Adopting a Potbelly Pig

Hello my name is Daye Carpenter and I would love to share some info with you about Potbelly Pigs.

I own two wonderful little pigs ,although I guess you can't call them little! I have a pig named Poptart who is 3 years old and my other pig is Pickle who is 2 years old. They both live in the house with me.

I would just like to let people know potbellies are alot of work. So many people buy these cute little pigs and when they grow up they do not want them anymore. There are so many potbelly pig rescues loaded with pigs that people just throw away.

Here are the reasons why: Alot of breeders will lie and tell people they will not get to be very big at all. There is no such thing as a teacup pig or micro pig! There are smaller pigs but at full mature growth they still get to be the size of a medium dog. Potbellies will get huge if you do not feed them the proper way. A normal pig will weigh anywhere from 60lbs to 150lbs. So when these pigs grow up and are not cute anymore owners give them up. They must be on a strict diet of Potbelly pig food and fresh veggies.

Next reason: Alot of people do not have time to train their pig. Pigs are very smart. They can be trained very easily with patience and time.

Both of my pigs are trained to go outside to potty through my doggie door. Pot bellied Pigs can be trained to use a litter box but that can get pretty messy. Pigs learn words very fast. In my opinion they are easier to train than a dog. They will do anything for food!

Here are a couple of other reasons: The health care of your pig. It is hard to find a vet who will treat potbellies. They need vaccines . They need their hooves trimmed on a regular basis. Most people can learn to do that at home. They need to be spayed when they are young. They need a nice yard to graze in. Potbelly Pigs can not walk on stairs,so you may have to use ramps for them. My husband built a ramp for our pigs off of our deck to go out into the yard.

So there are many reasons to consider before adopting a potbelly.They are not for everyone.

Please just do all the research you can before adopting one. If a potbelly is for you, you will have so much fun!!They make great pets and they are very lovable. They get very attatched to their owners.

I love my pigs!!!