pet pigs

mukki

getting 2 pot belly piglets in a few weeks time. tehy are a cross between a normal pot bellied and mini pot bellied pig

i hear they make much better then dogs or cats


anyone else here have pet pigs
do they eat grass
what size of a pen do they need
will they need some sort of heating in their pen in the winter
while they are small, would a dog, fox or certain birds attack them

Sigma Force

I would say piglets could be vunerable. Their pen would need to be very sturdy. If you have a stable that might work until they grow a bit bigger.
Pot bellys are smallish but are very strong.
The flooring of a pen would need to be of concrete so you can wash it down.
The an outdoor pen when the weather starts warming up, fenced off with plenty of grass to root around in. Pigs love to root and find all sorts of snacks in the grass.
Whoever you are getting them from should be providing you with a lot of info on their care.
Hope this helps.

Here's a link with a list of books
http://www.pigs4ever.com/PotBelliedPigProducts/pbpbooks.htm

Here's a forum http://forums.exotichobbyist.com/forum.php?catid=13

Someone else on here might be able to answer the rest of your questions.

Schlemm

Dunno too much about them as pets, but one thing to watch out for is that pigs form dominance hierarchies. This is kinda similar to the way dogs form hierarchies. Make sure that your pig knows that you are the boss, and use positive reinforcement as a way of letting your pig know that you are the top of the pack.

If you're keeping the pig outside, make sure it doesn't get sunburnt!!

Ask your vet about worming and vaccinations, etc. Sometimes their canine teeth may grow a bit too long so this is something to keep an eye out for. Ask your vet about castration especially in the male pigs as boar taint in sexually mature males can be a problem if there are sows about.

nando

I don't think things are as tightly regulated in Ireland but in the UK you have to have a Holding Number from the government to keep even pet pigs. You must also go through all the normal certification procedures for moving a farm animal for the pig to be moved to your home. A licence is also needed in order to walk a pet pig. I would advise you discuss things with the vet you are intending to use and possibly ring the Department of Agriculture to check the situation.

Pet pigs live 15-20 years so it is a huge commitment! They are very strong and can be tempermental - but they are very intelligent and can make great pets. Pigs showing agression towards people because they see themselves as the "alpha pig" is unusual in a situation with more than one pig - it really only happens if it is a lone pig - but training will help prevent the problem anyway. They can become aggressive for emotional reasons though - they are very emotional animals and don't like change! They are destructive though so their housing needs to be very sturdy and you better not love your garden too much because they love to root.

They will need to be vaccinated and wormed and you should discuss castrating male pigs with your vet. They also often need dental care and regular hoof-trimming. Sunburn, as was already mentioned, is an issue in Summer in light-coloured pigs.

The number one health problem in a pet pig is obesity though. They easily become very overweight and this leads to a multitude of health issues. Pet pigs should be fed a special diet that is lower in protein that commercial fattener rations because you are not trying to fatten a pig for eating, but maintain its health long term! In the UK it is illegal to feed a pig catering scraps and any type of meat. Scraps should not be fed anyway.

http://www.potbelliedpigs.co.uk/ Here is a link to a good UK pig site. Good luck and do some research!

Schlemm wrote:

Ask your vet about castration especially in the male pigs as boar taint in sexually mature males can be a problem if there are sows about.

Boar taint is an unpleasant odour given off from pork made from some uncastrated male pigs. It doesn't happen with all boars and can only be smelled by a small percentage of people. I don't know what it has to do with sows?

Schlemm

oops I meant pheromones instead of boar taint!

mukki

thanks for all the replies

the brother is a vet so he'll help me out

i have an orchid out the back, so they can spend the summer waiting for the apples to fall, in the mean time they can eat grass, hay, fruit and veg scraps, and i'll find out about some sort of meal for them

thanks for the suggestion about the concrete, bit of work there but i suppose it has to be done, I hope to dig a small pond for them to splash about in.

didn't know about sunburn, that area is very sheltered so they will get warm in the summer, might have some of the pond shaded from the sun, to keep them cool and prevent burning