My pot belly pig isnt eating enough

Question

Sweet pea and friends   QUESTION: Hi I have a 5 month old pot belly pig we got her about a month and a half ago from a friend who could not keep her. When we got her she was eating 1/2 cup twice daily plus some veggies and apple. We were told that we should increase the food to 1 cup twice daily plus the fruits and veggies. I did this but she won't eat all of her food and is probably only eating about 1cup per day.. Because of this I have decreased the treats but haven't noticed any difference in her food intake. I was told when I agreed to take her that her parents where 23 and 25 pounds full grown and that sweet pea would not get over 40 pounds. I was more recently told that sweet pea is actually just a plain Jane pot belly and may reach 200 pounds. That is fine with me I love her ad couldn't part with her. She is only 7.5 pounds and 5 months this seems very underweight for a potbelly. I guess I have 2 questions. 1) is there reason for concern with her eating? I don't think a lot of pigs leave food in their bowl all day and just much a bit here and there. They are pigs and should eat like them! And 2) is sweet pea possibly a mini potbelly as her size per age seems to be about a third or less of similar aged potbellies I have seen. Thank you so much for your time,
A very concerned and curious potbelly mommy :)

ANSWER: Judging from the photo, I think your pig is about 3 months old. She appears to still have soft baby hairs. By six months, most pigs have soft bristles that gives them a more adult look.

The rule of thumb is 1/2 cup of pig pellets per 15 lb of piglet, divided into two meals and supplemented with fruits, veggies, grazing time and training treats. At just 7.5 lb, your piglet is too small to eat a full cup a day.

I suggest cutting back to 1/2 c per day. If she eats it all, that's fine. "Full" pigs, that is, pigs stuffed so full they loose interest in food, will lay around and snooze all day. "Hungry" pigs, that is, pigs who are getting enough to eat but not over eat, will be active and curious. They snurdle around exploring for interesting things and an occasional tasty treat.

Pigs are not full grown until they are four to six years old. They grow fairly quickly until age 2, then more slowly. Females can give birth when they are as young as six months, males can impregnate females when they are as young as 8 weeks. But they will still grow to their full adult size, and so will the babies.

There are drawings illustrating underweight and overweight pigs at http://www.farec.org/sizing.htm



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QUESTION: I don't think that it is possible for her to be that young as she has already went into heat once. Was swollen and color was much brighter than usual and she was irritable for quite a few days. Also the person we got her from had her for more than a month and I have had her now at least 6 weeks. It's just not possible. She was born the first week of may. Again do you think she may be a mini? And should I be concerned of her size and weight at this age?

Answer
If you are certain she is five months, and you have physically weighed her and she is just 7.5 lb (not kg), then yes, there's reason for concern. I personally have never seen a healthy, documented five month old that small (though I have seen some nearly starved piglets that weren't much bigger).

I suggest having her checked by a veterinarian. A vet will be able to determine her age by her teeth (pigs have three sets in their lives), evaluate her weight (in relation to her age and her frame size/shape), and spot any obvious problems. There's a list of vets that see pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org