# What should pigs never eat?



## Dazlin

Is meat not good for them?
What about any dairy?
Anything that can be harmful, please advise me. I'm new with them. My pigs are only about less than 10lbs they are the teacup pot bellies.
Thanks!


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## bruceki

don't feed raw potatoes. Cooked are fine, raw they have problems digesting. I've run across the "no meat for pigs" rule, but I really don't know the reasoning behind it. I know that many pigs in industry are fed animal byproducts, even lard from other pigs, so clearly they can digest it.


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## DixyDoodle

I would personally avoid feeding pigs "gassy" foods like cabbage or broccoli scraps. I would be afraid it would cause bloating. Ditto for potatoes that are raw, like bruceki said. 

I've given mine cooked meat (leftover) scraps before with no problems, but I'm careful to take the bones out. Some pigs are not willing to eat just anything, like you might think. Mine aren't keen on some vegetables. 

Anyhow, I would be careful in feeding your pig too much of anything not considered a normal diet.


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## Ceres Hil

our pigs happen to like chicken feathers (lots of protein)---actually so did the chickens (gross!) eating their dead friend just was a turn off to see.


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## Ronney

There is very little that a pig should never eat, what is more important is how it is fed.

Pigs are omnivores so are therefore meat eaters. The "no meat" rule is not a rule as such but in most countries it is a legal requirement that it is cooked before being fed to pigs - and this goes for raw, processed and pre-cooked meat. You would have to check on your state laws regarding this.

Potato fed in large quantities can be toxic to pigs and lead to death. It is full of starch and will begin to ferment in the gut before the starch is broken down. Cooking breaks down the starch and can be fed to pigs with impunity.

Apart from often being unpalatable to pigs, celery and parsnip in the raw state can cause lesions to the mouth that are similar to those of FNM. While there is no disease attached to it, it is uncomfortable for the pig. Again, cooking makes this palatable and takes away the cause of the lesions.

Tea bags, tea leaves, coffee grounds and onion skins have no nutritional value at all but do have the nasty habit of compacting in the gut causing digestive and bowel problems which can result in the death of the pig.

Dairy is good for pigs but again commonsense should prevail. It is a good source of protein, fat and energy but too much of it will lead to overweight pigs.

I cook all food for my pigs. By doing this I know that unpalatable food becomes edible (with the exception of citrus which few pigs like either raw or cooked), and I eliminate any bacteria that may have been lurking.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Dazlin

Thank-you!
One of my pigs has circular bald patches. They started out clumping off, leaving a bloody scab. I wrote to Purina and they suggest a zinc deficiency. I now have them on Mazuri, and have added small amounts of food containing zinc. One is green beans.
Any clue... please advise.


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## DixyDoodle

Sounds like a skin fungus to me. I would investigate that first.


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## Micheal

My neighbor found out pigs will eat anything within reach......
He kept all his animals in a small barn sectioned off by 3-4 foot high partions only to keep a couple of pigs, one cow, and a goat apart and within their own area. Chickens, ducks and geese had the run of the place. Well about 2-3 times a week my neighbor would lose one or two of the fowl with no known reason for the disappearance. 
He decided to spend a night or two in the barn to see if'n he could get a look-see (even a shot at) what was making his flocks disappear. Well, he dozed off and was awakened by some "god-awfull screaming" (his words). He flipped on the lights only to see one of the pigs standing on it's hind legs up on one of the partions with a chicken disappearing down it's mouth. Seems the chickens would roost on top of the partions and the ducks and geese would nest in the bedding - making easy pickin's for the pigs.
He got rid of the pigs and hasn't lost a bird since...........


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## desertshi

Micheal said:


> My neighbor found out pigs will eat anything within reach......
> He kept all his animals in a small barn sectioned off by 3-4 foot high partions only to keep a couple of pigs, one cow, and a goat apart and within their own area. Chickens, ducks and geese had the run of the place. Well about 2-3 times a week my neighbor would lose one or two of the fowl with no known reason for the disappearance.
> He decided to spend a night or two in the barn to see if'n he could get a look-see (even a shot at) what was making his flocks disappear. Well, he dozed off and was awakened by some "god-awfull screaming" (his words). He flipped on the lights only to see one of the pigs standing on it's hind legs up on one of the partions with a chicken disappearing down it's mouth. Seems the chickens would roost on top of the partions and the ducks and geese would nest in the bedding - making easy pickin's for the pigs.
> He got rid of the pigs and hasn't lost a bird since...........


Yep....my big sow Babe LOVES fresh chicken!! lol. Last spring I bought around 40 white broilers. For all of our efforts of trying EVERYTHING to keep them from getting into Babes pen, they STILL found a way to get in there. They would go in after scraps that she would drop on the ground. Well, needless to say we lost about half of them to her. The funny thing is that she isn't a "hunter." She would just be lumbering by and kinda roll her head out to the side and snap at a bird without missing a step!!!  Unlucky chickens were crunched and then picked apart. SHe would shred them up devouring everything! One day I caught her with like 4 or 5 chicken carcasses. It seems that she was eating one, others crowded in to "help" her and she would just off another one!!!  She was in lacttion then, and I wonder if she was craving the extra protein? Because she hasn't killed any since weaning the babies. (we have no broilers left though! Only RIRs) They still find their way into her pen but she doesn't do anything to them. I know she still likes it though if I would feed it to her because we slaughtered some roosters the other day and even though she had just eaten she began "screaming" when she caught wiff of the blood!! Blech!!!!!


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## DixyDoodle

I worried about the stories of pigs eating live animals in their pen at first because my barn cats go in their pens sometimes. So far, no casualties....what creeps me out the worst is that my barn kittens will sneak in there to sleep in the straw with them!  Again, so far, everything is cool.

I wonder if that will change once my sow gets bred, though. If pigs are really that closely related to humans, then a pregnant sow is going to be something not to be totally trusted, those mood swings may be disasterous!


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## karenbrat1

Some weeds can be toxic, so if you're feeding garden pullings check online for toxicity. Goosefoot, pigweed and St John's Wort are the problem ones I have. Horse chestnuts are toxic -- too bad, because I could pick up hundreds of pounds of them in the fall from the street trees in town.


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## linda in se ny

I'm surprised by the pigweed being toxic to pigs. I know there are a few varieties but we enjoy eating pigweed ourselves (the red rooted and also one with large leaves that grows similar to rhubarb)so why not for the pigs? Does cooking it make a difference?


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## karenbrat1

Linda, here is a link to an info page about the toxicity of pigweed: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/toxic/plant33.htm


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## Allen W

Never had any problems with cattle or hogs eating pig weed, but also never had a massive amount available to them at one time. Under certain circumstances a lot of plants can be toxic. And yes I read the link.


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