it has eaten enough food. Also by replacing the pig's bowl, your pig will be able to drink the necessary amount of water it needs each day to keep it healthy.
Weight control is an important issue for every potbellied pig owner. You need to note that 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 closely watch the development and weight gain of your potbellied pig. Because food makes a pig so happy, it is easy to overfeed your pig. This overfeeding will lead to severe disabling diseases and physical problems, such as coronary artery disease, premature arthritis and joint disease, possible blindness due to heavy fat accumulations around the eyes, as well as negative behavior due to pain caused by its overweight condition.
On the other hand, some people believe that by feeding their pig a small amount of food each day, they will cause their pig to be structurally smaller in size. This is misinformation. By underfeeding 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 is given. 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 underfeeding and "stunting", 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.
© Kathleen Myers 2000, All Rights Reserved Worldwide
The Complete Guide to the Care and Training of Pet Potbellied Pigs
By Kathleen Myers.
For Ordering Information Go To.
almost anything. They will eat both vegetables and meats. Some foods such as dog food, cat food, sugar, meat/poultry/fish, dairy products, cooked leftovers from the table, canned foods and alcoholic beverages cannot be included in your pig's diet. Also 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 and in some cases pigs are highly allergic to chocolate. Either of these foods have the potential to kill your pet pig. Be sure to keep all indoor and outdoor toxic plants out of your pig's reach. Also, should you have Oak Trees in your yard, be aware that your pig cannot be allowed to eat the acorns on continuously. If a pig ingests too many acorns, over a period of time, the pig can exhibit a toxic reaction. By Kathleen Myers.
For Ordering Information Go To.
