my pigs

Question
i have two mini potbelly piglets and they are not very tame how do i tame them down so i cant pet them and when i stand up they will not run away? they weigh about 12 pounds each and i don't have and pot belly pig food around so i was wondering what else i could feed them right now. lately i have been feeding them a mixture of cheerios, raisins, outs and some dog food with an apple each hand fed(i try hand fed at least) and i split that into 1 cup each. how do i get the bigger one to stop being so mean to my smaller pig? -thanks,
vivian

Answer
Mini pig food really is the best choice, but sometimes it just isn't available. Dog and cat food are bad choices, they are high in fat and salt and low in fiber. Plus, both make pig poop smell really, really bad. Rescue people can always tell when someone has fed a pig dog or cat food!

Several companies sell pig food via mail. Unfortunately, the shipping costs can be high. Ross Mill Farm www.rossmillfarm.com and Heartland Animal Health www.healthypigs.com both ship feed.

What's inside the bag is more important than the name on the outside. Look for feed made for farm hogs, horses, or multi-animal feed that's 12 - 14% protein and as low in fat as possible. Avoid "Sweet Feed" made for horses, as it is sweetened with molasses and very high in calories. Also avoid feed that contains antibiotics or other medication.

Pigs see the whole world as a ladder, with each pig, pet or person on his or her own rung. Right now, the bigger pig is pushing the younger one away from the dish to show that he is the dominant pig.

During socialization, all food will come directly from you, no food in dishes (unless the dishes are in your hands) or food scattered on the floor. This will help the piggies understand that good things come from you. After socialization, when you're ready to resume feeding them in their dishes on the floor, divide their food into three or even four separate dishes. This way, the dominant pig can not possibly eat all the food. Each time he pushes the smaller pig away, the smaller pig will have two or even three other dishes to eat from, and a chance to eat before the other pig chases him again.

Start socializing your pigs by confining them to a fairly small area, like a stall or small room when working with them. Sit in the room with their food dishes in your hands. Speak softly to them, and let them approach you at their own pace, and eat. While they are eating, try touching them. Tell them what you're going to do before you do it, like "Touch piggy ear".

During a sleepy time, like late afternoon or evening, visit the piggies. Sit near them and speak softly. Moving very slowly, try giving them belly rubs.

After a few days of doing this for every meal, they should be very comfortable eating from the dishes and directly from your hands, and tolerate (or flat out enjoy) gentle touching and soft belly rubs.

When you stand up they may continue to move away from you, but should not run or move far. In the natural world, the only things that hover over a piglet are things that plan to eat the piglet! So, a standing person naturally makes piglets nervous.

When you're ready to move to more intensive training and socializing, it helps to work with only one piglet at a time. I highly recommend the book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training by Priscilla Valentine. Pris really understands how pigs think and why they do the things they do.