Knowing that pigs can eat so much food, it would be very interesting to learn if pigs can end up overeating.
So can pigs end up overeating? Technically, pigs have the capacity to eat as much as it wants, so it will overeat when given the chance. However, overeating does not mean that it will blow up like a balloon when it has had too much. Its body will continue digesting the food, but it may end up unhealthy and overweight.
A pig’s digestive system is truly amazing. Did you know that a pig can literally eat garbage, and its body will automatically filter toxins out and will store the harmful substances within the layers of fat in their body?
Even better, when they consume too much toxin, their hooves have the ability to excrete the bad stuff out of its body.
But this doesn’t mean that a pig should be left to eat whatever it can find. A pig only overeats when its owner overfeeds it. This is why it’s critical that a pig owner knows what’s good for the pig and what’s not. This ensures that you have a happy, healthy pet.
How Much Can a Pig Really Eat?
Before we figure out how much a pig can really eat, let’s start with how much a pig eats on average.
A pig will initially feed from its mother, just like any other animal. It will then eat around 6 to 8 lbs of feed, on average, each day.
Once it completely weans from its mother, its appetite will get even larger. In fact, a full-grown pig can eat around 700 to 900 lbs of food!
Of course, this is for larger pigs. Smaller pig breeds tend to have more conservative diets.
There is no record as of yet on how much a food can really eat. Knowing that each pig is different from the next, it would be safe to say that it’s important to be a keen observer and let your pig show you what it can really do.
More than how much it can eat, you should also look at what it likes. Pigs are known to refuse food that it doesn’t like. Try offering it some moldy bread and you’ll see that it has the ability to figure out whether something they’re being fed is not good for them.
Look at the amount of treats that you give you pig, too. It’s normal, even beneficial, to give your pig treats especially if you want to reinforce good behavior. However, you should also be mindful about the amount of treats you’re giving out.
You can always substitute food treats with non-food treats, like a new toy, or some affection.
There are also pig owners who admit that there were instances they fed their pig too much, and the pig vomited after. So be on the lookout for telltale signs of overeating in your pig.
Just to be sure, ask you vet how much your pig should really be eating at its weight and age. Remember that the bigger a pig gets, the more it would probably need to eat.
What Your Pig Should Be Eating
Just like human beings, a pig’s overall health is highly impacted not just by the amount of food it eats, but the kind of food it consumes as well.
Determining the Pig’s Recommended Food Intake
Before you start feeding your pig, you should asses the situation first. A pig’s diet can be affected by different factors:
- Age and body weight
The amount of food and the kind of food that pigs eat depend on their age and body weight. Evidently, a larger and older pig eats a lot more than a smaller and younger pig.
Where the main difference lies is in the nutritional requirements that different pigs need. A young pig, for example, would require more protein in their diet compared to an adult pig. This is because they are still going through their growth spurt. They also tend to be more active and would need a lot of energy.
- Genetics and breed
A pig’s breed can also dictate its nutritional requirements. You see, some pigs grow faster than others based on their genetics. And for fast-growing pigs, they would require a lot more protein.
Some fast-growing breeds are large white, Landrace and Duroc. Smaller pig breeds like the Kunekune pig or the Juliana pig would probably require less food in the long run as compared to regular farm pigs.
- Environment
Temperature and climate alone can already impact so many things — energy levels, metabolism, etc. This is why it is important to think about your area, the season, and how it would affect your pig’s diet.
If your pig stays in an outdoor shelter even during the winter months, the pig would require more energy to produce its own heat. The pig’s diet should support this.
- Overall health
Your pig’s recommended diet could also rely on your pig’s overall health. If your pig shows any condition or sickness, your vet may recommend a different diet than the one it is used to.
A pregnant pig would also have a completely different set of nutritional requirements than other pigs. Because it is getting ready to give birth and take care of its little ones, it would require more protein than normal.
This is why you’ll find that even feed brands have different formulations depending on the kind of pig you have and it overall state.
What You Can Feed Your Pig
Since pigs are omnivores, they can feed on both plant and animal matter. Their main diet usually consists of concentrated grains, which is a mix of corn, wheat, barley and oats. You can also add in vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
Protein and calcium supplements also go a long way. Although proteins also come from meat, most pig farmers steer clear of this because meat can also bring in diseases. It’s a good thing these protein supplements are highly accessible and can be easily bought from feed stores.
You can feed your pigs scraps, as long as there is a variation in its contents. You cannot, for example, stick to a single vegetable as this may not be able to fulfill the pig’s nutritional requirement.
Ask your vet what kind of food would be ideal for your pig’s age and weight. Note that aside from feeding your pigs leftovers and other food you prepare on your own, you also have the option to purchase pig pellets, which have already been fortified with the usual vitamins and minerals that pigs need to grow.
When Your Pig Eats Less Than Expected
So we already know that a pig can consume an amazing amount of food in a single day. But what do you do when your pig suddenly stops eating?
This is definitely a cause for worry.
Remember that the kind of appetite a pig has displays how healthy your pig is. When your pig stops eating, grab a thermometer right away. This is a clear indication that something isn’t right.
A pig’s temperature should be anywhere around 99 to 101 degrees F. If it goes anywhere beyond that, then your pig definitely has a fever and is sick. This could be causing the lack of appetite.
Check for other symptoms other than your pig’s refusal to eat. Does your pig seem to be in pain? Is it coughing? Does it have unusual rashes on the skin? Do you see any bumps that weren’t there before?
Better consult your vet in case you see any or more of these symptoms.
It’s also possible that your pig does not like the food being given to eat. Although they’re known to have the ability to eat just about anything, your pig has preferences, too.
Pigs can also refuse food that they know is not good for eating. Some pig owners have claimed that their pig refuses to eat old bread, for example. Especially if your pig is used to eating a certain mix, it could be wary of any change it detects in its food.
Your pig could also be stressed. Especially during the transition stage when a pig is still adjusting to a new home, it would probably wait until it is comfortable before it really settles in and goes all out as far as its appetite is concerned.
So if you have just introduced anything new to it, don’t worry if it refuses to eat. It is probably still at the stage of adjustment.
Related Questions
What do pigs eat?
Pigs are omnivores, which means that they can eat both meat and plants. Most of the time, a pig’s diet consists of soybeans, corn, and dried whey. It can also be given leftovers. Pigs can pretty much eat anything, because its body is equipped to handle huge amounts of food at a single time and can filter toxins out of the food that it eats.
What does it mean when a pig’s tail wags?
Just like dogs, pigs wag their tails when they are content and happy. They are highly intelligent, social, and emotional creatures, and wagging their tail is just one way that they display a positive response.