What Do Pigs Eat
Before you adopt a pot-bellied companion, you need to ask yourself, “What do pigs eat?” Nutrition, as it relates to the pig, is a complex issue. Pigs don't have the thalamus that most other animals have, so they don't experience being “full”, even when they are. They could literally eat themselves to death. You as the caretaker must be diligent in feeding correct amounts of nutritious food at proper intervals.
So what do pigs eat? Pigs are omnivorous, that is they will eat meat or vegetables and grains. A pig's diet should begin with high quality pig feed, which is formulated especially for pigs. You can usually find this at feed stores and mills. Pigs also need to be allowed to graze on grass, which adds fiber to their diet. If you don't have adequate grazing areas, you can feed your pig green lettuce. Make sure to rinse any preservatives or insecticides off any food before you feed it.
In addition to pig feed and grass, what do pigs eat? Vegetables that are low in calories can be fed in moderate quantities. This includes lettuce, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, cabbage and bell peppers. Pigs also enjoy parts of vegetables that we often discard, like lettuce cores and the bottoms and tops of beans.
Pigs love fruit, but you need to make sure that it doesn't make up any more than one-third of the “snacking” they do, in addition to their feed. Pigs don't process sugar effectively, so keep the sweets to a minimum.
What do pigs eat? Not people food. Pigs should not eat food canned for human consumption, or cooked leftovers, dairy products, sugar, cat food, dog food or poultry and fish. They should also only be given a rare and occasional treat of items like candy, pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza, pretzels, chips and crackers. Don't overfeed any of these foods.
Some pigs will eat and drink, back and forth, throughout their meals. Perhaps your pig just likes wet food. If this is a problem for you, you can wet his food down and remove his water bucket until he's done eating.
The metabolic rate of each pig is different, just as peoples' are. One pig may get fat on two cups of feed a day, and another might not, even on four pounds a day. Watch your pig's weight and make adjustments to his feed level as needed.
Overfeeding should be avoided at all costs, because it can lead to serious diseases, including joint disease, premature arthritis and coronary artery disease. It may even become painful for your pig to walk if he is severely overweight. Take care of your pig and keep him healthy – feed him right.