What Does a Pig Eat? - Complete Guide to a Pig's Diet

As we have mentioned, humans have turned farm pigs into omnivorous animals with the aim of fattening them for later consumption. Farmers will add scraps of other food and even minced meat into their diet. This is not healthy for the pig. It will make them develop health issues and have a shorter lifespan.

To raise a healthy and happy pig, you will need to feed them according to their natural diet in the wild, which is a herbivorous diet. Wild pigs will eat an abundant diet of fruits and vegetables, as well as forage and grains. We should try to provide them with the same diet in our home or farm.

If you are lucky enough to have a pig as a pet, you'll need to provide them with a good quality diet that consists in:

• Fruit and vegetables: your pig's diet should be made up of approximately 70% fruits and vegetables of all kinds.
• Grains and cereals: such as corn, rice, barley, quinoa, etc., which will provide your pet with plenty energy. However if you overfeed them grains, they can suffer certain health issues related to obesity.
• Forage: it is also important to provide your pig with alfalfa or hay as an extra supply of fiber.

As a general rule, when deciding whether or not a food will be good for your animal, you should keep in mind that any food that is not good for you will not be good for your pig either. You must also keep in mind that pigs are naturally herbivores. Therefore you shouldn't feed them any type of meat. You should also avoid processed food, such as bread or pasta.

When it comes to feeding them, try to divide their daily intake to 2 or 3 daily servings. Set clear meal times as pigs get used to routines. If you don't, they may develop anxiety or stress that can lead to health issues. Lastly, remember to provide your pig with fresh and clean water.

Now that we've gone through what pigs should eat to live a long, healthy and happy life, what food is toxic to pigs? This is a complete list of toxic food for pigs:

• Meat and derivatives
• Avocado
• Rhubarb
• Garlic
• Onion
• Salt or foods with salt
• Raw potato, yucca or sweet potato
• Beans
• Avoid the leaves of vegetables and fruits
• Processed human foods
• Sugar
• Dairy products

Are you thinking about adopting a pig? If so, check out our article on the best names for pet pigs.

An adult pig will eat an average of6 to 8 pounds of food per day. Remember that pigs burn calories just by keeping warm at night and due to their herbivorous diet, they will need plenty of calories. Nevertheless, always try to feed them more fruits and vegetables, as feeding them too much grains can lead them to obesity.

If you have any other questions about feeding your pet pig, contact your local veterinarian that will be able to professionally guide you through your pig's health care.

If you want to read similar articles to What Does a Pig Eat? - Complete Guide to a Pig's Diet, we recommend you visit our Healthy diets category.