Expert: Helen Morrison - 3/10/2006

Question
What is the natural diet of wild boar? I presume domestic pigs are usually fed anything but a natural diet.


Thanks
Geoff

Answer
Wild pigs will eat practically anything, but their primary diet is leaves and grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. They will eat insects and dead carcasses and strip bark off trees. There are stories of swine killing snakes and such, but I have not actually seen that.
Domestic pigs are usually fed a diet of processed pellet feed. They seem to like it, even pigs with access to grazing areas and free time to forage just love their dinner pellets.