Photo Credit: @poppy.the.piggy
Feeding your mini pig right is extremely important for their health. They gain weight very fast, and it’s hard for them to lose it. Pigs are omnivores meaning they can eat both plants and meat, but you should only feed your mini pig vegetables, fruits, and commercially available pellet feed that is labeled for them. Meat can spread diseases to your pig, and it is even illegal to feed them meat in Australia.
Although your mini pig will try very hard to persuade you to give them fruit all the time, fruits should only be consumed in moderation by your pig. Fruits have a high amount of sugar, which (if consumed too much) can cause an obese pig. I would recommend only serve about 1 or 2 items of fruit to your pig a day. Think of it more as a treat than a meal.
Table of Contents
How much should you feed your mini pig?
Mini pigs should only be fed around 2% of their body weight each day and divide that amount into 2 to 3 feedings each day. They will try to eat more, but mini pigs that are fed more than this will grow obese. 50-75% of their diet should be their pellet food, and the other 25-50% should be a mix of mostly vegetables and some fruits. Make sure to always have water available for your mini pig.
How to determine how much to feed your mini pig?
After you weigh your pig, simply take their weight and multiply it by 0.02. For example, a pig who weighs 90 pounds (40823 grams) will receive 1.8 pounds (816 grams) of food per day. Most pellet brands will give feeding instructions on their bags that use this formula but make sure you do the math yourself.
If you feed your mini pig other foods than just the pellets, you will want to make sure to subtract those foods from the amount of pellets you’re supposed to feed your pig. For example, you feed your pig half a pound of vegetables every day. Make sure to subtract around half a pound of pellets from your pig’s diet so that the amount your feeding your pig still equals only 2% of their body weight.
Examples of what you should feed your mini pig
Every pig should eat a balance between mostly their pellets, and some fruits and vegetables. It is safe to feed your pig most vegetables and fruits, but there are some that can be toxic to them as I explain in the next subheading. Here is a list of the most popular foods pig owners feed their pigs, all of which are completely safe for them to eat.
- Pellet feed
- Cheerios (not too many though)
- Carrots
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Bananas
- Apples (take out the seeds)
- Pears (take out the seeds)
- Mango
- Guava
- Papaya
- Pumpkin
- Watermelon
- Grapes
- Berries
Examples of what you shouldn’t feed your mini pig
Although pigs will eat pretty much anything, there are some foods you shouldn’t give them. These foods are known for being toxic to your pig but usually not toxic enough to cause any health problems unless consumed in a large amount, but it’s always better to be safe. Below is a list of what you shouldn’t feed your pig.
- Other pet food
- Meat
- Bone
- Chocolate
- Salty foods
- Nuts
- Fish
- Most leaves and vines
- Most seeds
- Raw Dough
- Raw beans
- Avacado (or all pitted food)
- Potato
- Onions
- Rhubarb
- Wild mushrooms
- Cassava
Apple and Pear seeds are only slightly toxic to pigs. It’s usually fine if they just have a couple, but I would recommend taking the seeds out before feeding an apple or pear to your pig.
Data was gathered by this source and independent research from our website.
What is the best pellet food available for your mini pig?
All pet pigs should have a primarily pellet based diet. Although it is possible to feed them without pellets, it is more difficult and usually costs more. Pellets will deliver complete and balanced nutrition, meaning that you won’t have to give your pig any extra supplements or minerals. Below I explain the possible options for pellets and the pros and cons for each brand.
Mazuri
Mazuri offers 3 different pellet bag options depending on how old your pig is. You can check them out on chewy.com. This link here sends you to the adult mini pig option.
Kalmbach Feeds Squeals of Joy
This brand is great for pig owners who have multiple pigs all at different ages as it can feed them all. You can check it out by clicking here.
Nature’s Best Organic Feeds Mini Pig Adult
If you want to make sure your pig is eating something that is proven organic, this is the brand for you. You can check it out by clicking here.
Kruse’s Perfection Brand
Although younger pigs could be fed this brand, I would recommend that you go with Mazrui if you have a pig younger than 4 months old. But if they are older than that, this is a great option. You can check it out by clicking here.
So which one is the best?
All of them are very good options, and the best will depend on you and your situation. For people who are looking to save money but still want to feed their pig high-quality food, Kruse’s Perfection Brand is the best option. If your pig experiences skin problems such as dry skin, Mazuri is the best option. If you have multiple pigs all in different age brackets, Kalmbach Feeds Squeals of Joy is the best option. And lastly, if you want to make sure your pig is eating something proven organic, Nature’s Best Organic Feeds Mini Pig Adult is the brand for you.
If you or your pig do not fall into any of these categories, the best overall pellet brand in my opinion is Kalmbach Feeds Squeals of Joy. This brand has a mix of pretty much every feature of the other brands plus some of its own, at a very affordable price. Although Mazrui is the most popular brand, I would definitely recommend at least trying this brand out.
How much does it cost to feed a mini pig?
Obviously, this will depend on what kind of food you get and how big your pig is, but on average, it will cost around $25 to $55 per month to feed a mini pig. This includes their pellet feed and other foods like fruits and vegetables. Younger pigs don’t eat as much, so as they are younger, it may only be around $25 per month but expect that to rise as they grow larger and need more food.
What are the best treats for your mini pig?
Treats are great for training your pig and rewarding them for good behavior. A very inexpensive and simple treat would be whole grain cereals such as cheerios. Check out this article here, which teaches you how to create cheerio clusters (your pig will go crazy for them!). Other great treats include vegetables, fruits, raisins, granola, and eggs. Remember that all treats should only be fed to your pig with moderation, pigs can become obese very easily if fed to many.
There are some more treats that you can purchase. If your pig likes berry-flavored treats, check out this. If your pig likes sweat oats and honey flavors, check out this. Your pig will go crazy for these treats, and it makes it much easier to house train them when they are young.
Do piglets eat the same food as adult pigs?
Piglets start out feeding on their mother’s milk for around the first 4 weeks. After the first 4 weeks, they can usually start to eat solid food such as pellets, fruits, and vegetables. Remember that it’s important to only get pellets that are labeled for piglets because pellets labeled for adults will be too big for a piglet to eat. You also want to make sure you cut their fruits and vegetables into tiny pieces to help them eat properly.
If you have multiple mini pigs, should you feed them together?
Mini pigs can get aggressive, especially when food is in the mix, so sometimes it might not be a good idea to feed all of your mini pigs at the same time. Your pigs might be different though and it may be perfectly fine to feed them together. This is just something you should be aware of if you are a multi pig owner.
How to pig proof your house? (avoid them from getting into your pantry, fridge, or garbage)
Mini pigs are smart and many times will learn how to open up the garbage or pantry doors themselves, so it’s very important to “pig-proof” your house. One of the best things you can do to keep your pig away from food is to install a door or gate that blocks them from entering the kitchen or room you keep the food. Another item you can get is a garbage lock, which you can check out on Amazon here. Lastly, always keep knives on top shelves away from where your pig might accidentally get to.
How to know if your mini pig is getting obese?
Obesity in pigs is a huge problem because it causes many problems such as arthritis, depression, and excess aggression. That is why it’s important to only feed your pig 2% of their body weight daily, but if you believe your pig is obese there are a couple of signs that will tell you if they are for sure.
Signs that tell you if your pig is obese
Additional signs
- Inability to feel hips and spine even with firm pressure
- A stomach that is touching or close to touching the ground
- Folds that are rolling over their eyes
- Inability to stand or walk normally
How to get your mini pig to lose weight if they’re obese?
To start off, you need to make sure they are eating right. All mini pigs should eat food that weighs equivalent to 2% of their body weight, but for obese pigs this is different. An obese pig should eat equivalent to 2% of their target weight. their target weight should be 10Lb less than what they currently weigh. And after every 3 weeks, you should lower the target weight by 10 pounds until they reach a target weight that would consider them a normal weight.
That may be a bit confusing, so here an example. Billy the pig is very obese and weighs 200 lbs, other pigs that are just as long as Billy and are not obese only weigh 150 lbs. To start out for the first 3 weeks, I will feed Billy as if he weighed 190 lbs, and after every 3 weeks, I will lower it by 10 lbs until I reach 150 lbs.
During this period of time, make sure to keep your pig very active. Some things you can do is go for walks and hide treats in random places in your yard to make your pig search for them.
source– vcahospitals
