Join Our Facebook group "Mini Pigs In Pacific Northwest" to learn more about pigs in the WA area if you are local-Click HERE
We try to inform the best we can about the care of pigs so you can make a good decision on whether a pig is the right pet for you. They are definitely not the pet for everyone and can NEVER live in an apartment or condo with no yard. The care is different than for a dog and they do need a lot of attention and time. Do not buy a pig in impulse or for a present for someone, they are an exotic pet that requires patience and research. Please get books (see link at bottom) about them and be well informed before coming to see the pigs so you know what to expect.
Pig Info and Care:
Advantages: Long Life Span (12-18 +yrs), Clean and Odor Free, Non-allergenic in most cases, no fleas, low shedding, easy to train, no barking, low maintenance, affectionate, clean, highly intelligent (4th smartest animal in world)- easily trained for litterbox, tricks, harness and more!
Disadvantages: You may not be zoned to own a pig, check with the city if you are in city limits, finding a vet who treats mini pigs can be hard-be sure to have the name of one on hand, Pigs can become spoiled and manipulative, they require a commitment of time and energy, they can become aggressive if they get away with bad behaviors and need to be reinforced, aggressive behavior cannot be tolerated as well as any biting, they can scream very loud when upset which is why we do not sell to apartments or condos-
pigs must be spayed and neutered to have the best behaved pig
Size full grown: The babies born here should mature somewhere around 12-16" tall, so a cocker spaniel or bulldog size as long as you feed it properly. These are small mini pigs, normal potbelly pigs are 150lbs or more. The smallest recorded adult mini pig is 48lbs but it has been starved so expect a healthy mini pig to be 50-80lbs. There is no smaller breed of pig, teacup pigs are not real or a breed of pig. Any pig is capable of becoming overweight and it is the owners responsibility to carefully manage their pigs food intake and exercise routine. We do not lie about our pigs size like most all mini pig breeders, I am the only one in WA with registered juliana mini pigs. Please always ask for ages of pigs as they grow for 3 years, see our pig parents page for pictures of all parents and ages. Below is a great example for size, 100lb pig is same height as 30lb dog they are just very dense
Diet: It is easy for a pig to get fat, they are pigs! Especially a pig of this size that remains very small. If your pig is developing rolls around the face and you have a hard time feeling the hip bones, your pig is getting obese and should be fed less. On the other hand if your pig feels skinny then it needs more feed. The feed I use is Conway feed which is available at co op feed stores. I recommend Manna Pro Potbelly pig feed which is at walmart and Fred Meyer, but you can also get Mazuri mini pig active adult (do not get the youth one for babies, makes them fat) both are at most feed stores in the US, please get this before your pig goes home in case your store needs to order it for you. Please See our Pig Products page to order pig Feed, skin spray, shampoo and more
As well as having pig food daily, they also need to be supplemented with some fresh vegetables that should be about 25% of their diet- do not need veggies daily just few times a week. Things such as cucumbers, celery, peppers, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, frozen peas, eggplant, squash and green beans are good choices (but try to limit starchy veggies like potatoes). Some fruits like peaches, apples, pears and plums can be fed as well but in moderation due to the high sugar content. Most pigs love treats like apples, grapes (cut in half) and raisins but these are good to be used as treats and reserved for training purposes. Do not feed your pig dog and cat food, it is much too high in protein and salt for them. Also do not feed them chocolate or salty things. They love plain air popped popcorn as a treat, just no salt and also raw unsalted peanuts are a good training treat as well as frozen peas and unsalted rice cakes.
I feed mine orchard grass hay and local grass hay for bedding and they eat it/love it but it is messy in the house so as a snack outside maybe for a house pig or in their outside pen/house. Hay is much less fat than grass in the yard, keeps them full without getting too fat.
Vitamins: The northwest soil lacks minerals so you need to feed vitamins to your pig. They especially need selenium and Vitamin E. I feed a supplement called "horse guard" which is for horses and dose is 1 tablespoon a week.
For dry skin try one fish oil gelcap 3 times a week or just a tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil 3 times a week on feed but they must have selenium in diet as well
Pigs should be allowed the opportunity to root in soil and graze on grass (not treated with chemicals). Even if it is a 10x10 area fenced in your yard just for the pig to dig up, they will love it! Also can put dirt in a kiddie pool for them to play in. They cannot live in a 10X10 area, that is just for them to play in dirt and cant be on grass all day, just for a play time.
Make sure your pig always has fresh water available. They love their water and I often have two bowls for mine since they go through it so fast.
Do not feed your pig directly from the fridge or your pig may quickly become an expert at opening the fridge..:)
Do not give into begging or your pig is likely to become a pest and beg constantly.
Here is a Feed Store List to get Pig Feed, Hay, Horse bedding pellets for litterbox and anything else
Tractor Supply Stores- Monroe store below- Also located in Arlington, Kent, Silverdale, Port Orchard, Mount vernon, Oak Harbor, Tacoma, Enumclaw and Puyallup
Tractor Supply -13650 Roosevelt Rd, Monroe (360-794-0561)
Portage bay Grange- 4110 roosevelt way ne, Seattle 98105 (206-434-1445)
Hayes Country Store- 908 SW 152nd st, Burien 98166 (206-242-8000)
Bothell Feed- 20809 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell 98021 (425-481-8882)
Dayville- 11804 Springhetti rd, Snohomish 98296 (360-568-5077)
Co-Op- 18422 Cascade view Dr, Monroe (360-794-4663)
Co-Op- 8323 State Ave, Marysville (360-659-1236)
Co-Op- 168 Lincoln Ave, Snohomish (360-568-2104)
Firstfruits Feed- 6848 180th ave NE, Redmond 98052 (425-867-9600)
Grange Supply- 145 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah (425-392-6469)
Coastal Farm and Ranch- 1425 supermall Way, Auburn (253-218-2021)
Coastal Farm and Ranch- 9623 state Ave, Marysville (360-658-2500)
Care: They are pretty easy to care for but need some maintenance. They should be bathed every so often to clean their skin but not more than twice a month as it dries them out. You can do this in a kid pool in the summertime or in a tub in the winter. You need to work fast in the tub as they do not like them much and usually scream..;) you can use dog or baby shampoo on them diluted in spray bottle so its easier to apply. For their dry skin you can put Avon Skin-So-Soft Lotion on them daily or weekly, can also use baby lotion.
They are not an indoor only pet-They cannot live in an apartment or condo- Pigs should have a fenced area outside they can root and play in 3-4 times a week at least, grass will make them grow fast so a wood chip pen or area with no grass is best. On a hot summer day put a kiddie pool out for them with a step to help them in until full grown. Fill the pool half way or so, they will roll and play in it to cool off...:)
The worming medicine helps with the dry skin so be sure to worm your pig every 4-5 months with liquid injectible ivermectin (Ivomec) wormer for pigs and cows. Dosage is .2CC per 10lbs- that is point two, VERY little- You can get this at any feed store for $50 or order HEREfor $30. If your pig is ever itching like crazy on everything then it needs to be wormed or checked at vet for mites (mange). Your vet can also worm them or I can tell you how, it is very easy to give to them orally, do not inject them with the wormer. Should rotate worming between Ivomec and Safeguard liquid goat wormer-
Read more on worming pigs and mange treatment HERE
Their ears may become crusty and this is somewhat normal as their skin by their ears and neck does get flaky. You can clean inside them with a washcloth and lightly scrub them if they allow. Q-tips can be used on outer skin folds. You can put a washcloth on your finger and go in ear a bit and wipe around, just put ear cleaner on washcloth or light soap.
If their skin becomes red, bloody or flaky white skin, please contact me or a vet. They will need to be treated with ivermectin wormer and maybe some medicine, mange or mites can also be on their skin and it does need to be treated.
Their hooves do not grow too fast but they may need to be trimmed every now and then. Just check to make sure they are not getting too long on the edges and if they need trimming use some sharp garden shears to trim the hoof edges, there is info online about this as well. I make sure mine walk on gravel or concrete to keep hooves short.
Make sure your pig has enough exercise. They should be able to run daily either in a large room inside or out in the yard. They need to burn off energy. You can also play with them to get them exercise or have them learn tricks to keep their mind occupied.
We do offer boarding when you are on vacation if we have space as well as some other pig services, see tab above under pig vets/resources for more information. We reserve the right to refuse boarding to anyone if we feel we are not the right fit for your pig or we are not in agreement with owner.
Vet Care: Should see a qualified small pig vet once a yr for a general exam and fecal test to make sure they are healthy. Pig vets are hard to find so click button below for a list of WA vets
Harness Training- Pigs take time to get used to a harness. They like to be in control so they might take time to train but if you work with them in the house on a leash before going outside you will have better luck. Most pig parents find this type of harness below most useful, its adjustable for the life of the pig
to order this harness- $30 plus shipping please email [email protected]
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Spaying/Neutering:
All baby boys go home already neutered as an unfixed male pig makes the worst pet ever as they have a musky odor, are aggressive and grow tusks. Females will go home unspayed with contract to be spayed when older, depending on price of your pig, some spays will be included in price where you take them to my vet to be spayed when older and some you will need to pay for yourself to be spayed. Females should always be fixed as well because they go into heat every 21 days, can be moody and not use litterbox during that time and have a higher risk for cancer.
NEVER Ever Hit your pig for any reason, they will never forget and may never trust you again, you must train them to stop the bad behavior, hurting them does nothing, they are very sensitive animals. You may tap their nose firmly and say no though-effective
This is a good website on care as well as the books I recommend and has videos on training them-for bigger potbellies but same care guidelines- click HERE
Bedding: Pigs love to sleep! And nothing is better to them than a nice clean bed. Mine love soft fleece blankets. Sleeping bags are ok if opened but they can get stuck in them if left closed. They love to burrow under the blankets and sleep. Be sure to wash your pigs bed every week or so, your pig will love it!
Litterbox - I recommend wood pellets for horse stalls for their litterbox which are at any feed store, can also use shavings but they are messy- do not use cat litter as they will eat it. some use puppy pads well, some like to eat them. You will need to scoop their box daily and be sure to get a litterbox that is low enough in the front for a pig. A lot of people use a rubbermaid plastic bin that they cut one side out low so they can step in (pictures below) or a puppy litterbox works well (picture below)
Home Pen- You need a pen set up at home before bringing your baby pig home. Below is a good example of an indoor pen for when your pig is getting used to you and when you are gone- size is 4x4 and they are on amazon and at farm supply stores- pen needs to be very strong metal as they are very strong. Outdoor pen photo below- need pen without grass and room to have a pool in summer and play.
All baby boys go home already neutered as an unfixed male pig makes the worst pet ever as they have a musky odor, are aggressive and grow tusks. Females will go home unspayed with contract to be spayed when older, depending on price of your pig, some spays will be included in price where you take them to my vet to be spayed when older and some you will need to pay for yourself to be spayed. Females should always be fixed as well because they go into heat every 21 days, can be moody and not use litterbox during that time and have a higher risk for cancer.
NEVER Ever Hit your pig for any reason, they will never forget and may never trust you again, you must train them to stop the bad behavior, hurting them does nothing, they are very sensitive animals. You may tap their nose firmly and say no though-effective
This is a good website on care as well as the books I recommend and has videos on training them-for bigger potbellies but same care guidelines- click HERE
Bedding: Pigs love to sleep! And nothing is better to them than a nice clean bed. Mine love soft fleece blankets. Sleeping bags are ok if opened but they can get stuck in them if left closed. They love to burrow under the blankets and sleep. Be sure to wash your pigs bed every week or so, your pig will love it!
Litterbox - I recommend wood pellets for horse stalls for their litterbox which are at any feed store, can also use shavings but they are messy- do not use cat litter as they will eat it. some use puppy pads well, some like to eat them. You will need to scoop their box daily and be sure to get a litterbox that is low enough in the front for a pig. A lot of people use a rubbermaid plastic bin that they cut one side out low so they can step in (pictures below) or a puppy litterbox works well (picture below)
Home Pen- You need a pen set up at home before bringing your baby pig home. Below is a good example of an indoor pen for when your pig is getting used to you and when you are gone- size is 4x4 and they are on amazon and at farm supply stores- pen needs to be very strong metal as they are very strong. Outdoor pen photo below- need pen without grass and room to have a pool in summer and play.
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Another Excellent and new site with unlimited pages of resources on mini pigs is The American Mini Pig Association Go to the FOR OWNERS Tab and click on anything you want to learn about :)