Your Potbellied Pig’s Diet

Potbellied pigs are omnivores, so their natural diet in the wild would include roots, veggies, nuts, seeds, berries, worms, insects, raw eggs and other little critters. Of course, you can’t imitate this diet for your pig, but you can feed your pig a variety of healthy foods. It’s a good idea to feed pigs larger meals twice a day (breakfast and dinner) and healthy snacks throughout the day.
Recommended Foods. Your pig’s diet should contain a lot of veggies. Meals should consist of a
head of cut-up romaine lettuce along with a cup of veggies, plus pellets made specifically for miniature or potbellied pigs. Vary the veggies so the pigs don’t get bored with their meals and also get a variety of nutrients. Safe veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, lima beans, green beans, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, edamame, peppers and peeled zucchini. Don’t feed your pig too much broccoli or cauliflower, however, since they can cause bloating and gas. You might want to peel the zucchini (unless they are organic) because the skin has quite a bit of residual pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in it. In the winter, if you really want to pamper your pig, warm the veggies (you can even allow the lettuce to warm up a bit) so the pig isn’t eating cold food in cold weather. In the summer, if you live in a very hot climate, feed the pig cold lettuce and cold or slightly
frozen veggies. Limit veggies such as corn, carrots and peas; the high sugar content of these veggies can cause hyperactive and aggressive behavior. All veggies should have no added
sodium, so canned vegetables are not a good choice. Fresh or frozen are best. Include
commercially prepared potbellied pig pellets in the salads, but don’t feed the pig pellets
only, since such a restricted diet doesn’t supply the nutrients the pig needs to have
optimum health. Two or three times a week, you can also include eggs in the pig’s food.
Fruit can be offered as treats on occasion or included in meals, but only once in a while
because of the high sugar content. Unsalted almonds or popcorn make a wonderful
snack. Try mixing almonds and pellets and tossing them around the pig enclosure after
meals. This extends meal time and helps satisfy pigs’ innate desire to root. Of course,
they also get physical and mental stimulation while searching for the almonds and
pellets. Alfalfa hay is another good snack and it has plenty of fiber.
Recommended Supplements. Supplements can be used to encourage a strong
immune system and help the pig overcome a particular illness or disease. To allow
the pig’s body to adjust, start with small amounts of a supplement. Before giving a
supplement, check with a veterinarian experienced with potbellied pigs to verify that the
supplement will have no ill effects. Administer the supplement in small doses for two
weeks and watch the pig closely for changes of any kind. visit: http://www.bestfriends.org/

P.S. The pigture used is one of the original pigtures from the pigatopia book