A Care Guide to Pigs

Pigs are great and the reason I write about them is because of their little space requirements. They can easily be in your small farm.

Water

A pig’s water is not too hard. A bucket’s fine but it’s better to have a pool that they can climb into.

Food

Don’t let your pig get fat! Don’t let your pig get fat! Don’t let your pig get fat!

Okay, sorry. But it’s very important that your pig does not get fat. This is what many pigs are. Make sure you can see his/her eyes and her belly is not dragging or really coming close to that. My pig once didn’t pass either of these tests, before I got her. At her old home, she was kept on a diet of cheese puffs. This is not a desirable diet. A pig should be fed on scraps like vegetables, fruit, and milk. Bread is not good if it is already fat. Hay is important to be available at all times. As well as 4 cups of pig food is a day. If it is already fat, sometimes I’d only feed hay and 2 cups.

Supplements

Vegetables and melon rinds are very healthy for them.

Housing

You only really need 30 square feet for pigs but I give my pig about 200 square feet. It is good to give them shelter too. You can keep them as inside pets but I would not suggest that as they would need a litter box that would-well- get full and stinky very quickly. I’d stick with mini pigs for that.

They often are kept in female pairs. Males are not very good pets if not fixed and also will hurt other boys.

Two females can also be dangerous if introduced when old but if they are raised together it can be very helpful. (In the wild they are herd animals with a boar per herd, beside maybe some young ones who haven’t left yet, and he would have a lot of sows). Make sure the two pigs are roughly the same size and neither are naturally aggressive. My pig is rather aggressive due to a bad past and would not be good with another sow until completely tamed.

Breeding pigs

Every one loves piglets but…

are they for you?

Some things you need to know before breeding pigs.

1. Pigs don’t like you to mess with them if they have babies, and a pig that isn’t a miniature is probably stronger than you, too. Believe me, it is not fun to have a hundred and fifty pounds of muscly pig running at you and almost banging you against a fence.
2. Following that, don’t yell at a pig. It will make it more angry and it really could kill you.
3. A boar is more aggressive than a sow. When you are breeding pigs and borrowing a boar, you are in for a very hard task.

Now, don’t get me wrong, some boars really are nice but those were most likely raised from the time they were piglets. Those kinds are usually neutered. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to find a sweet unfixed boar but generally, you’re in for a problem.

Now I’m not telling you to never breed pigs, but I am telling what it’s like you have to be careful.

Compatibility

Pigs really are best by themselves.

Not with any other animals. Goats can do well with them but in my experience they’re more comfortable by themselves.

However, I did keep chickens with Estella for a while and they loved her a lot and would roost on her back at night.

PS: If you take good care of your pig, she will look somewhat like this:

Got questions, comments, or concerns? Comment below or visit the forum section!