Do you know why it's so important to keep pigs cool in the heat of summer? They don't sweat. Unlike us or dogs, horses, cows and other animals that sweat, the pig does not. While pigs do have a few sweat glands it is not enough for them to maintain a solid body temperature in the heat of summer. When it's hot out, sweating is what keeps us cool. Because pigs do not sweat they can easily overheat, even have a heat stroke and die. Provide Shade Outside pigs should always have plenty of shade. The shade can be in forms of plants, a lean to, a tarp, umbrella or a type of shade sail. Any of these ..read more

The best judge of the health of your pig is "YOU". You live with the pig, you see the pigs normal actions on a daily basis. You can tell when things are just a little off with your porcine friend. This is the time to take action as most things if caught in time, won't be fatal to your pig. A sick pig looks sick! Pigs that do not feel well have a tendency to show it in their coat first. The hair will stand on end all over the pig much like a porcupine effect. Pigs also do this when cold, but not to the same degree. A pig that is not interested wholeheartedly and one hundred percent in his foo ..read more

 This is for that day, hopefully in the distant future, when you might have to make one of the hardest choices out there. Of the 10 pigs that I have lost over the years I've only had to make the decision 3 times to help them go to the Rainbow Bridge. The first time was 10 years ago and the most recent was just a few weeks ago. Making that decision was still just as hard as it was the first time. I do not make this decision lightly and this last time ended up changing my mind, only to end up calling the vet back out a week later. Each time I've been right there with them till their last br ..read more

It's the middle of winter and my pig is bored, what can I do to keep him entertained or what kind of toys do they like? Here are a few suggestions from the very simple to the more elaborate. In my experience it doesn't always have to cost a lot of money to give your pig a few hours of entertainment a day. With our first pigs, Ziggy & Flower we would give them newspaper & magazines to shred...brown packing paper works just as well too. This was a favorite of Ziggy's and he would wear himself out within about 30 minutes...shaking and shredding the paper and jumping around. Other days we ..read more

Is my pig constipated? Know what to look for and what to do to help your pig.               What are the causes of not being able to poop? Some causes of constipation include:     Changes to diet or activities.     Not enough water or fiber in the diet.     Inclement weather.     Not being active.     Resisting the urge to poop.     Stress.     Some medications (especially strong pain drugs such as narcotics) Pigs will vary in their bowel habits. Some ..read more

Teeth Pigs are born with 8 teeth and the rest of the baby teeth erupt by 3 months of age. At about 5 months of age the permanent teeth will start coming in and will continue until 18-20 months of age. Be sure to watch for and save those baby teeth for the tooth fairy. Teething can be uncomfortable for your pig so you may hear him grinding his teeth occasionally and/or wanting something to chew on during this time. Provided by:  The Veterinary Journal for  Miniature Pets Grinding TeethYes, pigs will grind their teeth for a variety of reasons. Most will do it when teething, o ..read more

Pigs are naturally very clean animals, with a tendency to dry skin. Due to the nature of their dry skin, with less body oils than other pets like cats and dogs, they normally do not have a body odor, even when wet. Smelling an odor from your neutered pet pig can usually be attributed to something in their environment. Pigs have a natural love of water, but piglets show some concern when the water is running from the kitchen or bathroom tap. Begin familiarizing your piglet with bath time as soon it feels secure in your home. The best method is to place a rubber mat in the bottom of the tub or ..read more

Strange as it sounds it sometimes appears to be the case around here, we notice a definite change in temperament and response in the pigs during the winter months, or when it has been nice and temps drop again. Even the house pigs are affected to a certain degree. This year we have heard from numerous folks with indoor pigs that seem to be filling the affects. We know it affects the outdoor pigs as we have watched them for the last seven or eight winters. There is very little activity, a little more arguing and growling among themselves and a tendency to not even particularly like people. T ..read more

Once again we are seeing posts and receiving emails about what veggies to give your pig(s). This veggie vs, that veggie. So once again we thought it might be time to reiterate that these pigs are Omnivore not Herbivore. While vegetables and fruits make great treats they are not nutritionally sound for complete diet or even half a diet. Vegetables and fruits do not contain the protein that your pig needs nor do they contain all the other things incorporated into a well-made pig chow that keeps your pig healthy. Part of this idea of feeding veggies and fruits seems to be based on what we would ..read more

I'm not talking about the sounds that your pig makes, but the sounds that you make on a daily basis that they seem to respond to. We all know that they know the sound of a bag of chips, or food in their bowl, but what about other sounds that we make in our daily routine. It was several years ago when living in NV that I noticed Chelie's reaction when I put on my winter coat. She had figured out the sound that it made when I put it on and knew that we were going outside.  Lately I've been watching Porky and some of the other pigs to see which sounds they recognize. They seem to know the soun ..read more