Myths about Pigs! #1: Pigs Eat a Lot #2: Pigs are “fat” #3: “teacup” pigs stay small #4: Pigs are “dirty” #5: A house pig will act like a dog.
The real facts about pigs:
1. pigs on a well balanced diet meant for pet pigs is not a huge amount. 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pellets 2x a day and grazing is enough! (pigs are fed with desired weight in mind and there are helpful charts to refer to for a pig’s body score.) Never bottle feed a baby pig, their milk should be in a bowl they can slurp from until they get old enough for food pellets and a water dish.
2. Pigs are muscular, their snouts can lift gates and move big heavy things. They are strong and muscular animals. They can also outrun you! (maybe outsmart you too – they are very smart!) Pigs are food motivated and can and will break into places where they can smell the food. They can also quickly learn tricks, Izzy and Franky know how to spin in circles for treats. Izzy also shakes and sits to beg for a treat.
3. Teacup/micro/mini pigs are commonly heard terms. There is no such thing. A “mini” pig. A mini is any pig smaller than a “farm pig” which means up to 350# (Al mentions 200# in the video). Pigs start out small from birth, and keep growing until they reach their mature weight at approx. age 5. Of course depending on diet and exercise they can become overweight or underweight at any point during their life. The temptation could be to feed them as much as they want to eat or not enough to keep them small – both of which are very bad for the animal.
4. Pigs want to stay pretty clean. Sure, they root in the mud and will roll in mud (which acts as a natural sunscreen, and also cleans the oils etc. off their skin much like other “dust bathing” animals. Given a swimming or wading pool, a pig will often potty in it to mask their odors and often prefer to potty in the water.
5. A pig in the house will be motivated by natural instincts. They want to root around – this can include putting holes in your walls, pulling up your floor, or knocking your toilet off it’s place. They are food motivated and will also break into cupboards and refrigerators. They are not in fact dogs. They are in fact awesome animals to love!
