I wrote this post just weeks after we picked up our first-ever 10-week-old pot-bellied pig. This is my experience going through it. I’ve come a long way.
The day after Thanksgiving 2016, we drove out just my husband and me about 45 minutes away to pick up our first mini pig. The emotions were excited and a little bit scared. There was no going back now. Did I know what I was doing? I raised two pigs for the 4-H market as a kid and that was the extent of pigs in my life.
I have always wanted a potbelly pig and now that we have a country house it seems the options are endless. My husband was scrolling through Craigslist and saw miniature pigs for $100.
One reason I didn’t push a mini pig was that everywhere I saw was close to $1,000. I can’t spend that much money on a pet. I also knew the price was so high because these so-called breeders are charging a high price tag for what they call a micro mini pig.
Since I have owned three pot belly pigs for six years now, I can tell you there are no teacup pigs, and if they promise you anything about weight for that pig that is under 100 pounds run away, they don’t deserve your money.
For a quick comparison, my first pig Bentley who this blog post is about and is currently pictured above in 2023, now weighs 200 lbs, and our youngest pig who is three and is a registered Juliana pig picture below weighs 100. BUT back to the story. I love these pigs with all my heart and they are all best friends.
If you want to see my recent articles on our pigs who are now 6 years old go here.
So we pursued it.
On that drive, we were excited and a little bit scared. There was no going back now. Did I really know what I was doing?
Surely I wouldn’t really know what I was doing with a mini pig- would I?
Could it be any better to live in today’s world of technology? None of my friends have raised a miniature pot-bellied pig in their home. So I couldn’t ask them. Go to the library and get a book from 5 years ago- who does that anymore?! ( okay, I still do go to the library for gardening books and others, but not as much)
Where do we go when we don’t know how to do something? Google.
I taught myself to start a blog by Googling a LOT of it. My husband did all the home repairs and more thanks to Youtube.
So, of course, I would Google about mini pigs.
But what did I learn that Google failed to share with me?
This. All of This.
Read below š
Related: How to Build a Mini Pig Pen From Pallets
Don’t Expect A Mini Pig to Act Like a Puppy
Mini Pigs are a cat and dog combined in our opinion. Take the characteristics of a begging dog that follows you everywhere you go and the characteristics of a cat that comes to you when it wants attention, and boom you have a mini pig.
It was an adjustment to get used to the fact that for the first few weeks our pig Bently didn’t want to just come by us. He didn’t want to be picked up at all. Google did tell me that one. He did climb up in our laps on the second day here, but it was on his time. Never when we called.
I have to say after having him for over a month now he follows me around just like our German Shepard Lab dog Jake. I like it. He likes it. It’s better now. Remember that mini pigs have no desire to please you as a dog does.
They will sell their souls for food. I am happy to report that he has been home with me in the time. He tends to recognize the word, No and after a couple yells of “No Bently” when he is in the cupboard he comes squealing over to us.
Check out the food we feed our mini pigs and the food that didn’t work for us HERE.
Related:Ā Frugal Ways to Keep Your Pig Entertained in the Winter
Do Feed Your Pot Belly Pig Correctly
I see it all the time, someone buys a potbellied mini pig and has no idea what they are doing, so they hop on over to Facebook and ask questions. Breeders more often than not tell them to underfeed the pig and wean them to early and have the new owners giving them goat’s milk.
The whole process is disgusting, and this is why shelters and sanctuary are full of old pet mini pigs. Once they get too big people get rid of them. They will get big friends.
New pig parents need to know that it is okay to feed your baby pig regular pig feed. Since ours were baby pigs we have fed Purina Pig and Sow. it comes in a 50-pound bag for $21.99 at Tractor Supply.
I’ve switched to the Runnings brand of pig feed for a few months, and both of my older pigs, Bently and Olive got sick.
They’ve never had an issue with this feed and I’m not going to switch it again on them. Portion control is a good idea with pot-bellied pigs. You know they will eat whatever they want. With baby pigs, I start by feeding them a 1/4 cup of pellets in the morning and evening soaked in water.
Six years later they get one cup of pellets in the morning and night, and they still want it soaked in water. Just a little splash goes a long way.
I did try Mazuri mini pig food with Bentley when he was young because it was available at our local Tractor Supply for the first time, but the price is insane and not a frugal way to raise my animals. One 25-pound bag of Mazuir mini pig adult active is $23.99 on Chewy.
As I said above the Purina food has been working great for six years, and it’s half the cost.
Many new pig parents are worried the pig will get fat, and it’s true they can easily become overweight it is typically with the choice of treats you are giving. If you treat your pig like a garbage can giving it all your extras, then they may get fat. Watch what you are feeding and stick to a natural diet.
Do Expect a Mini Pig to Root
From my Google searching, I was under the impression that mini pigs needed a rooting box. So my super handy husband started making a pen for him indoors until we realized we would just put him in our closet.
Ok, it’s a very weird long closet between the bathroom and our bedroom. It works. Our farmhouse was built in the 1850s so it has some quirks.
So we turned the bottom into a rooting box. I threw hay from the barn in there. Yes, they love munching on hay. I would throw treats in there ( only veggies in the beginning) for him to root around. The bottom was made out of plywood.
Then he started pooping and peeing in there. This was not good. I couldn’t have my porch where everyone enters our home literally smelling like a barn. If you need tips to get pig urine out of carpet read this.
If you really do not want a pet pig that roots- look into the Kune Kune breeds. We had a KuneKune pig for two years and she did not root up our pasture with the goats. She is a great farm option but we decided not to pursue breeding so she is at our friend’s farm where she’s an excellent mother.
The rooting box was out.
We realized he roots around the house by sniffing around. We throw towels in his room and hide treats in there. He has quickly realized the kitchen is where I prep amazing smelling food. We hang in there a lot.
So I will hide treats around the kitchen.
They have a lot of energy like a puppy. And when they want out- they squeal and scrape at the door so loud you are forced to listen.
They are stubborn like that.
I did pick up my favorite treat ball toy for him that keeps him occupied right now when it is 9 degrees here in New York. Bently loves this treat ball it, and many times, I will feed half his pellet food to him in it.
*Update I still use this same ball with our older pigs now, and they love it. I upgraded to the bigger size. For more pig toys tap here.
This will become less as the weather warms up and Bently can root around outside naturally.
More Mini Pig Stuff:
- Why I Sold My Kune Kune Pig – Our Experience & Lessons Learned
- How Much Do Potbelly Pigs Cost- Your Guide to Owning Pigs
- The Best Fencing for Your Pigs You Need Now
- How Big Do Potbelly Pigs Get + Mini Pig Facts
- Tips to Calm a Mini Pig: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Happy and Relaxed Piglets
Do Pick Your Mini Pig Up
I think it is important to get your pig used to you picking it up. We have done this with all the animals we own, and as time goes on and they trust you more it gets easier. Know that a pig will squeal to its highest decibel when you pick it up. Bently is just like a child; he tests to see what will work.
Now there are times I go to pick him up after he has done something he shouldn’t and he lets out a pathetic squeal. Other times when I pick him just because I want to cuddle and he doesn’t he lets out his ear-piercing squeal that he knows causes me to put him down immediately.
It’s important to pick them up and have them know they can trust you. Pigs are prey animals so it is their instinct to squeal when being picked upĀ since they are only off the ground in the wild when they are in danger.
If no matter what you are trying your pig does NOT want to be picked up that is okay. You will have to bond with your pig in others ways, by spending time, training etc.
It is important to pick up your mini pig the right way. Watch and learn how here.
Don’t Expect Your Pig to Like The Cold
I have found that younger pigs aren’t too fond of the cold. Once they get older it’s not their favorite but they can handle it just fine.
Our pig does not like cold weather. Our heat is set at 66 degrees and he loves hanging over the heating vents. He also loves leaning against the dryer when it is running and the oven.
We tried to get him to go outside when it was 45 degrees here in January by leading a trail of treats out the door and he wanted no part in it.
If your pig is driving you crazy in the winter here are my best ideas to try and keep them entertained.
The pig passed up FOOD!
Don’t expect to take your mini pig outside if it’s cold. He is perfectly happy inside at the moment. No reason to pressure, scare and have them shivering.
The person we bought Bently from said to give a half Flintstones Kids Multivitamin with Iron daily. After doing a little research I have decided to give him this twice a week. I choose to give him more iron-rich foods. Once your pig reaches maturity they do not need supplemental iron.
After talking with a local vet they too said to remember that pigs digestive system are very similar to humans. If you wouldn’t give your kids something, don’t give it to your little piggy!
*Update: I now have three pigs who are two years old and almost one and they live outside full time now. You can read the story and how to transition your pig here.
Do Train Your Pig to Learn Sit & Come
Bentley picked up things within days. It is true by just watching him, how smart he is. It took about a week for him to learn to sit all the way down, but with persistence he got it.
It is so important to train your pig to sit because you want him to know he has to work for food. You do not want your pig to get spoiled pig syndrome, this can be very dangerous to the whole family.
It is important to have each family member ask your pig to sit as well. This goes along with avoiding spoil pig syndrome and others have reported they would charge any family member who wasn’t the “leader”. I certainly want to be known as the leader but having small kids I do not want them to be charged at.
So each family member works with Bently on a daily basis.
“Come” is such an important one. In the beginning, when I tried to take Bently out on a harness and pull back on the leash it was an utter disaster.
Now two months later, we have practiced putting the harness and leash on in the house, and he is much more open to the slight pull back on the leash when I tell him to “Come”.
Check out this video I made on how to put a harness on your mini pig.
You can watch a video below on how I take Bently for a walk with a leash.
Don’t Let Your Kids Feed A Pig From Their Hands
I started off letting the girls give Bently a treat after sitting with their hands. Although they were hesitant. After speaking with a vet she recommended to not do that because a pig’s eyesight is very poor.
They can’t see and kids always have something to smell on their hands. This will result in a pig biting their little fingers. We certainly do not want that. So the girls place the treat on the floor.
We also make sure to tell our pig “ALL DONE” and show our hands empty. He has caught on to this quickly and walks away after. Before he would keep sniffing us to see if there was more food.
Do Know Your Pig Must Learn The Word No
When I was reading I went into this pig parenting thinking this pig won’t listen to a word I say unless I feed it.
Three months later I am falling more in love with owning a mini pig. Bently knows the word no quite well. Every time he tries to open the cupboard and we tell him “No” he gets down and runs away. When he has an accident in my office and he hears my tone changing and I say” Where do you go potty?” He runs to his room.
All my Googling has said that pigs do not want to please you. I can’t help but think those little acts are somewhat wanting to please. I am glad that he knows when he is doing something wrong and will listen.
Don’t Let Your Mini Pig Have Free Range of Your House
I learned this the hard way. From day 2 we let Bently roam a majority of our house. He started peeing and pooping outside of his litter box. He doesn’t just do it on the carpet, he does it in the same spot every time. We have hardwood floors and a rug in my office and the living room.
You have to remember they have smaller bladders. It has helped by only letting him have free range for a shorter amount of time and making sure he goes back to his room.
You also just like with puppies really need to make sure you get the scent out so they do not keep going back.
You can find a bunch of tips specifically on potty training here.
We have only owned our mini pig for just over 3 months now. So I know we have much more to learn and I will be sharing more with you. Today I wanted to share with you the things I think are the most important to know in the beginning. Straight from my own experience as well.
Today I wanted to share with you the things I think are the most important to know in the beginning. Straight from my own experience as well.
I would love to know your tips and tricks for living with a mini pig.
Or if you are thinking about owning one, any questions you have please ask away in the comment section below!
Again I love my pot belly pigs and they are so much bigger now, but one of the easiest animals on the farm and the smartest.
You may be interested in Checking out this comprehensive guide Mini Pig’s Owner Guide on Amazon!Ā
Have great day friends!
11 Practical Ways to Live Below Your Means
Ashleigh
My beautiful wonderful Jackson is 7
Months old. Heās slowly killing me with his getting mad. For instance he was playing with an amazon box in the living room and my 5 year walked over stepped in the box and started spinning. He took two steps back and peed everywhere. I have a dog door, he goes days without peeing inside and than he gets mad at something and spends the rest of the day peeing. He knows it wrong he sees me, or hears me and runs for the dog door. Any ideas?
Tasia
Bently had a phase where he would just pee in the house too. I think it’s temperament for sure but I also tried to keep him in a smaller area. For him, his litter box was a little bit out of the way. I suggest keeping him in one room with his litter box for longer amounts of time so he remembers this is where he goes. or if you are having him go outside I would keep him outside a little longer. I used vinegar and baking soda to get the smell out as well. Once they smell their own scent they will continue to pee there.
Jacqui Z
Hi Tasia! Thank you so much for your help and guidance here. I have a precious 12 week old piglet named Fluffles, and he is the cutest! I also have two sweet toddler daughter’s and am slightly concerned he will get territorial over me with them around. How can I ensure he respects my daughters as much as myself? Also, how do I not spoil him? We are home all day with him and during the night, he wakes up literally screaming 3 or 4 times. Is this because he is spoiled and wants affection? He is currently sleeping in his closed crate in my bedroom since he isn’t potty trained yet.
I may be doing a ton wrong and am open to all help! Thank you so much <3
Tasia
Hello Jacqui, what you are experiencing is totally normal, at least similar things happened for me and I’ve heard from others. I noticed Bently tried to get dominance over my oldest daughter. When we got Bently my girls were 3 and five. Our Three year old and Bently have a bond and still do. She could do anything to that pig and he would be okay with it. Bently has head swiped at our oldest a few times too many for my liking. It was another reason I ultimately decided to move Bently outdoors. The screaming at night is very similar to a baby crying and you coming for it. If you react to your piggy any of those times he is crying he will continue to do it. They are so smart. I would give Bently a cup of oatmeal before bed to try to quiet him. He continued to wake up at 4:30 for a long time. The times I let him squeal it out he would settle down, but that was only on the weekend. Weekdays my husband would be waking up at 5 am for work and hated that loss of sleep. I think another important thing is potty training. Bently took the litter box right away but around three months old he started going outside off the leash with our dog in the morning to pee. It was heaven because I would let him out he would do his thing and come back to the door to come in. Do you have a litter box in the crate or area where he stays? If interested you may want to check out the story of transitioning Bently outdoors here->https://www.thefrugalfarmgirl.com/how-pig-outside-tips/ . No matter what don’t despair!
Harley
Hi my name is Harley. I recently got my mini pig, her name is Gilly Bean. I’m so in love with her! I have her trained to potty on puppy pads. She started off doing really good and now here lately she has been rooting on the pads which tears them to pieces and there’s a mess everywhere! She knows what no means, when I see her do it i yell NO Gilly and she stops and runs and lays down in her bed. But when I leave the room she seems to just do it again. It’s very aggravating. Do you have any tips on how to stop it all together?
Tasia
It’s pretty common among us mini pig parents to see this regression. I had to restrict the area Bently was allowed to go until he started only going in his litter box again. It was shortly after he was peeing over the house he started going outside. He would do out every morning when we woke up with our dog do his business and come back in. He didn’t pee all over the house anymore. He’s always loved being outside.
Dee
Dont wanna butt in but I ask you please DONT use puppy pads they chew on them and can and DO choke to death the moisture expands the pads and causes choking and airway blockages… Thank you for sharing your piggy experiences.
Kathy
Never feed pigs meat .only pellets n veggies. Male pigs should be fixed young age had one male costly mistake wasn’t good.ate back seat of car out distroyed hood of my car .He could see himself in grill hood replaced .He now is on Morman ranch as stud n have #2 female .pigs are very smart n sweet .love scraps no meat or will bite
Crystal Lee
Hi Tasia,
Our baby ‘Pepper’ is a year and a half . We have a beagle as well, Chip. I surprised my husband and 9 year old son Tristan by coming home one day with a baby piglet. Tristan said “This is the best day of my life, I have tears in my eyes”, my husband was not impressed but he did finally come around. Pepper listens to me more than them but it’s also because of all the work I put into training him.
I would definitely say do your research before getting a mini pig. It is a big commitment with a lot of trials and errors. Chip & Pepper have had a few ‘run ins’ which is why I never leave them alone together. Pepper took to litter training so easily within the first week but this Winter it seems he no longer wants to use the litter box. He’s had quite the few accidents in the house so we wanted to up up a bell at the front door but didn’t have one, so I used a wind chime. He’s took to that right awayā¦ of course he always gets a treat when he comes back in. He loves routine and when I change something he tends to pee in the house, so I have to make changes gradually.
He is so funny, smart and cuddly. He also hates the cold so when the furnace comes on he runs to the upstairs bathroom to lie in front of the vent. Or if we light a fire he will literally be so close to it we have to get him to move back.
Pepper has his own room but sleeps in his locked kennel or else the room would be upside down if he had the run of the room at night. He is about 45 lbs and just slightly taller than Chip. As he was the runt of the litter, I am hoping he stays about this size. His mother was only about 60 lbs.
We live in the country and have an acre of land I know Pepper can’t wait for Spring to get outside and root and eat weeds. To bad we can’t post pictures our baby is so cute!
Tasia
Oh my goodness I love this! It is so great meeting other piggy parents. You summed up life with a mini pig perfectly!
Kayla
Hi Crystal & Tasia,
I have an 8 month old mini pig, Presley. He is completely litter box trained with very rare accidents. We keep a litter box in his kennel and one outside of the kennel for when he roams around the front of the house. I wanted to train Presley to use a bell to use the bathroom outside in conjunction with the litter box, but I don’t know how to go about this training efficiently since he’s so used to using a litter box. Any tips on how to do this? I think this would be super helpful especially for when we visit my parent’s house so I don’t need to lug around a litter box. Thanks in advance for your help!
Tasia
You can totally do it, just takes patience. I haven’t personally used the bell method, but every time I train my pig with a new word I use a treat. I would suggest the same for the bell. Here is an article that may be helpful https://americanminipigassociation.com/uncategorized/teaching-mini-pig-ring-bell-go-potty-outdoor-potty-training/#:~:text=Call%20attention%20to%20the%20bell,has%20proven%20to%20be%20successful.
Taylor Gaebel
I absolutely loved reading about your experience!! So enlightening and informative. Miss Tashia do you have a Facebook page for people to follow? š
Tasia
Hi Taylor! Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do you have a mini pig? Yes to Facebook here ya go https://www.facebook.com/thefrugalfarmgirl/
Alexa
We just picked up our two (yes Iām crazy) mini pigs today. They are a brother and sister. Today has been rough, they just want to lay in the corner of their room together. Donāt want us to come around. Iām not sure if I should just give them some space to settle or keep bothering and trying to hold them, they squeal but once you cuddle up with them they are so calm and cuddly. Is this normal behavior that day one they may be scared/sleep not want to explore or come to me on their own. I feel so bad.
Tasia
Oh yes that is completely normal. They will take several days to warm up and trust you, but once they do, it’s amazing. Just keep giving them attention and space. go in with treats in the beginning. We did cheerios and/or raisins.
Beth
Thank you for all your blogs! I go to them many times for guidance with owning mini pigs! I have a Female Vietnamese pot belly who Is just a little over a year old now and weāve had her since she was about 8 weeks. We just transitioned her to being outside full time. After reading your blog I fear that she is a part of the spoiled pig syndrome. She only likes a few of us here in my home and will charge and try to bite everyone else. After doing lots of reading Iāve found that having two pigs is better than one for many reasons. So Iāve recently went and visited a breeder and we will have two mini pigs by the end of May! A male this time and Iām very excited. I want to try and do things a bit different and maybe a little better this time so my question to you is, what was it like bringing in other pigs after you got your first? Iām worried with her being so aggressive that she wonāt enjoy Denver so much. I have lots of questions but I will stop here for now. Thank you!!
Tasia
I really need to get my video up of the two pigs meeting. It is rough at first it they are the same age. Are the other pigs young or close to a year mark? If they are younger the transition should be better. Our male is a little more aggressive- he’s the boss, and I was worried how bringing in a 6 month old pig would be with him and Olive, and he told her who was boss. The good thing about little pigs is they run away. When we had Olive the same size as Bentley and age they both fought for dominance which is completely normal. the transition took a lot longer. But now they are all buddies and sleep together at night. Make sure which I’m sure you have been reading already, that you keep the pigs separated for a few weeks first. Once they stop the dominance challenge- where they turn their bodies you can try introducing them.
Beth
Thank you! Yes Iāve been reading a lot! But I do appreciate the advice. Sue is a year and a couple months and Denver (new male) will be 7/8 weeks when we bring him home. Sue is very sweet to a certain few and very aggressive towards others. As I read and recap for the new guy I see where I went wrong on things. Iām going to try and continue to work with her on that. I was hoping with her being a little over a year and Denver being a baby that she might take to him a little better. We will see!! Again thank you very much for all your blogs and info. Itās been so helpful to me!
Shannon Baker
I love this! We have had our Porky boy for 3 months now (he is 5 months old) he is my 11 year old sons best buddy! He used to snuggle with him all the time on the couch or in bed. Lately he doesn’t really want to snuggle anymore and do he own thing! I told him he is getting older needs less sleep, what are good ways to keep the bond between them tight?
Tasia
Yes as they grow the things they are entertained by change for sure. The bond will always be there. Continue to spend time together, give treats, do tricks etc. No matter the age they will always want a good belly rub too. š
Shawna Brewer
I am struggling with my 2 year old male indoor pig. He has done very well other than some aggressive behavior towards my 24 yr old son when he comes home for weekends or for a visit. Recently, he has stopped going to back yard grass to pee he will go on my outdoor rug or I have to walk him to the front yard and he does fine. He has also stopped going to his crate which would be fine if he didnāt destroy things when I am gone. I am at a complete loss of what to do and I am very frustrated. I will tell you that I made some changes in back yard with flower beds and mulch and I did upsize his crate. His walk way to the yard is the same as it has always been. The crate is the same style just larger due to the other getting to small. I have put his same bedding In his new one as well. He refuses to walk near it. I have even tried luring with treats or even his meals and he would rather not eat than go near it. He is eating my rugs and even took a bite out off my coffee table. I have no clue what has happened! This is my second one, my first being a female. She was 10 and unfortunately her pig food was bad and unknowingly she ate it. Vet couldnāt figure it out because she was healthy but her organs started shutting down. We sent food off and had it tested and that was what lead to her demise. Kinda off the subject sorry. Point being I have experience being a pig mom and she never exhibited destructive behavior and she loved her bed. I know that hate change but I have to figure this out. If you can offer any help it would be greatly appreciated.
Tasia
Hey Shawna! Let me just say no two pigs are the same right? I’m sure you are feeling that. My older female could still be in the house and she’s as sweet as pie. She doesn’t even care to root up the yard or her pen. But my first pig, Bentley he was very much like yours. I transitioned him outside at 1.5 because of this behavior. It’s when we brought Olive a female pig to the homestead to keep him company. You can check out my article here on how I transitioned him, but I felt awful. I would bring him in the house for visits, and he was too out of control. LOL he would still go to the cupboards and what not. I would try to keep him in the office with me while I worked and he would lay down for about 15 minutes then he was causing trouble. I eventually stopped bringing him in the house. He is completely happy outside too. He’s the boss of the other pigs but I think he needs it! lol. My advice would be if you can have your pig outside for as much time as possible do it. Maybe only bring him in at night? Or maybe consider keeping him outdoors if he doesn’t like his new crate. Or just give the crate time. Maybe the crate has a smell he isn’t a fan of? My heart goes out to you for your female pig as well. I’m so glad you got to love her for 10 years. Does your pig go for a walk? Like a dog I would have to walk Bentley daily for better behavior. Now he goes to different pens we have for the goats and once in awhile will still be up for walks. He’s 4 now and a little calmer for sure.
Tiff H.
Hi. I just came across your website from Pinterest and where do I even begin? We live in Pa and about 3.5 weeks ago my kids discovered a little black piglet come out of the field behind our house and into our yard. For the next 2/2.5 weeks this cute black piglet would be walking in our yard and our kids were laying fruits and veggies out for it to eat. We knew the farmer would be cutting the corn in the field down any day, so after trying to locate where this cutie came from with no success at all, we decided we needed to catch it. We successfully caught her the Wednesday before Halloween (in a wildlife trap; one where she walked in and the door closed). We searched FB groups for local missing animals, asked neighbors, and farmers and no one took claim to her or reported a pig missing. Everything adds up to her being abandoned. Anyway, we caught her… Immediately we thought āoh great, now what do we do?ā We weāre not prepared. So my dad brought over a metal dog cage and we put straw inside and kept her in there for a day. The weather turned cold, windy and rainy, so the next day I went to Tractor Supply and bought a metal octagon dog pen. I set it up in our dining room, bought mini pig food, puppy pee pads, and a dog harness. We brought her inside and because she had a vet appt scheduled the next day (third day we had her), I wanted to put the harness on her. Thatās when we discovered the squeal (which is HORRIBLE) and her biting. She proceeded to bite my 14 YO son many times on his forearms trying to get this harness on, and one time actually broke the skin on his thumb. Needless to say, I called the doctor because I wasnāt sure what a bite meant and they prescribed him antibiotics. The trip to the vet was horrible. She freaked out in the car, flops around like a fish out of water trying to walk on a leash, and HATES to be picked up and thatās one of the times she bites. She didnāt get her vaccinations at that visit but they did say she would in two weeks. Because she bit, they told us she needed to be quarantined for 10 days. The vet told us to take her outside because of quarantining her, but once I did, I immediately brought her back in because she seemed so lonely and it was cold. Sheās since not gotten any better with trying to pick her up and itās like she holds a grudge against my son and bites him anytime he tries to touch her (weāre also wondering if maybe she was mistreated/abused by her previous owner or just not taken proper care of or trained in any way). Because of her biting (she also nipped the back of my ankle one day I was standing inside her dog pen) Iām scared of her. She also isnāt vaccinated yet so I would hate for her to bite and more of us need to be on antibiotics. She was eating her pee pads, eating newspaper when we tried it instead of the pads, then just laid in her litter box filled with pine pellets (horse bedding) when we tried that. She was peeing and pooping on the floor constantly and boy does she ever pee! I finally said, āok, she needs to go outside.ā I also debated whether or not to find a sanctuary that might take her because I felt like we were not capable of doing this. Since taking her outside (we joined the dog cage filled with straw and covered with three tarps to the octagon dog pen), she is happier than ever! She digs with her nose in the dirt, she plays with her ball and her little tail is wagging constantly. Since taking her out, Iām like āmaybe we should keep her.ā Sheās sweet, loves belly rubs, runs in circles when the school bus pulls up, barks like a dog which we find hilarious, tunnels through her straw, comes to us when we go out to check on her at night and when sheās in her dog cage laying in her straw when we say āare you sleeping yet, Mabel?ā Anyway, I saw your post about the pig harness so I will definitely be buying one of those and not trying the step in dog harness anymore. Do you have any pointers about the biting? Since we know absolutely nothing about her or her past, including how old she is, her breed, etc., (only thing we know is that she is not a traditional farm pig, sheās a girl, and she weighs 17 lbs), I donāt know why she is biting. Does she not trust us? Can a pig be aggressive like a dog can be? How do we handle/curb the biting? I want nothing more than to have a wonderful relationship with her especially now that weāre pretty positive weāre keeping her, but I also canāt be afraid of her and I canāt have her biting. Sorry for the long response; this whole thing is just new to us. We literally just needed to save this pig from being killed by the combine, a car, or a predator animal, and now that we love her, we just want to be able to enjoy her and teach her things, and most of allā to be able to touch her without fear of her biting us.
Tasia
Oh my goodness what a story! I’m so glad you shared it all. it’s so hard to say how she’s been handled. Pigs in general do NOT like to be picked up. It takes them time to trust their owner and then allow them to pick them up. I do have a video on how I picked up a baby mini pig. https://www.thefrugalfarmgirl.com/hold-mini-pig/
With the niping I would still give her time but when she does want to nip tap her hard on the tip of her nose and tell her no.
You have to be firm with the pig or she will know she can dominate you. Its still a good time to transition her since she seems to be younger?
Try to keep her day as routine as possible. Pigs really thrive on a consistent environment. Pigs can also head swipe as a form of aggression.
If the finger tapping on the nose doesn’t work you could always try a spraw bottle of water and spraying her nose. One of our pigs feels so bad if she does anything wrong, while our youngest rightn ow is a little bit sassier. They are smart and will understand words you train her with like dogs. So when you start using a firm no, she’ll get the idea. Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going.
Tiffany
I have a 10 month old boy that I named Vincent Van Hog. I LOVE my baby boy. I made washable pee pads for him and we have a litter box as well. He hates being picked up, so we’ve started saying, “Up!” Before we pick him up. He doesn’t squeal anymore unless scared. Little man gets fresh fruits and veggies 3 times a day. He loves me as much as I love him. He will not listen to word anyone else tells him. I had no issue from day one with him squealing at night or wanting to be left alone. He was a very happy piggie when he saw that I had a freshly warmed fuzzy blanket for him and some num nums. He follows me EVERYWHERE and if I am busy making supper I make him a towel or blanket filled with treats to keep his attention. I have built him all kinds of toys that are interactive. We have been working on our numbers. I tell him to oink at Mommy for how many pieces of apple/pear he wants. Its too cute. He loves squeaky toys and toys that make that plastic rustle sound. And he has never head swiped at me but he did my fiancĆ© and we were told to push him away when he does that to show your dominance. He tried it again one day and my fiancĆ© gently pushed him away. Vincent hasn’t done it since.
Tasia
Awww that is so precious. Glad you are enjoying Vincent Van Hog! Love the name š
Kathryn Foster-Martin
I am about to adopt a 5 yo spayed female. I currently own a 6 mo spayed female. The adoptee is an outdoor pig but used to be an indoor pig. She has endured bulldog attacks and two volatile relationships that her human mommy was suffering through.
How do you introduce a new pig to the family? Ive seen videos where the pigs fight it out and I am not a fan of that, nor do I think its necessary. I am thinking of allowing the pigs to get to know each other through a fence. Please advise.
Thanks!
Tasia
HI Kathryn! Yes pigs are pretty vicious depending on personality when it comes to introductions. In your case, it shouldn’t be too bad because your pigs is much younger. I actually have a video I need to upload of how we introduced our pigs. I suggest having them separate and sniffing through a fence and introducing when they stop nipping, hair up and showing any sign of aggression through the fence. Which they will and that is totally normal. The other thing to keep in mind is that it is normal for your pigs to fight when introduced. It’s their way of establishing who is top pig. I’m going to work on a post for this in the next couple days here.
Megan
Hi just got a mini pig a week ago and I noticed she loves being picked up by only me wonāt let the kids pick her up. She wants to be cuddled and sleep with me at night but will nap in her bed during the day and is very good at using the litter box but when exploring does get confused with the carpet. She will root on me when sheās tired.
Tasia
Hi Megan, depending on how old the kids are, you may not even need to worry about them picking her up. Enjoy this time of picking her up because it won’t last long. They get big so fast- as I’m sure you are realizing. Soak up the pig cuddles and enjoy this time. Sounds like everything is pretty normal.
Carol Woolley
I have had my pig for a month. He is 3 months old. He was house broken We let him root in the yard. I read they need to eat grass for their teeth and dirt or they will need selenium shots. very often when he is antsy in the house I will throw some pig food in the grass. we have deep thick grass it is big entertainment. He sits on command and has learned “no”. he walks on the leash but he could be better on it. I am a little worried about what this will be in 2 years when he is over 50lbs. Please email me if you any advice. At is little self of 13lbs He will charge my cat and grandson which is very concerning to me. Also when he gets big I am afraid he in the dog are going to have a real fight instead of the bickering they do now.
Tasia
Hi Carol! Yes they are more challenging to keep in the house as they grow. Males will get tusks as well. Even if he is neutered they still grow through and are sharp. Not as long, but it is something to keep in mind. We have all our potbelly pigs outside now. They root up their entire pen and get grass clippings and such in the summer. In the winter they get pellets and a little hay. We don’t do or have needed to do selenium shots.
Lisa
I am currently raising 2 babie piglets and will be in need of a forever home. They have been with me since week one, they will be 3 weeks on Monday sept 12 th. They are both little girls and have healthy appetites. They are both doing great on potty training and come to theyāre names. If you know of anyone looking for a new family member, please contact me @ 714-654-7620 my name is lisa
Bruceās Mom
My family and I just adopted our first mini-pig 3 days ago. He is 5 weeks old. We are having a tough time getting him to eat. I was told to feed him goatās milk out of the bottle until he starts eating his pellets soaked in goats milk. Even getting him to drink 1cc is a challenge.
Desperate for suggestions.
Tasia
Oh boy, that is really young to be away from his mother already. Have you tried putting the milk in a dish?