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Understanding Mini and Potbellied Pigs
How to Decide if a Mini or Potbellied Pig is the Right Pet for You?
If you are on the fence about getting a mini pig as your next pet, rule number one is to do your research! My first experience with a pot belly pig was when someone with good intentions did not do their research and ended up with a pet that they couldn’t keep. My dad’s coworker had a pet pig she needed to rehome, so much to our surprise, my dad spontaneously picked us up from school one day, and we went for a ride to pick up a black-Vietnamese, extremely overweight, potbelly pig named Grunt. She wasn’t much of a looker, but she was as sweet as could be and instantly had a special place in our family’s heart. Her past owners were under the common belief that “pigs will eat anything”, and they hadn’t been sure of what pigs really needed in a balanced diet. In turn, Grunt had eagerly taken the role as “garbage disposal unit” for their family. She became so “pot-bellied” that it was hard for her to walk, and she was starting to experience health issues. Back then, we didn’t know of anyone that had a pet pig or what resources to turn to for help in getting Grunt back on the right track. With time, the help of a balanced diet and some light exercise, Grunt started slimming down and flourishing. Throughout that process, I really learned how intelligent, funny, and sweet mini and pot belly pigs are. Growing up with Grunt taught me firsthand what great pets mini and pot belly pigs can be and how feeding them a proper diet is crucial to letting them live their best pig lives.Feeding your Mini and Potbellied Pigs
One reason I love Kalmbach Feeds® Squeals of Joy® mini pig food is because it takes all of the guess work out of mini pig nutrition and can provide pig owners the peace of mind knowing that their pet is receiving all of the needed and balanced nutrients to support a long and healthy life. When feeding a complete diet like Squeals of Joy®, you don’t have to worry about any supplements. Instead, you can simply adjust the amount of food you are giving your pig per day based off their age, body condition, and activity level. As a starting point, we generally go off the rule of thumb that an adult pig will need about 1 to 2% of their body weight in pounds of food per day. When your mini pig is young and growing, they will need more food to provide the building blocks their body needs. As they get older, the focus shifts to maintaining body condition, which doesn’t require as much daily feed intake. Because every type or breed of pig can be a bit different, we never judge a pig based on its scale weight. Instead we use a body condition score. The body condition chart shown here can provide a visual guide of what to look and aim for when assessing the body condition of your pig.
Luckily, for today’s mini and pot belly pigs, Kalmbach’s Squeals of Joy® feed is highly palatable, which helps to keep your pigs happily pigging out every day. This feed contains balanced sources of protein to maintain proper amino acid ratios. In addition, Squeals of Joy® is designed to provide moderate energy (calories) with higher fiber content than you would find in commercial swine diets. This helps control growth and will leave your pig feeling full and satisfied between meals.
Mini and Potbelly Pigs Love Squeals of Joy®
We know that mini and pot belly pigs are beloved pets, so providing a feed that supports their immune system, gut health, body structure, and digestive tract is top priority. At Kalmbach Feeds®, we fully understand this and utilize a blend of prebiotics, probiotics, essential oils, coconut oil, and organic trace minerals in Squeals of Joy® to support a long, healthy life for your pig. The use of grains, such as flaxseed meal and oatmeal, can further promote immune and gut health. This feed also keeps your pig friends close, but not necessarily with their notorious piggy smell. Formulated with Yucca Schidigera Extract, Squeals of Joy® will help control odor so nothing gets between you and your pig’s bonding time. Like with any animal, having the correct vitamins and minerals in proper amounts and balance with one another is important in mini and pot belly pig diets, but using organic trace minerals increases bioavailability to the animal for optimal use by and for their body. Squeals of Joy® also utilizes a natural vitamin E source, which further helps promote a healthy immune system and can provide further support during times of stress. Lastly, because this is a complete feed, we can control and ensure pigs are not only being fed the ideal levels of calcium and phosphorus, but maintaining the proper ratio between the two for structural soundness and longevity. For my family growing up, Grunt wasn’t just a pig, but a beloved pet. We know and understand your lovable mini and pot belly pigs are the same way. We want to do everything we can to provide everything they need to have the highest quality of life possible and have the best feed, just like they deserve.
Julie Salyer
Hi there, my name is Julie, and I am on the Swine Nutrition team here at Kalmbach Feeds®. A few things about me: I’m a wife, mom, and I haven’t met a pig I don’t like. Much of my adult life has been spent surrounded by pigs and learning as much as I can about them. While a lot of that time has been with commercial pigs, my first experience was with a miniature pig when I was about 6 years old.