My Mini pot belly Bubbles

Question
Hi! My names Alexis, and I was just wondering if you have any advice one how to diet my mini pig, she's about 3 months old and seems a bit over weight. Also, I was wondering if you have any tips on how to help with making her less aggressive, will this stage pass or will it just get worse with age? I also would like to know when she will start to graze? She eats a bit of grass here or there but never any big chunks of grass.

thanks for your time!

Answer
Pigs don't graze the way cows or other animals do. They usually just take a bite or two of this or that, unless they find a plant that is really tasty, like hosta. In between bites, they'll nose in the dirt looking for roots or bugs.

The rule of thumb is 1/2 c food per 15 lb of pig per day, plus fresh veggies, fruits, training treats and grazing time. Divide the pellets into two meals. Soak them in water to help piggy feel full. Measure out the treats in the morning, and use only those treats throughout the day. When the treats are gone, that's it - take a handful of pellets from the dinner ration in case piggy needs a reward.

Grazing time is important because it's also exercise. Pig food is dense in calories and nutrition, it's eaten easily and quickly. Grazing involves getting up and walking around in between bites.

Pigs see the world as a ladder, with each person, pet or pig having his or her own rung. In a herd, pigs show who is boss by making lower ranking pigs move. For example, a low ranking pig might be sleeping under a tree, when a high ranking pig comes along. The high ranking pig will make the lower pig get up and move away. The higher pig may or may not take the sleeping spot, because that wasn't the point. The point was the higher ranking pig could - and did - make the lower pig move.

So the idea is to apply this move the pig method to every day interaction between people and your pig. Never step over or around the pig, always make the pig get up and move out of your way. If the pig is under foot, make piggy move away to one side. Make piggy get up and move at random times throughout the day, for no real reason. Don't worry about interrupting a piggy nap - that is what another pig would do. Trick training helps a lot, because it teaches the pig to listen to you trust you and obey you. Harness training is important because it is another method of make the pig move. Put the pig on a harness and lead and walk around the house.

Some good resources are the websites www.pigs4ever.com, www.farec.org A great book is Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training by Priscilla Valentine. It's available from Amazon, or your library might be able to get it through a library loan. The dvds from Top Hogs, There's a Pig in the House and Amazing Pig Tricks, are also great. In fact, you may have seen John from Top Hogs with his pig Mudslinger on Americas Got Talent earlier this year.