Nutrition of the Potbellied Pig
About the Author: Penny Shumaker Jeffrey received her B.S. in Animal Science and her M.S. in Nutrition from North Carolina State Universityand is currently pursuing her PhD.
Potbellied pig nutrition has not been extensively researched due to both limited funding and need by the industry. Therefore, most of the nutritional information related to potbellied pigs has been extrapolated from our commercial swine industry. However, some of the major feed companies that distribute potbellied pig food have the ability to perform the necessary research to keep feeding your pig-friend safely. The scope of this article is not a review of the scientific literature, but a general article designed to educate pig owners about what they are feeding their pig and why.
Importance of knowing what and why
In an ideal world, we would be able to provide our pigs’ free roam through the pastures and woods grazing and searching for roots, grubs and other nutritive snacks and not have to supplement with forage and concentrates of grain mixtures twice a day. However, many owners have limited yard space but still want to provide their pig the best nutrition possible.
Along with medical costs, feed is one of the two most financial constraints of caring for a potbellied pig. Therefore, it is imperative that you should know what you are feeding your pig and why.
When we speak of nutrition, we are referring to the digestion and absorption of nutrients that will be used for stages such as growth, reproduction and maintenance. Each animal species has a diet that is designed for that species based on the nutrient needs and ability to digest and absorb those nutrients. For example, a horse does not eat dog food and a cat does not eat horse food. Now, this doesn’t mean that a pig cannot live a long life with a food not made for it. But, in order to have a pig at optimal health, stick to the diet that the pig’s gastrointestinal tract was designed for.
There are some basic internal anatomical differences between the potbellied pig and other animal species. Potbellied pigs are classified as monogastrics; meaning they have a single chambered stomach similar to humans. Other monogastric species are humans, horses, dogs, and cats. Potbellied pigs are ominivores; meaning they can digest both animal material and with the help of gut microbes, plant material. Humans and opossums are omnivores; horses and cats are not. Do you see a pattern as to why other species diets may not be appropriate for a pig?
Furthermore, an omnivore generally has a longer intestinal tract (after the stomach) than a carnivore. This plays a role in retention time and absorption of nutrients. Potbellied pigs are a colon fermenting species rather than cecal fermentors, such as the horse. Hence, most of a pig’s microbial digestion of plant material takes place during the transportation of feed stuffs through the large colon.
What are nutrients?
Nutrients are chemical compounds or elements that supply a source of nourishment. The nutrients are water, minerals, vitamins, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. The last three comprise our energy yielding nutrients.
WATER
Water is one of the most important nutrients in your potbellied pig’s diet. Water is used to regulate body temperature, aid in the removal of waste products and assist in digestion, absorption, transportation and utilization of nutrients. Actual water intake is also dependent on issues such as the environmental temperature and diet. Does the pig consume a pellet or grain mixture diet? Very little research has been conducted to evaluate water consumption in pigs. However, research does indicate that pigs can consume on average 7-20% of the body weight/day in water. However, most of our miniature pigs appear to intake less than this amount. So, it is important to know that a lack of water intake can be one reason why constipation occurs in your pig; especially if environmental temperatures begin to decrease.
Oppositely, as the environmental temperature rises, it is imperative to have fresh, clean water available at all times. During cold weather, water needs to be offered at a comfortable drinking temperature. Finally, it is always a good idea to have your pig’s water tested to ensure a safe water supply.
MINERALS
Minerals are inorganic elements that provide various roles in the body such as structure, electrolytes and enzymes. Minerals have a relationship with one another and all serve important biological roles. A mineral imbalance, deficit or excess, of one mineral will affect another.
There are two categories of minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are needed in relatively large amounts and are usually expressed as a percentage (%) of the diet. Calcium, phosphorus, sodium and chloride are examples of macrominerals. Trace minerals are needed in small amounts within the diet and the quantity is expressed as part per million (ppm) or milligram (mg). Copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc are examples of trace minerals.
If you are feeding a complete, balanced ration, you should not supplement with minerals unless recommended by a nutritionist or a veterinarian skilled in nutrition.
Note: Do not diagnose a mineral deficiency/toxicity yourself.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are organic compounds that work together within the body as biological helpers. Their roles are as hormones, coenzymes and antioxidants to name just a few. There are two classes of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble. The majority of water-soluble vitamins are not stored in body tissues for long periods of time. Vitamins B and C are classified as water-soluble vitamins. On the contrary, vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins and can be stored in fat reserves of the body.
If you are feeding a complete, balanced ration, you should not supplement with minerals unless recommended by a nutritionist or a veterinarian skilled in nutrition.
. Note: Do not diagnose a vitamin deficiency/toxicity yourself.
Vitamin Toxicities: Toxicity can occur for fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) but are not that common if feeding a well balanced diet formulated for potbellied pigs and not providing additional supplementation. Vitamin toxicity is not common in water-soluble vitamins (B and C) because the body will excrete any excess.
ENERGY YIELDING NUTRIENTS
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates serve as a source of energy for the pig and can be classified as either structural (fiber) or nonstructural. Structural carbohydrates include cellulose, hemicellulose and undigestable lignin. Forages such as grass and hay have high concentrations of these items. Nonstructural carbohydrates include sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose) that are found in high concentrations within cereal grains such as corn, oats and wheat. A grain mix containing predominately corn fed at levels above recommendations can cause a rapid weight gain in the pig. If possible, the pig will benefit from as much grazing time as possible. Fiber is an important component to the pig’s diet and should be offered in the highest and safest level. However, it must be restated again, that adequate water intake is imperative if a pig is consuming a higher fiber diet. If water is not available or consumed in adequate quantities, constipation and blockage can occur.
LIPIDS
Lipids, another energy source for the pig, are also known as fats. Lipids can provide 2.25 times more energy than carbohydrates or proteins and are a safe way to increase energy in the diet without compromising the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Added fat to the diet can improve palatability of the feed, improve feed efficiency and reduce feed consumption. But please keep in mind that even though feed consumption may be reduced, it is still imperative to have an adequate intake of the other nutrients in the diet. These other nutrients may need to be added to a high fat diet in greater amounts because of a dilution factor that can occur with added fat. Sources of lipids include, but are not limited to, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, flax seed and rice bran. However, it is important to note that too much fat in the diet can result in a disturbance of the GI tract leading to loose stools and possibly diarrhea. Most diets formulated for miniature pigs have crude fat levels ranging from 2-5%. A higher level of fat can also add sheen to the hair coat
PROTEINS
What is the ‘hub-bub’ about protein? The quality of feed is thought to be determined by the protein content. Actually it is the quality of the protein that needs to be considered above the quantity of the protein. Let’s start with what a protein is and its function.
A protein is comprised of amino acids linked together in specific order. There are essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize fast enough to meet its needs. These essential amino acids must be supplied by the diet or from gut bacteria. Nonessential amino acids can be produced in body tissues and are not warranted in the diet.
Lysine is the limiting amino acid in swine diets and its level should always be considered when formulating a diet for your pig.
Protein is utilized for body structures such as hair, hooves, skin, muscle, blood cells, soft tissue and muscle. Protein is also a component of hormones and enzymes that are regulators of chemical reactions. Lastly, protein can be used as an energy source if given beyond its needed dietary requirements.
A quality protein has a favorable amino acid profile that offers most of the essential amino acids needed by the pig. Soybean meal has a high quality amino acid profile. Quantity is a term that constitutes that total amount of protein in a feed. This means that large quantities of ‘poor quality protein’ may not meet amino acid requirements for your pig! It is more correct to say the amino acid requirement has been met rather than the protein level is adequate. Commonly known feed ingredients that contain protein are cereal grains such as corn and oats as well as forages. Forages such as legumes (alfalfa) contain a greater quantity of protein over grasses (fescue). Always keep in mind that quality of the protein needs to be considered above quantity of the protein in a feed.
Nutrient Levels in Diets
What levels of these nutrients should be included in your potbellied pig diet? Once again we go to the problem of lack of nutritional research with potbellied pigs. However, based on limited research, testimonials and years of experience, we have been seeing crude protein levels for adult maintenance pigs between 10-14% (but what is the quality of protein?) and fat levels have been between 2-5%. Higher quality protein levels are warranted for growing and geriatric pigs with crude protein levels reaching 14-20%.
Remember that complete diets are fortified with the adequate amounts of nutrients including vitamins and minerals to accommodate your pigs’ requirements without any need to give other ingredients or supplements.
Conclusion
As the caretaker of an extraordinary animal that lives to eat, it is your responsibility to provide the highest quality nutrient source in order to allow for optimal health. I do not recommend compiling your own ingredients to feed your miniature pig unless you have been guided by a nutritionist or a veterinarian trained in nutrition. Without the proper guidance, slight imbalances in any of the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, energy) can result in health problems. Therefore, I highly recommend purchasing a complete, balanced miniature pig food formulated for your pig’s specific life stage.
Penny Shumaker Jeffrey can be contacted at pigpalsnc@yahoo.com or 919-219-7762.
