our 6 wk pot belly piglet

Question

gibbs   QUESTION: we picked up "Gibbs" yesterday at the feeder store. we pet him we held him and as soon as we got home he squealed wouldn't let us touch him he bit my husbands glove (he put one on because he just showed these aggression signs that he would) we tried giving him treats and he just bucked us with his head. Is this normal? We have no experience at all!!! Should we bring him back and wait till we get more experience? The lady at the pet store said it was like having a dog and well I am at a huge disagreement right now. We have an almost 3 yr old and a 6 month old at home and a 6 week puppy we were hoping to grow up together. Please let me know what it is I can do to help our piglet get more accustomed to us because I don't want to get rid of him unless we have to. Plus he is staying in our bathtub for right now, not sure if that matters. thank you so much for your time!

ANSWER: Pigs and dogs are very different, both in behavior and care and how they relate to people and other animals. Dogs are predators and pigs are prey, they don't "speak the same language" and act for very different reasons.

Pigs and dogs are a potentially dangerous combination. A lot depends on the pig and the dog. Sometimes dogs and pigs get along well together. Other times, something about the pig triggers the hunting instinct in a dog. It can happen even when the two have grown up together. So, while it might work, you will have to keep a close eye on the two of them. Never feed them together, always feed them in separate rooms. Watch them very closely whenever they are together. A large puppy can seriously injure or kill a baby piglet by accident during play.

Your piglet is probably terrified. He's been torn from everything he's ever known, and thrust into a new, scary environment. The bathtub is probably not the best place, unless it's well coated with a non-slip surface. The bathroom itself is ok, with a few mats on the floor so piggy doesn't slip.

Let piggy come to you. Speak quietly and softly. Tell him what you're going to do before you do it, like "Touch piggy ear" or "Rub piggy belly". He will warm up pretty quickly.

Hopefully, your baby is already weaned and eating pellets. If he refuses to eat the pellets out of the pan, try soaking them with warm milk. If he in not weaned, then he probably did not understand that you were trying to offer him food.

The head bucking or rooting or snurdling is natural. Piglets root on Moms belly to help the milk come down. Adults root in the dirt to uncover roots and truffles. Your baby might enjoy rooting on an infant-safe stuffed animal, or a pillow wrapped with an old towel.

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. It's available from Amazon.com or her website valentinesperformingpigs.com

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QUESTION: How do I pick him up or is it way too early for this? He seems to start showing interest in eating out of my hand. Id like to get him out and want to know how hard do you think he will bite?

ANSWER: Baby piglets naturally hate to be picked up. Moma pigs never pick up their babies the way cats and dogs do. The only time a wild baby piglet is picked up is when an predator has picked him up for dinner!

So start slow and don't rush. First, let him get very comfortable being around. When you're able to sit on the floor and he comes to you and lets you touch him, he's ready for the next step.

Start by holding him on your lap while he eats his meals. Then gradually start holding him in a kneeling position, or sitting on a chair, etc. while he eats his meals. Then hold him in your arms while you're standing up and he's eating.

If your baby is scared of you, or over excited about food, he might accidentally nip pretty hard. Pigs are pretty smart, if he's bonded with you, then just a loud "Ouch!" may be all it takes for him to realize your fingers are attached to you and should not be eaten.

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QUESTION: Thank you so much for the advice he has totally started bonding with us! He sat in my lap last night while me and my two year old feed him. I also want to know how much to feed my piglet. He is eating pellets. How much and how often? Thank you so much you have truly helped us bond with our new baby!

Answer
The general rule of thumb is 1/2 cup of mini-pig pellets per 15 lb of piglet per day, split into two or three meals. Adult pigs should get about 1 cup per 50 lb of pig. A young, healthy piglet should gain about 1 lb per week. But, feeding pigs is really more of an art than a science. Each pig has a different metabolism, and an active pig will need more food than a sedate pig.

Treats are usually the problem both in excessive weight gain and aggression. Too many treats make a piggy fat, and too frequent treats for no good reason can make piggy aggressive. It's best to reserve treats for training sessions.