Stray Pot Bellied Pig?!

[cassie]

They can eat pretty much anything remotely edible up to and including any poor chickens you may lose along the way. If you raise meat chickens, pigs will eat everything you normally throw away or compost. They’ll eat all the leftovers, non-toxic garden waste, etc that you can’t talk your birds into eating. They like milk, all grains... You can also find piggy chow at your farm store.

Pigs can and do eat almost anything. However, be aware obesity is a big problem in potbellies.

 

[Mylied]

He's a cutie. I raise pigs. I have kept them with goats with no problem. My only rule is no goats close to giving birth or in milk. But with wethers, you are good. My pigs will eat a freshly killed chicken but don't even look twice at a live one. Even chicks can walk in while they are eating.

If he is intact, castrate. Sooner rather than later. You can get a vet to do it if you don't have any knowledgeable farm friends to help. It'll probably cost the same as doing a dog. Boars can be hormonal jerks, especially as they get older.

 

[jhales1952]

I have heard that pigs are very intelligent. Never owned one but love when an animal claims me. He must feel at home to be with your and your daughter. Have you named him yet?

 

[Birdsong 82]

I have a potbelly pig and in your pictures looks exactly like him years ago. He's a little over probably 200 pounds now. My experience is very friendly and I'm sure he stayed that way because he got neutered And got along with all the animals in the yard until my goats had babies now they must be separated. But they are the hardest and biggest headache to keep in. They are escape artists. I have so have a Kune kune that I ended up with in a situations similar to yours. He just showed up one day. Turns out a couple of dirt roads away they had bought a pig and just left it outside with a bowl of water every day and never really paid much attention to them. So I guess my house having more people and more animals with more entertaining. They're pretty social creatures

 

[Birdsong 82]

I have heard that pigs are very intelligent. Never owned one but love when an animal claims me. He must feel at home to be with your and your daughter. Have you named him yet?

Watching how smart pigs really are amazes me. And actually the cleanest out of all the animals I have

 

[Birdsong 82]

He's a cutie. I raise pigs. I have kept them with goats with no problem. My only rule is no goats close to giving birth or in milk. But with wethers, you are good. My pigs will eat a freshly killed chicken but don't even look twice at a live one. Even chicks can walk in while they are eating.

If he is intact, castrate. Sooner rather than later. You can get a vet to do it if you don't have any knowledgeable farm friends to help. It'll probably cost the same as doing a dog. Boars can be hormonal jerks, especially as they get older.

I wish it would cost the same as a dog. In my area it's close to $300. It might be cheaper other places. I saw one member here say they were quoted $600?! If you're lucky he came neutered

 

[Mylied]

I wish it would cost the same as a dog. In my area it's close to $300. It might be cheaper other places. I saw one member here say they were quoted $600?! If you're lucky he came neutered

Wow! I do it myself. The very first group of piglets I brought the 3 boys to my ag college and they did it for free for an animal breeding class. Maybe see if you have a vet tech school who could do it.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I guess before thinking of pricing does he even need to be neutered? Or maybe you got lucky like me and that was already done before he arrived at your home

 

[Birdsong 82]

Wow! I do it myself. The very first group of piglets I brought the 3 boys to my ag college and they did it for free for an animal breeding class. Maybe see if you have a vet tech school who could do it.

You probably know a bit more than me about pigs seeing as I only have two. I know most people or a lot of people do it themselves which I think is best to but I've heard once I get to a certain age that's pretty darn difficult. He looks pretty young still though

 

[Iain Utah]

Kudos to you for taking the pig in, and congrats on your new find!

We have two pot-bellied pigs, and it took some adjusting with our other animals. The pigs are friendly towards every animal species we own. However, two of our dogs and three of our horses, cannot be trusted with them. They get along wonderfully with all our birds, but must be separated for feeding, and pigs need special pig fencing. Ours were known to destroy fencing to get into pens if food left out. Also could not leave them unsupervised around the house because they'd root my yard and flower beds. So we ultimately built them their own yard.

Basic needs: food, water (we use large shallow black rubber bowls), a warm dry shelter with lots of blankets and straw bedding, a mud hole in summer, and preferably access to yard with good grazing/rooting. They do not need a lot of grain (our guys get 1.5 cups 2x per day, per pig). Greens/roots should be main staple to diet (weather permitting).

Oh, one other thing.... they need their hooves filed down. Some people use cinder block pavers or gravel. We use a pig farrier once a year.