Choosing an Exotic Pet - Care of Exotic Pets

Pot bellied pigs have individual personalities, but many piglets do not like to be touched much, or held. Usually, they grow to enjoy being near the people they bond with, and like to be touching them or sitting in their laps. However, piglets can be quite aloof or fearful at first, especially if they have not been well socialized by their breeder. Even well socialized pigs may take a while to learn to transfer trust to a new owner. When you bring a young pig home, you first need to gain the piglets trust in order to have it accept handling readily, then work on training basic behaviors (such as leash walking, house training) and being able to restrain the pig so necessary grooming and medical care can be done as needed. Although most pigs quickly outgrow being picked up, it is worthwhile to get them used to being picked up as they will be more willing to be handled and restrained if you are able to gain their trust enough to be able to pick them up.
A note about any sort of training with a pig: positive reinforcement is the key to success. They won't respond to force or punishment very well at all. To a pig, the most obvious kind of positive reinforcement is food, remembering that most pigs will be happy to work for small tidbits such as raisins, small pieces of apple or other fruit, or even pieces of their regular ration. When you are trying to tame a stubborn piglet, you may even want to hand feed all their food, since the quickest way to a pig's heart is through his stomach. However, obesity is a common problem, so keep treat foods to a minimum and make sure you are not overfeeding your pig by feeding full meals and supplementing with extra food for training.
Bonding With a New Piglet
When you bring your new pig home, he (or she) will probably be very nervous and scared, since he has left everything familiar behind and has to adjust to all new people and surroundings. Be patient at first. You will want to keep him or her in a small confined area until he is more comfortable. Let the pig explore a bit and get comfortable with his new surroundings, and once he doesn't seem apprehensive, try to get him to approach you by tempting him with food. Sit on the floor with the pig, and offer a bit of food (for piglets, it is probably best to just use their regular food for most of the training - small bits of vegetable or fruit could be used for special treats). You may just need to put the food on the floor in front of you at first, and gradually work up to the piglet taking the food from you. Do this repeatedly over the course of the first few days at home and have everyone in the family have a turn so that the piglet can bond with all the family members.
Once your piglet is comfortable with being near you and taking food from your hand, you can reach out and try to scratch your piglet gently under the chin or along the sides. Move slowly, and speak calmly and gently to your pig. Remember to give treats as you do this, and the piglet will eventually realize this is a pleasant experience. Move at a pace that your piglet is comfortable with, though. If he resists being scratched or petted, back off a bit until he is more accepting.
There is a fairly fine line between spending enough time with your piglet and spending too much time, though. While you want to take the time to get to know your pig and have him or her trust you, you also want to make sure you do not lavish too much attention on your baby, or he will come to expect attention all the time. This is also true of using food as a training tool - spend time with your pig without giving treats as well, or he will think of you as a food dispenser and may start to expect or demand food contstantly. Keep the bonding and training sessions short and regular, with breaks to give the pig time to rest and develop the ability to entertain himself a bit too.

Picking up a Piglet
Generally, pigs do not like to be held or picked up. When a pig feels threatened, it will squeal, loudly. Usually very loudly. Obviously, when you are trying to pick up a baby pig you want to cuddle you are not a threat, but you have to remember that squealing is a natural response to something the piglet doesn't like. As the piglet bonds with you, it will trust that you are not going to hurt him or her, and you will likely be able to teach him or her not to struggle and squeal when handled. While pigs usually outgrow being picked up quite quickly, being able to pick up your piglet will make it easier to move your piglet around, which is especially handy during the house training process.
Once your pig is used to being handled and scratched, try to entice him or her to sit in your lap. If your piglet has a favorite blanket, put it in your lap to encourage the piglet to lay in your lap. Once your pig will climb into your lap, gradually work from petting his body to gently wrapping your arms around him. Then start to apply gentle pressure with your arms. You'll want to cradle your piglet gently, but firmly, under his neck/chest just ahead of his front legs and under his rump, wrapping your arms around the side of his body that is away from yours. Hold him against your body, so he feels secure. Continue to pet him and talk gently to him, and give him treats (having a helper to feed treats while you try to cradle him works well). Once he is okay with being cradled, try and lift him a bit. If he squeals or screams for more than a few seconds, back off and work on just holding him more and work back toward picking him up. This is where things get a bit tricky and it helps to really know your pig. You do not want to let him keep screaming as it is a signal that he is very stressed. On the other hand, you do not want to put him down the second he starts to squeal, since you then reward him for squealing when picked up and therefore inadvertently teach him that if he squeals he gets put down. As you get to know your pig, you can judge better when your pig is just protesting a bit compared to when he or she is truly stressed. Teaching a piglet to be picked up can be difficult, since it requires teaching something they do not like to do. Be patient and make it a gradual process, and you and your piglet will be happier as a result.

Pot bellied pigs generally have voracious appetites and will eat nearly anything that you offer them. Unfortunately they are also very prone to obesity which can lead to foot and joint problems as well as other health problems. In addition to the health implications they can also become very persistent and pesky beggars and can even learn to open the refrigerator in their search for tasty treats. Feeding the proper diet, limiting treats and developing a feeding routine can help prevent problems.
Pot bellied pigs need a good quality diet that is high in fiber and low in calories. Ideally, a food formulated specifically for pot bellied pigs or mini pigs should be fed, and these can now be found at some feed stores and pet stores. If your local store doesn't carry these diets they may be able to order them in for you, or you could also check to see if your veterinarian can order them. Here are some examples of pot bellied pig diets:

• Mazuri (whose parent company is Purina) - choose Mini Pig from the menu at the right of the screen
• Ross Mill Farms - you can buy online from their online Pig Store
• Heartland Pet Pig Products - carries a full line of pet pig diets available online through HappyPigs.com

If you feed a commercial food meant for farmed pigs make sure you choose a maintenance ration - especially avoid the grower and finisher type foods which are meant for optimum growth and are too rich for pot bellied pigs. The
Young piglets can be fed a commercial pig starter diet, but only up to about 2-3 months of age.
As a rule, in non-breeding adults feed about 1/2 cup of maintenance food per 25 pounds of the pig's weight (so a 75 pound pig would get 1 1/2 cups of food). The total amount should be divided into 2 meals a day. However, this amount is a guideline and should be adjusted based on the pig's body condition. If the pig is developing rolls of fat around the face and you have a hard time feeling the hip bones, the pig is becoming obese and should be fed less. Conversely, if the pig feels skinny you should feed more. Piglets up to 6 weeks of age can be fed starter ration free choice (as much as they want) but from 6 weeks to 3 months gradually limit the starter food down to about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per day. Nearing 3 months, make the gradual change to the adult diet.
In addition to the formulated diet, you can feed a good variety of fresh vegetables to make up about 25% of the pig's diet. Foods such as celery, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, potatoes and some greens are good choices (but try to limit the starchy vegetables like potatoes). Some fruits can be feed as well but only in moderation due to the high sugar content. Most pigs love treats like apples, grapes and raisins, but these are good to reserve as treats to be used in training.
Pigs should also be allowed opportunity to root in soil and graze on grass (not treated with chemicals or fertilizer). Pigs are susceptible to selenium deficiency but in most areas if they are allowed to graze and root in the soil they will get enough. If you live in an area with soil deficient in selenium you may need a mineral supplement. Check with your veterinarian for advice on this.
Extra fiber can be provided by feeding hay (e.g. alfalfa), and some experts recommend adding bran to the diet. In summary:

• feed a diet specifically made for pot bellied pigs if possible
• do not overfeed - never feed as much as they will eat since pigs have voracious appetites
• do not feed dog or cat food (much too high in protein)
• avoid fatty foods, particularly animal fats
• absolutely avoid chocolate or salty snacks
• ensure plenty of fresh water is always available
• do not give into begging or your pig is likely to become a pest and beg constantly
• do not feed directly from the fridge or your pig may quickly become an expert at opening the fridge

 Pigs are very clever, and your pot bellied pig can be house trained with a little patience and lots of treats.

Here's How:

1. Initially confine your pig to a small area when not directly supervising him or her.
2. Take the pig outside frequently (every 2 hours), and especially on waking and after meals.
3. Come up with a command to use when you want your pig to urinate or defecate e.g. 'Do your stuff.'
4. When the pig urinates or defecates outside, use lots of praise and a give a bite of its favorite treat.
5. Establish a routine for eating and going outside, which will help your pig understand the idea of going outside to eliminate.