How to Care for Vietnamese Potbellied Pigs

These good-natured pets are big (60 to 110 lbs. on average, with shoulder height ranging from 4 to 18 inches) and love to root. Caring for them requires space and a mellow attitude about the lawn and home, since a potbellied pig will root around in carpet, rugs, flowers and grass.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blankets For Pets
• Doghouses And Doors
• Toys For Pets
• Sunscreen

1. You can keep your pig either indoors or outdoors. They're generally clean animals, and they prefer to relieve themselves outside. When your pig's tail stops wagging and becomes horizontal, it's a sign that she needs to relieve herself.

2. Feed your pig twice a day with commercially prepared potbellied-pig food that's formulated to meet your pig's nutritional needs. Have a veterinarian advise you on the proper amount to feed, since food requirements vary with the pig and depend on age and weight. Be sure to watch your pig's weight closely.

3. Train your pig to use a litter box if she must be kept indoors for long periods of time. Keep the box far away from her food and bedding area.

4. Avoid lining the litter box with items your pig may like to eat. Instead, use a large plastic cement-mixing tub (available at home-improvement stores), lined with newspapers and pine chips.

5. Take an indoor pig out daily so she can act like a pig and get exercise. Provide a rooting box, such as a child's swimming pool filled with sand, dirt and toys.

6. Provide a warm, dry, draft-free environment such as a large doghouse, with plenty of blankets and straw, if your pig is kept outdoors. The more blankets, the happier the pig.

7. Monitor your pig carefully when temperatures drop below freezing or rise above 80 degrees F, since pigs are sensitive to extreme temperatures and cannot sweat. Make sure the pig has access to a shaded area.

8. Provide your pig with a child's swimming pool filled with water for cooling down when it's hot. Apply sunscreen (the type used on humans) if your pig often gets sunburned ' pig hair doesn't offer much protection.

9. Spay or neuter your pig at 8 to 10 weeks. Neutering helps to reduce aggressive behavior in males.

10. Have your pig vaccinated once a year, and get her hooves trimmed when necessary.

11. Give a good foot stomp and a strong 'No!' to stop your pig from engaging in unwanted behavior. Spoiled pigs can become unruly, destructive and demanding.

12. Be prepared for your pig to reach a shoulder height of 18 inches and a weight of 60 to 110 pounds. Keep in mind that potbellied pigs have an average life span of 20 to 25 years.

Tips & Warnings

• Potbellied pigs are considered livestock, so check with your city officials before moving one into your neighborhood.
• Livestock veterinarians usually treat these pets.
• Potbellied pigs are very smart and can easily be trained to do tricks, just like dogs.

[mistyjr86]

on 4/16/2007 I wanted to know if anyone can help me out. I found a baby pig and hes white with black spots. I just wanted to know if some one can help me out and tell me what kind of pig it is? You can email me at [e-mail]
Thanks

on 3/29/2006 Potbellies need to get wormed every few months or they can get sick and get you and your family sick, too. Sometimes my potbelly pig likes to try and drink out of the toilet. This is gross I know, but I think this is how my potbelly got worms. I know she had worms because one time I seen some in her droppings. So the next time I went to the farm store I got some wormer. It was suppose to be used for dogs but I gave her the amount for a large dog and it cleaned her out and didn't make her sick at all. It's expensive, so I only give it to her a couple times a year. Other than that she has been really healthy (except for the time she got attacked by the neighbors German Shepard). She got a bad cut behind her leg and it tore one of her ears. At least we don't have to worry about them anymore because we turned them in for animal abuse.

Our potbelly is not spaded, and when she comes in season she grunts a lot and acts real nervous. It's more often than once a month. We want to breed her to raise potbellies to sell. Ours cost $75 when she was a baby, and the lady we got her from said they have about five babies every time and they can have 50 babies in there lifetime. Thats some serious bucks. The lady we got her from said good boars are hard to find and cost a lot. We feed her some cracked corn and she loves to eat the table scraps. When she starts getting to fat, I don't feed her corn for a while and she slims up. She never poops on the porch (that's where we keep her when the weather is bad). Usually she likes to sleep under the trailer, but I had to put a little fence up because she once unhooked the sewer line by rubbing on it.

on 11/22/2005 A previous post said Farm Pigs make bad pets. I have a 600 lb white sow, with blue eyes, she will give ya a kiss if you let her. I can hand feed all my pigs, and wrestle with them on a regular basis as they will have it no other way. I dont do hormones or implants. If I wont eat it, they dont get it for feed, and you can drink out of my water buckets. Some shots are required, and castration, but requirements vary with age. No matter how old the or big the pig is, they do stress very easy. Large or small, pigs respect no confinement, so if it isnt oak, you better know how to use electric wire. I dont believe in confinement(or electric wires), but have large 32x32 pens I move about some unusable ground by the creek. In the winter they each have thier own little stall, because they need a warm dry place after playing in the weather. Recently I brang some lil pigs we let run loose all summer in and put them on feed. I was surprised it took a month or more for them to start gaining weight again. Its actually healthier they are running loose, but dont be surprised if they loose weight when you eventually pen them. I could put in concrete, conveyers, heated floors, waters. But get all the saw dust I can load im my pickup. The dirt floors in barn gives em something to do. The local farmer gets some great fertilizer. The sawdust keeps the smell down also. Now I thought rabbits and cats were bad, but pigs are worse, so be ready to sell or give away pigs if you dont keep the males fixed. Pigs are very smart, more so than dogs. They also make friends with people and animals too. Someone mentioned earlier they cry, thats true too, if you ever wean or rescue a pig and move it, it will be very sad for a few days. Pigs also need other pigs to be happy, but they will make do if they dont have any others. I worm my pigs twice a year with $4 dollar box of safegaurd. The babys get an iron shot. There is also recomendations by the Extension Office for your area for vaccines. Pigs get sick like us also, some of these are very bad diseases. I vaccinate my kids, and my dogs, and also my pigs. Now careing for any animals differs by area. You can spend allot of money on the animal also, but my pigs dont care if I use a galvanized waterer or a painted one. Just so long I dont attach it so they can play with it later after they are done drinking. Pigs can smell really good too, I have a game I play with a loaf of bread, and feel sorry for anyone who comes into the barm with a sandwhich, your wont keep it. Couple of things when pigs meets toddlers, have kids set down in one spot away from pens(best they do not approach animals at all). For the rest of us, never put hands under mouths of pigs, only over ears and snout. Also never stand directly in front of pig. All these are very self explanitory after the first encounter. Oh, lil boys know just where not to stand in a barn yard too, so get em some rubber boots if they are from the city. Moving a pig can be very hard, but not so here. I usually grab some food and run to where I want them, that works well for me. Or just leave the door open and wait till they eventually find it themselves. Pigs know more about the barnyard then we do. Pigs will eat anything they can get in their mouth, and dont know what sharp edges are. Its hard to get em too cold, but its easy to get em too hot. I cant imagine a pig in the house, I keep it way too hot and have no mud for them to cool themsleves down. I do have some old doghouses the smaller ones seem to like for sleeping in. Keeps the heat in, and the danger out. So make sure your pigs feel safe, no matter what you have em living in. Dont let the kids ride your pigs, they are already probally carrying too much weight, it could break thier backs. Picks will get the flu and colds, as long as they dont go off feed and water, they will most likely pull through. You will see a change in their droppings. Thats when you need to keep and eye on them. Know when you need a vet or professional help. Once an animal gets down so far, it dies slowley and in pain. Also dont eat your pets. Grandpa would have been proud, but lil Johnny and his mom(your wife) will hate you forever. I dont know if you will find any of this useful, or if it all applies, buts caring for pigs is becomming a lost trade, due to commercial growers. I have a small farm and raise pigs for fun.

on 11/22/2005 Be prepared for a lot of noise when you get a pot belly. We have one in the house that we saved as a baby and he never shuts up. We hear high squeals, low honks and grunts all the time!

on 11/22/2005 Be prepared to take responsibility if you get a PB pig. They're very smart, emotional & stressed (watch for tears) by heat, cold, sickness, fear, worry etc. Pups/dogs adapt better than PBs. PBs can feel abandoned & lonely. It's a big decision to get one.