Pet Pig - any advice?

K_user

(Already posted in farming section - just looking for varied opinions)

My wife would love to own a pig, purely as a pet. We already own a dog and a cat, so animals don’t bother us all that much.

A local man is selling on some pot-belly piglets, unfortunately I know little or nothing about rearing them. One of my neighbors is a farmer so I might pick up some info off him, but I was hoping to get some advice from further a field before deciding to go ahead. Some of the below questions are fairly basic, I can guess some of the answers, but I’d prefer to ask…as I said I’m an amateur in this…

I have a half acre of a garden so space isn’t an issue, but it isn’t enclosed yet.

I can erect a fenced in run, but how much space would be appropriate?

I can build a small house for it, like a dog house, but would that be large enough? Or would I be better off building a block structure of some sort?

I have a large shed, but would I have to enclose it completely or risk it chewing everything in site?

How much do they need to eat? And what is the average price per month for food? Taking it into account that this would be a pet and not for fatting.

Any other advice, hints, tips, horror stories, has anyone given this sort of thing ago?

Sigma Force

There was a pet show on last night with a little pig on it, aparently they need a good bit of fresh veg. and generally a pig ark is used, bedding like hay and blankets and some toys as well to keep the pig busy. They like company so two is better than one.

You'd probably be better off with a block structure or a pig ark because they might chew the timber.

I'd split up the land area into two sections so when one gets well worn and tired the pigs can be moved to a fresh area to start rooting again.
A pig ark would come in handy for that because you can move it around.

Saw a prog. once with pet pigs the owners had to provide the pig with lots of toys to keep him busy like footballs and kids toys you know like the ones that make music and sounds aparently pigs love that kind of thing not sure if they'd eat it or not.

Dunno much more about them so here is an American site but there's lots of info. on it http://www.pigpalssanctuary.com/health/health_care_articles.htm

LisaO

First thing to do before you get the pig is register with the Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food. To keep any kind of pig you must have a herd registration number. It is possible the Dept may want a Dept vet to visit & inspect your set up as well. All movements of pigs - from one herd to another or from farm to slaughter, etc must be recorded & reported to the Dept as they happen.

You will need plenty of land & good strong fencing. Pigs love to dig & will turn the best bit of land into a muddy swamp in days, especially during Winter, so you need to ensure you have enough space for them & are prepared to move them around regularly. Pigs are also incredibly strong, if they decide they want to go elsewhere, then only really good fencing will keep them in - try sheepwire on closely spaced posts & then run two strands of thick electric tape on the insides. Remember to also use electric fencing on the inside of any gates to avoid creating a weak spot in the system. Basically, think Fort Knox if you don't want a pig rampaging through your garden!

Housing - a large dog kennel style of house would be fine but don't get upset if your pig decides to eat it or flatten it Pigs keep their house very clean but remember you will need to get into it yourself to give it a thorough clean out every so often, so make it easy on yourself too. Use plenty of good straw for bedding, oat or barley straw are fine. Pigs like to be cosy & comfy in their bed. Also think about what you will do with the used bedding. When you clean out the house there will be a fair pile of used straw to dispose of.

Food - a pig will eat just about whatever you give it & as much of it as you can give! Commercial feeds are fine, there are organic ones available as well, but can be pricey & are primarily aimed at meat production. Aim for a balanced diet - maybe pig nuts as a basis, supplemented by fresh fruit & veg. Maybe have a chat with your local greengrocer or farm shop & see if they would let you take away the stuff that's gone past it's best? Also be aware that Dept regs state that pigs should not be fed anything that has been through a kitchen - would imagine they would apply this to pet pigs as well as they have no facility to differentiate between pet/commercial animals.

Finally, pigs do not do well if kept singly. They are incredibly intelligent creatures and thrive with companionship. However much attention you are able to offer, it is no substitute for a constant companion of their own kind.

HTH & Good Luck

Eibhin

I totally agree with the last part of LisaO's post....one poor little pig on his own...sad.

I think as a general rule all animals do better in pairs.

boomerang

If you are interested in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, the most important thing to bear in mind (other than they really need the companionship of another pig) is that they get REALLY big and heavy! Our guys are easily 60 - 70kgs. (To put that in perspective, a big German Shepherd or Rottweiler weighs about half that.)

Here are our two pot-bellied "banabhs" when they were handed into our sanctuary:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limerickdogs/2381233482/in/set-72157604343854600/

And here they are now, as adults:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/limerickdogs/4103335701/in/set-72157604343854600/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limerickdogs/4103336605/in/set-72157604343854600/

honerbright

boomerang wrote: »

If you are interested in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, the most important thing to bear in mind (other than they really need the companionship of another pig) is that they get REALLY big and heavy! Our guys are easily 60 - 70kgs. (To put that in perspective, a big German Shepherd or Rottweiler weighs about half that.)

Here are our two pot-bellied "banabhs" when they were handed into our sanctuary:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limerickdogs/2381233482/in/set-72157604343854600/

And here they are now, as adults:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/limerickdogs/4103335701/in/set-72157604343854600/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limerickdogs/4103336605/in/set-72157604343854600/

Oh my god, they're gorgeous!!