Pigs

A very familiar farmyard animal that all ages know and love, pigs have been domesticated for thousands of years, and are a sub-species of the wild boar. Pigs deserve kindness, compassion and the freedom to live a good life. Pigs are some of the most intelligent animals on earth. They are curious, form tight knit family groups, and like all animals, have natural behavioural needs. Pigs love fresh air and sunlight. Outdoors, a mother pig will spend her day rooting around, searching for food, mud bathing and caring for her piglets. The natural lifespan of a pig is between 10 and 15 years, so be sure you are prepared for their needs and are ready for a long-term commitment. If you are prepared for their needs, pigs are a joy to be around and make a wonderful addition to your family. They are smart cookies who will constantly surprise you with their cheeky antics, quirky sounds and ability to make friends with animals, including us.

Pigs are smart and require about the same amount of training as a domestic dog. That means, if you spend a good amount of time teaching them good behaviour, they can be great companions who abide by house rules.

Pigs require lots of secure space with a weatherproof, well-ventilated shed or arc that contains fresh, deep beds of hay or straw. They need enrichment, the right amount of healthy, tasty food and the company of other compatible pigs.

Different breeds can have very different personalities and requirements. Kunekune’s are the easiest to care for, as they are quite lazy. Large white (pink pigs) are very food driven and can snatch and grab if not trained well, they also need sun block applied in summer. Kunekune pigs are a smart option for small farms. Kunekune means “fat and round” in the Maori language. They are odorless, quiet, and safe for children. Females average 100 to 175 pounds, while males can reach the 200 to 250-plus range. The coat colour and texture of the Kunekune can vary considerably. The most common colours are black, black and white, brown, gold, tan, and cream, sometimes with randomly distributed spots and patches of colour. The coat texture can range from short silky hair giving a sleek appearance, to long coarse curls that give a more unkempt look. The coat also varies according to the time of year, sometimes resulting in a marked difference between summer and winter coats. Extensive hair loss in summer is common.

If you have a lot of space, keeping a pig might be the right option for you. They are intelligent, funny, fast learners, clean and enjoy a good tummy scratch. However, before you make the decision to keep a pig, you should think seriously about whether or not a pig is right for you and your family. One of the things to consider is that your pig might grow to be quite large.

Sometimes, people get pigs because they start off as very small, cute piglets, but remember small piglets soon grow into large pigs with their own needs and wants. Pigs eat a lot (if you let them), therefore the cost of feeding is something to consider. They shouldn’t be fed just on kitchen scraps, as it doesn’t give them all the right vitamins and minerals to grow properly. Your pig also might need veterinary care, another cost to consider.

Pigs live for a long time, up to 15 years, so you need to be able to commit long term to your pig. Lastly – but not least – pigs need a lot of attention and space. Do you have time to give your pig affection, train them to do tricks or fun things, feed them the right foods, and make sure their shelter is clean and they have enough room to root around in the ground outside? Researching what is required for different breeds of pigs is important and even speaking to other people who have kept pigs is a good idea. This will help you to decide whether or not keeping a pig is the right thing for you.

Caring for Pigs

Food and Water

While it may be a given that pigs adore their food, it’s best to be careful about the types of food and treats pigs can and should eat. It is a common misconception that pigs will eat anything and everything. Pigs are omnivores and evolved to eat meat and vegetables. Incredibly, they have over 10,000 taste buds, whereas humans have only 6,000 – this suggests that pigs have an excellent sense of taste, and allows them to identify nutritious food and help them stay away from potentially poisonous foods.The ideal diet for pigs should be a balanced and varied diet, and include a combination of pig nuts (commercial pig pellets) and a variety of specific types of fruit and vegetables. Healthy vegetables for pigs include, leafy dark greens, zucchini, cabbage, squashes, cucumber, amongst others.Be aware of foods that contain apple/pear seeds, cassava, wild mushrooms and green/raw potatoes, unripened tomatoes, as these contain toxins that are harmful to pigs.

Be careful to make sure that your pig does not overeat. If a pig becomes too large, they are prone to conditions, such as arthritis. Pasture can help complement your pigs diet and provide natural foraging behaviour, which is great for their mental and physical welfare. However, pigs cannot live on grass alone.

Don’t forget cool, clean water! It is vital that pigs have a fresh, clean supply of cool water at all times. In the summer months, pigs need extra water provisions to help keep them cool, as they have a limited ability to sweat. The temperature of the water is also important to consider, in that if it is too warm it may reduce the amount of water the pigs will drink. The best way to set up a supply for them is in a sturdy and specialised drinking station that they can’t flip over or get dirty (e.g. nipple drinkers). Ensure there is enough space and drinking places for all of your pigs.

Shelter

Pigs are sensitive animals, and need to be able to keep cool during the summer and warm and snug during the winter, therefore they need shade and shelter. Unlike humans, pigs have very few sweat glands; this is why you will often see pigs wallowing in mud or keeping cool in shady spots, and it is important that they are given the opportunity to do this. It also helps prevent sunburn on their sensitive skin.

Providing pigs with a den or an arc in which they can sleep comfortably is important. Ensure that there is clean, fresh deep bedding such as straw or hay in the sleeping area, and don’t forget to top the bedding up, and clean it out when needed. Be aware of behavioural signs that your pigs are too hot or too cold.

Pigs are incredibly clean animals, despite their reputation. Contrary to popular belief, pigs will not roll in their own filth or waste, and where they are given appropriate space, will use separate areas to sleep and to toilet in. Having another area in which to play and forage (or root around in) is perfect. An ideal set-up for pigs would include a bedded area for sleeping, and a paddock where they can forage, eat and drink and a secluded spot to toilet. Pigs are smart and can even be toilet-trained. When given ample space they will not soil where they sleep. When setting up the pigs’ accommodation, remember these points:

  • Is their ‘sleeping’ area made of a material that is waterproof and will not get too hot in the sun? Adding vents at the back of the pigs’ shelter will help keep them cool and will provides good, even airflow. Metal or corrugated iron is not recommended to make the shelter from as it can get hot in the sun, and may cause pigs to overheat.
  • If you have multiple pigs, is it big enough for them to snuggle together, but also have enough space that they can lay apart when needed? Be sure the flooring is secure, as pigs may become stressed if their four hooves are not firmly on the ground.
  • Make sure there are no sharp edges that might hurt your pigs, and make sure they can’t chew any treated timber surfaces, or other loose materials.
  • Make sure the paddock or field area is securely fenced. If there is a way out, pigs will find it, so you will need to be certain that their area is pig proof.

Enrichment

You can make your own treats and toys for your pigs. Fill containers, tubs or scrunched-up paper with vegetables, so they have to use their snout to uncover the delicious delicacies. Alternatively, try freezing blended vegetables in the summer, this will help your pigs to cool down while eating this treat. You can provide pigs with fun and noisy toys, but just make sure the toys are safe and that the pigs don’t upset your neighbours while having fun with their noisy toys. Hide treats and toys around the pigs’ paddock and come up with new creative ideas to keep varying their enrichment so that the pigs aren’t prone to becoming bored. Keeping them entertained doesn’t have to break the bank.

Most of the items you need to create great pig enrichment can be found around your house and repurposed. In their natural environment, pigs spend 75% of their time during the day in activities, such as rooting, foraging and exploring. Pigs love to forage for roots, insects and other tasty titbits, so it’s good to remember that your land won’t stay in perfect condition when your pigs are out ranging.

Pigs don’t just use their snouts for sniffing out food or foraging, they also use it to communicate. They make a range of different noises, such as squeals. These noises can be as loud as 115 decibels, which is louder than the sound of a plane! Research has shown that pigs can make as many as 20 different sounds, which includes grunting, snorting and barking. All these have slightly different purposes: squealing means they are happy, and grunting is usually expressed by a mother pig when feeding her babies. Most owners will tell you that their pig also makes unique sounds, just like a cat or a dog may.

Pigs are extremely sociable animals, and enjoy spending time with their own kind, so consider keeping them in pairs or small groups of compatible animals. Pigs also do well around other companion animals, including, cows, dogs and sheep, and bond well with their human family.

With their intelligence often comes a desire to investigate; it’s fair to say that pigs are profoundly curious and love to forage and play. For this reason, a secure home for them is a must, as is providing them with entertainment and things to do. Their natural behaviours include rooting around in plants and grass, foraging, and socialising and communicating with other pigs.

Fun Facts about Pigs

 

Pigs are very sensitive to extremes of climate. Pigs have no sweat glands, no thick hair cover and they rely on fat cover for insulation.

 

A pig’s snout is an important tool for finding food in the ground and sensing the world around them.

 

Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose. They dream, much as humans do. In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing, and exploring.

 

Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers’ voices and to recognize their own names. Mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.

 

Pigs are clean animals. If given sufficient space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat. Pigs don’t “sweat like pigs”; they are actually unable to sweat. They like to bathe in water or mud to keep cool, and they actually prefer water to mud.

 

Pigs are extraordinarily intelligent. They are curious and insightful animals who are widely accepted as being smarter than young children of at least 3 years of age, dogs, and even some primates.

 

Pigs are very peaceful animals, rarely showing aggression. The exception, as with many animals, is when a mother (sow) with her young offspring is provoked or threatened.

 

Pigs have a tremendous sense of smell. The large round disk of cartilage at the tip of the snout is connected to muscle that gives it extra flexibility and strength for rooting in the ground.

 

Pigs have 4 toes on each foot but they only walk on 2.

 

Pigs are easily trained to walk on a leash, use a litter box and do tricks.

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