pot belly pigs - looking for info/answers!

[colowyo0809]

Here you go, try these books. If you don't want to buy them, you can always see if your local library has them, or you can use interlibrary loan to get them that way, to decide if you want to buy them.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guid...=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295617016&sr=1-3 - this one was well liked by readers, but temporarily unavailable

http://www.amazon.com/Bellies-Minia...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295617091&sr=1-2 - this one wasn't very well thought of by one reader,and it sounded like they had good reasons for it, but others liked it

http://www.amazon.com/Pot-Bellied-Pigs-As-Family-Pet/dp/086622081X/ref=pd_sim_b_5 - this one was reviewed by one one person, who thought it was a good starter book, but not the best. also, it was published in 1993

You can also check Barnes & Noble, or Borders, or really any book store

Having books on hand will definitly help, I know it has with both chickens and ducks

 

[Stevo]

Pigs are way smarter than dogs. Our piggy (Lilly) roams the farm all day. She has a stall in the barn but prefers to sleep in the house. We have a dog crate in the house she uses. She plays with the chickens and likes to hang out with them. My neighbor which is a mile away has a male pig (Oinkers). Oink walks threw the woods twice a day to visit me. Like I said they are very smart. If you let yours out every morning to interact with you and the other critters it will be fine. They like to rub on trees to get old hair off of them. I feed Lilly twice a day. She gets mini pig food about a cup twice a day. For a treat I give her dog bisquits. She luvs the basted ones. Once a week we rub her down real good with hand softner. It helps her skin from getting too dry. If your pigs eyes start to look squinty you are feeding too much.

Lilly at Christmas

Hangin with my daughter the couch potatoe lol

Oinkers! (He looks mean but is very gentel with everyone)

 

[birdbrain5]

she is too cute! im trying to get another female from the woman i got her from. i cant wait until i can let them out to roam on the farm, i do hope i can eventually and that they will stick around. i will wait until she/they are much bigger tho. i have barn cats, dogs, chickens, guineas, horses, and trying to get a couple sheep so theres plenty to play with! right now im wetting down a handful of pellets, looks to make about 2 oz of mush. im giving that twice a day. i havent started with any treats i thought she might be a little young for that yet.
im trying to get her used to wearing a harness, shes doing good so far. she got out of it once! id like to walk her around the farm on a leash before i let her loose, so she knows the property.
i have electric tape fence for the horses, i think once shes full grown she wont fit under the bottom strand. how do pigs do with electric fence? also part of the property has barbed wire from when we moved here, we left it, will she go thru that?

 

[Stevo]

Lilly walked out the front gate once on us to the road. She only did it one time but we make sure there is always someone out there with her now when she is on the loose. If I am out working around the farm she follows me. If I get too far from her she will run like a greyhound to catch up with me lol. You will be surprised how fast they are. Pigs are like tanks. If they want to get threw something there is no stopping them. If there is food on the other side of your fence (they luv acorns) she will go out there. I would put her back in her pen if no one is outside to keep an eye on her. Lilly will go out in the woods when the acorns are falling. They learn fast. They will come to you when you call them. They are very obedient as long as food isnt involved lol. Lilly can stand on her hind legs. Sit. Come. Lay down if you rub her belly lol. If she is in the house and needs to go potty she will stand by the door and oink to go out. If I could teach her to point pheasants I would never own another dog lol.

 

[birdbrain5]

thats great, i hope my little one will be as friendly and obediant.

well i came up with a few more questions today! when i spend time with her i go out in her stall and sit with her, she lets me pet her and if i start scratching her belly sometimes she falls over lol so funny. i pick her up a lot and shes been much more calm about it, she used to squeel like crazy. now she comes running up and nudges me and jumps up into my lap oinking and squeeling, she loves to be in my lap. i put her down and she keeps coming back up, is this a bad habbit to let her get into? she seems very insistant so im not sure if shes being "rude" or just wanting to be with me. also, i touch her feet a lot which she doesnt seem to mind, but today she actually kind of bit at me, how do i correct that? i was told negative disipline doesnt work, if she was a dog i would tap her on the nose, but being a pig im not sure how to correct it. dont want her biting me when shes older! also she grabs at my clothes too. all in all shes getting very friendly and comfortable, but also a little bold so im wondering if i need to nip some things in the bud or is this all normal?

also- shes fine about the harness being on her, and i let the leash trail behind her and shes been fine about that, i put a little presure on it to see what she did and as expected she freaked. how do you get them used to walking with you and yielding to the pressure?

thanks everyone, i think im going to look into those books too!

 

[redhen]

I also feed my pigs only one cup of MINI pig food, 2 x a day. If i see they are getting too fat, i just cut down the food for a while.
Yes, your right..the LAST thing you want is your piggy to get fat. Its a death sentence.

And most days i also give them warm food at night.(Fridge leftovers)..In the winter time.
And in the summer they get extra veggies from my garden daily or a few times a week.
I also put a bale of hay in their barn..they eat it all up.
They're starting to get too fat now

..but i dont want to cut calories right now, cause their outside and its cold, winter time here right now.

OOh..and a BIG piece of advice.... get a PIG harness(they WILL get out of a regular dog harness, you need a PIG one),and USE it EVERY day now, and take them for walks.. They will be sooooooo much easier to handle when they get big.
AND... baths ands feet trimming. Do it NOW... ALOT.. so they dont fight you when they get older.
I didnt do it enough..and its HELL to bathe them now.
AND.. use FOOD to train them to like it. Food ALWAYS works to train a pig. Use something good they like. I used scrambled eggs alot to train mine.

 

[birdbrain5]

redhen, where can i get a pig harness? ... i used to live in mass! south of boston, so i know how those winters are, cooolllld and long.
when you trained them to walk how did you get them used to the pressure of the leash, one she feels pressure she freaks.
any advice about the biting? is this just her exploring or is she actually biting? how do i correct her?

 

[redhen]

Quote:
OKay the nipping.. you have to get a handle on in now. Shes VERY smart..and shes trying to boss you around. Shes TELLING you to feed her or pet her..whatever...
If my pigs EVER nip at me... they (at first)..get a pop on their snout. And a VERY firm "NO Bite!" Easy!"... And they will squeal and get offended..but they will be fine! They need to know NOW that you will NOT be lower than them in the herd. (pigs have a herd/pack thing JUST like dogs!..so you HAVE to be top hog... or they will challenge you ALL THE TIME)
Now... after you pop them on the snout... that should work. If they come at you again to bite... shove them back(using their shoulders)..quick and hard, so they go off their feet for a second... MAKE them retreat. (thats how pigs fight in the wild), and you'll be telling them that youre bigger/ stronger than them. NEVER EVER back down from them..or you'll be sorry.
BUT... NEVER EVER be mean or unfair to them about punishment. ONE pop on the snout will work. No hitting or anythng like that.... it will make them AFRAID of you and they'll never trust you again. never.

As for her climbing in your lap..thats a GOOD thing..shes starting to trust you! Let her snuggle with you.
Remember they are VERY smart.... shes probably very lonely if shes outside by herself.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I will look up the site for the harnesss i use..they work great! They cant slip out of them at all. And they can slip out of a regular dog harness...trust me.. i tried it.

The leash was pretty easy... what i would do was... again..FOOD.

I'd take scrambled eggs in one hand..and the leash in the other. THen i'd call Hammie... when he walked..i gave him little bites... and i just kept tricking him to walk with me by giving him food as he came with me. Pretty soon..he'll be walking with you with no problem.

You also have to teach them to come like a dog.... same concept... treats when they come.
Its literally saved their lives!...they have gotten out of my yard, and if they wernt trained to come..i'd NEVER catch them.
They will follow me anywhere..cause they know i'll have food for them if they listen to me...

See heres the thing.. pigs arent like dogs. Dogs WANT to please you. Pigs just dont care that much...they want to know whats it in for THEM.

THats why i use food.... its a no fail for pig training.

 

[redhen]

Hres the link i use.
I'd also recommend her book.. Potbellied pig parenting., by Nancy Shepherd
It has lists of all the poisonous plants they cant eat... all kinds of medical info and treatments. And training tips also... really good book!

Here the home page.. just go to the links on the side and look under pig products. Then hit pig harnesses.
The directions will tell you how to measure, so you buy her the right size harness.

http://www.potbellypigs.com/index.htm