AboutHelen Morrison Expertise Pot-bellied or other miniature pet pig care, including diet, housing, training, health care. Can provide information about zoning, adoption, supplies, and organizations. Questions about any kind of pet swine are welcome!
Experience Fifteen years experience owning, raising, and caring for small pet swine, including "Vietnamese" pot-bellied pigs.
Organizations Pigs of Great Fortune
Publications Animals Exotic and Small
I am the Swine Contributing Editor
Expert: Helen Morrison Date: 6/2/2008 Subject: adopting a second pig
Question I have adopted a 10 month old pot bellied pig, about 4 weeks age, I have recently found another pig which is 1 1/2 years old that needs a loving home. Kady, my pig gets along very well with my rabbits, minature goats and my chickens as well as my house pets a dog and cats. She lives in the barn and comes inside to visit. She is spayed and I'm not sure if this other pig is? Do you think it would be a mistake to adopted another pig(female)???
thanks Lisa and Kady
Answer Hi Lisa,
Pigs are usually social animals who enjoy being around other pigs. I'm sure Kady will enjoy having a companion to snuggle with at night.
From a pig's perspective, everybody has a particular place on the social ladder. Most pigs want to be the top pig! So, when two pigs meet, they decide which pig is "boss hog" and which pig is not. Sometimes the discussion is limited to loud vocal arguments and a few head swipes, other times the debate escalates into a physical fight. After they decide who is in charge they soon become fast friends.
At ages 1-1/2 & 10 months, both pigs are fairly young, so the chances of a fight are minimal and they will bond quickly.
Ideally, keep the two pigs completely apart at first, but let them smell each other by swapping bed blankets. Kady might be upset the first few times she smells the new pig on you. Then, if possible, set them in pens so that they can see and smell each other, but get at each other. They might argue through the fence. Finally let them meet face to face.
Pigs think a lot about food, and what kind of food might be in the other pigs' dish. So they leave their own dish and push the other pig away. If this turns into a problem, some people feed them separately, others divide the two portions of food into three dishes, making it harder for one pig to dominate the dishes.
Good luck and thank you for considering this new pig that needs a home.
