Pot bellied pigs
- Thread starter momof3
- Start date
I have one...and I am about to get a second one.
If I can provide you with any advice it's SPAY/NEUTER them. They make far better pets if you do. It is also MUCH harder to do if you wait until they display unwanted sexual behavior (or in males SOMETIMES aggressive, dominate, territorial behavior) because they get big and heavy fast.
Not spaying or neutering is often the reason so many of these guys are in rescue centers all over the US. They start displaying behaviors that make them less desireable.
It only costs about 95 dollars to fix them.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask. I love being a pot belly owner and I think they are wonderful affectionate pets.
If I can provide you with any advice it's SPAY/NEUTER them. They make far better pets if you do. It is also MUCH harder to do if you wait until they display unwanted sexual behavior (or in males SOMETIMES aggressive, dominate, territorial behavior) because they get big and heavy fast.
Not spaying or neutering is often the reason so many of these guys are in rescue centers all over the US. They start displaying behaviors that make them less desireable.
It only costs about 95 dollars to fix them.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask. I love being a pot belly owner and I think they are wonderful affectionate pets.
Moon- Is it true that you have to feed them a special diet to keep them from getting big?
I have a funny story re. a pot belly pig. My neighbor has two of them and the black one is quite an escape artist. I was riding my horse one day (we have horse trails instead of sidewalks, very cool!) and I saw the black one running down the middle of the street full speed and sqweeling like the devil was chasing it!
My horse about had a heart attack!
Then, on Easter last year, the pig got out and rooted my next door neighbor's grass!
I have a funny story re. a pot belly pig. My neighbor has two of them and the black one is quite an escape artist. I was riding my horse one day (we have horse trails instead of sidewalks, very cool!) and I saw the black one running down the middle of the street full speed and sqweeling like the devil was chasing it!
Then, on Easter last year, the pig got out and rooted my next door neighbor's grass!
Pigs are smarter than dogs and they are great! I have never had one but I work for someone who did and her pig was the best. One thing you have to watch is their weight because if they get too fat thier health can be at risk. Buying specially made food is worth it. She used Mazuri mini-pig feed, it has all the right nutrition and keeps their weight down. You can keep the pig in the house and raise it pretty much like a dog, they are easily housetrained and prefer to do their business in one place. You can also have them live outside but thats just not as much fun.
One thing you have to watch is their weight because if they get too fat thier health can be at risk. Buying specially made food is worth it. She used Mazuri mini-pig feed, it has all the right nutrition and keeps their weight down.
Yep, this is the exact right answer.
Pot belly pigs are going to get somewhere between 150 to 200 lbs.
UNDERFEEDING them is just as bad....some people do this to keep them small. In my opinion that is abusive. Especially underfeeding piglets. It can cause their bones to malform or be weak and brittle.
They need to eat about 2 cups of food twice a day. What causes them to get very overweight is too many treats or feeding them a lot of table scraps.
I will tell you honestly I DO give some kitchen scraps, but I am selective. I don't give my pigs too much "fattening" stuff. The same stuff that causes US to be fat, causes them to be as well. IE watch out for cake, cookies or other sweets, cornbread or other breads(save that for your chickens). Too many fruits is not so great either.
I do give the occasional apple (he loves those) and carrots. But not everyday.
Lettuce is a favorite too, but as with everything else, use moderation.
I know some people give partially spoiled food to hogs. But I wouldn't recommend it for pot bellies. You may end up with a sick pig.
Yep, this is the exact right answer.
Pot belly pigs are going to get somewhere between 150 to 200 lbs.
UNDERFEEDING them is just as bad....some people do this to keep them small. In my opinion that is abusive. Especially underfeeding piglets. It can cause their bones to malform or be weak and brittle.
They need to eat about 2 cups of food twice a day. What causes them to get very overweight is too many treats or feeding them a lot of table scraps.
I will tell you honestly I DO give some kitchen scraps, but I am selective. I don't give my pigs too much "fattening" stuff. The same stuff that causes US to be fat, causes them to be as well. IE watch out for cake, cookies or other sweets, cornbread or other breads(save that for your chickens). Too many fruits is not so great either.
I do give the occasional apple (he loves those) and carrots. But not everyday.
Lettuce is a favorite too, but as with everything else, use moderation.
I know some people give partially spoiled food to hogs. But I wouldn't recommend it for pot bellies. You may end up with a sick pig.
and I saw the black one running down the middle of the street full speed and sqweeling like the devil was chasing it! gig
Oh man CarriBrown, I have a story for you.
When I have more time I'll relay it, but the short story of it was I chased my piglet for 28 hours!
Oh man CarriBrown, I have a story for you.
When I have more time I'll relay it, but the short story of it was I chased my piglet for 28 hours!
Please remember that they will mature at about 250 lb.
If you restrict their feed too much, you can endanger their health, as well as if you overfeed them.
They still get to be big pigs, just not as big as the "normal" ones. I was at a sale a few weeks ago that ran 2 hogs through and each one weighed over 1000 lbs. each.
Now, they were big pigs!!!
We have one pot-bellied pig right now, he is adorable. He weighs about 50 lbs right now. They do like to root up anything and everything, and it doesn't take one long to ruin a flower garden, a nice lawn, etc.
I think we are going to have to put a ring in Spanky's nose to control his rooting if we continue to let him have free roam of the yard.
They are quite entertaining, and demanding. Spanky demands to be petted by bumping us with his snout, and squealing. Once he gets his belly rubbed and has has his petting, he goes off about his business of destroying the yard.
We really enjoy the little toot.
Jean
If you restrict their feed too much, you can endanger their health, as well as if you overfeed them.
They still get to be big pigs, just not as big as the "normal" ones. I was at a sale a few weeks ago that ran 2 hogs through and each one weighed over 1000 lbs. each.
Now, they were big pigs!!!
We have one pot-bellied pig right now, he is adorable. He weighs about 50 lbs right now. They do like to root up anything and everything, and it doesn't take one long to ruin a flower garden, a nice lawn, etc.
I think we are going to have to put a ring in Spanky's nose to control his rooting if we continue to let him have free roam of the yard.
They are quite entertaining, and demanding. Spanky demands to be petted by bumping us with his snout, and squealing. Once he gets his belly rubbed and has has his petting, he goes off about his business of destroying the yard.
We really enjoy the little toot.
Jean
Oh wow, Jean! A ring? Does that work? Does it hurt them...or make them very unhappy? I heard if they can't root they get very edgy and upset.
Yeah, my lawn is toast. No I mean really....it's officially a mud pit. LOL. I have him confined off to the side-yard, but that entire area has been rooted up.
I just bought several bales of hay and threw it over the entire area, so at least when it rains it doesn't get SO gross.
Yeah, my lawn is toast. No I mean really....it's officially a mud pit. LOL. I have him confined off to the side-yard, but that entire area has been rooted up.
I just bought several bales of hay and threw it over the entire area, so at least when it rains it doesn't get SO gross.
I've never put a ring in the nose of a pet pig. We have done it to the wild ones we have trapped, to keep them from digging out of their pen.
I imagine it hurts when you do it, kinda like getting your ears pierced without deadening them. And I also imagine it hurts a bit when they go to rooting, kinda like pulling on an earing.
If it hurts, they quit. I don't think it hurts just to have it there, only when they start rooting and the dirt will pull it & it will hurt, so they quit.
Spanky got locked up in a very large pen today, he decided to trot down the driveway, and we live on a very busy highway. So his wandering days are over, unless the driveway gate is closed. He is not a happy camper, and the pen is right along the road, so I'm sure it will be destroyed before very long. (Will look very appealing from the road...ha ha ha) He runs up to the fence, and flops over to be scratched & rubbed, but I can't get to him through the fence. This also makes him unhappy.
This is my baby goat pen, so we will have to fix him his own pen, just don't know when we will be able to do that. I'm trying to talk DH into a little girl for him, he is still intact, but I haven't gotten him talked into it yet. If he says NO, we will have to get him fixed, he has a ball that he is "in love" with at the moment.
There is never a dull moment around here!!!
Jean
I imagine it hurts when you do it, kinda like getting your ears pierced without deadening them. And I also imagine it hurts a bit when they go to rooting, kinda like pulling on an earing.
If it hurts, they quit. I don't think it hurts just to have it there, only when they start rooting and the dirt will pull it & it will hurt, so they quit.
Spanky got locked up in a very large pen today, he decided to trot down the driveway, and we live on a very busy highway. So his wandering days are over, unless the driveway gate is closed. He is not a happy camper, and the pen is right along the road, so I'm sure it will be destroyed before very long. (Will look very appealing from the road...ha ha ha) He runs up to the fence, and flops over to be scratched & rubbed, but I can't get to him through the fence. This also makes him unhappy.
This is my baby goat pen, so we will have to fix him his own pen, just don't know when we will be able to do that. I'm trying to talk DH into a little girl for him, he is still intact, but I haven't gotten him talked into it yet. If he says NO, we will have to get him fixed, he has a ball that he is "in love" with at the moment.
There is never a dull moment around here!!!
Jean
Yeah, my little guy is scheduled to be fixed on the 16th. He is only 4 months, but I realized it was a bit overdue when I saw him running around his pen dragging. Ummm, yeah....dragging.
And oh my gosh I got a biology lesson that day. I had no idea they were...er...corkscrew shaped.
I nearly choked on my morning coffee.
After the coughing subsided I called the vet and made an appt.
And oh my gosh I got a biology lesson that day. I had no idea they were...er...corkscrew shaped.
After the coughing subsided I called the vet and made an appt.
New experiences are very memorable sometimes!!!!
Jean
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