Potbelly Pig Diet

Quickly growing in popularity as pets, potbelly pigs are social, intelligent, nonallergenic and easily trained. Their dietary needs do differ, however, from other pets as well as from pigs farmed as food. Understanding what and how to feed your potbelly pig is an important part of keeping them happy and healthy. For proper nutritional balance, both what and how much you feed your potbelly pig are important to its well-being.

  1. Type of Food

    • Potbelly pigs are omnivores. In nature they eat a varied diet of roots, seeds, vegetables, eggs, worms, nuts, insects and animal carcasses. As pets, however, the best way to ensure they are getting the proper diet is by feeding them food designed specifically for them as their dietary base. You can buy specially designed food for adult potbelly pigs as well as piglets at most pet stores and feed stores, or order it online. When choosing a brand, look for low-calorie, high-fiber food with a protein content of 12 percent to 14 percent. Protein is an essential part of a potbellied pig's diet. They need protein to survive, yet their bodies cannot produce it. A protein content too high, however, puts your pig in danger of becoming overweight. Dog and cat foods have too high of a protein content, so avoid feeding either to your pig. You should also avoid feeding a potbelly food designed for farmed pigs, especially those designed for "optimal growth," as it will make them overweight.

      Because potbelly pigs are intelligent, they do get bored with the same old diet. For variety, add fresh or frozen vegetables such as lettuce, peppers, peas, lima beans, zucchini and limited amounts of broccoli and cauliflower. For treats, you can also offer plain popcorn (air-popped to avoid oils) Cheerios, bite-size shredded wheat and treats made specifically for potbelly pigs. They also enjoy fruit such as apples, raisins and grapes. Due to their high sugar content, however, fruit treats should be used in moderation. Never feed your pig chocolate, avocado or alcohol. These foods are toxic to pigs. Processed human food should also be avoided as pig food.

    Amount

    • Though piglets (from 3 weeks to 1 year old) should be fed as often as they choose to eat, you should limit adult potbelly pigs' food intake to two meals per day. The general rule of thumb is half a cup of pig feed per day per 25 pounds of pig. Because they love to eat, potbelly pigs will overeat if allowed, which will impair their health. Overweight pigs may suffer such health issues as leg problems, impaired vision (due to rolls of fat around the eyes), low energy and digestive complications. Though you can change an obese pig's diet to help it reduce to a healthier size, do not try to control your pig's overall growth by limiting its food. Healthy adult potbelly pigs can range in size from 100 to 250 pounds. If you require a smaller pet, a potbelly pig isn't for you.