The pig’s enthusiasm for food is one that borders on the cliché, but the fact remains that all pigs–potbellied pigs included–do love to eat. It is only natural then that food and nutrition would be foremost concerns of people that are looking to make pets out of potbellied pigs.
Equally important as making sure that your potbellied pig gets the proper amount of food is making sure that he gets the right type of food. These two factors will have a lot to do with how healthy your pet pig will grow up to be. There are numerous mini pig food brands on the market, with each naturally claiming nutritional superiority. Your results may vary depending on many other factors, so going for any one particular brand of pig chow will not guarantee you great results even if other pet owners do find them effective. In any case, some of the feeds that routinely get favorable reviews are Heartland, Peak Performance, Manna Pro, and certain varieties of Purina.
Keep in mind that these and other brands of mini pig chow have been developed specifically for the needs of such animals, and they should therefore make up a large percentage of the diet of your pet. The better brands of feeds will contain high quality protein that is essential for the full development and healthy growth of potbellied pigs.
One other factor to consider is that like all pigs, potbellied pigs are omnivorous. They do not possess the ability to manufacture protein as herbivores do for example, which is why you will have to provide them with this essential ingredient. In their natural environment, potbellied pigs would derive protein from other animals, worms, bugs, and other animal sources. When you care for potbellied pigs however, their protein will come primarily from the feeds that you give them.
As to how often you will have to feed your potbellied pig, most experts agree that twice a day is the ideal number. While they are still very young however, potbellied pigs should be freely supplied with food so that they can eat whenever they want. At about 3 weeks old, you can expect a healthy potbellied pig to consume about 2 cups of pig chow daily. This will suffice until the pig is 1 year old, after which time you will have to adjust the amount according to your pet’s needs, which in itself is dependent on his metabolism and level of activity. You will want to carefully monitor the eating habits of your pet, as potbellied pigs tend to differ in this regard.
There may be instances wherein you will be tempted to give dog food or cat food to your potbellied pig, either out of curiosity, lack of appropriate feed, or pure laziness. Regardless of the reason however, most expert breeders and veterinarians agree that this is not a good idea, as potbellied pigs have their own very specific nutritional requirements that dog food or cat food simply cannot satisfy.
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