# things pigs don't eat ?



## Kim_NC (Sep 5, 2007)

We get disgarded produce from a local grocery. Our new feeder pigs have some definite likes/dislikes.

things they like...

apples
pears
grapes
cabbage
lettuce
broccoli
eggs

things they don't want...

turnip roots (haven't tried greens)
carrots
eggplant
green beans


I'm kind of surprised at the items they're not eating. Are these results typical?


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## tomjones (Dec 22, 2007)

Might be worth throwing them in a pot and cooking for a while. I would think that would make a big difference.


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## Trisha-MN (May 10, 2002)

Kim_NC said:


> We get disgarded produce from a local grocery. Our new feeder pigs have some definite likes/dislikes.
> things they don't want...
> 
> turnip roots (haven't tried greens)
> ...


Our pigs love turnips, carrots and green beans... the eggplant usually ends up with the chickens. One thing our pigs don't seem to go for are lemons.


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## SHELBY (Mar 9, 2003)

tomjones said:


> Might be worth throwing them in a pot and cooking for a while. I would think that would make a big difference.



I bet you that would do it. When we had pigs they ate just about anything if it was cooked, but not raw.


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## Kim_NC (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestion! I cooked some cut turnips, butternut squash and green beans. Gave that to them today. They started in on it! LOL....but left it when they saw me pour the hog feed in the other tough. **silly pigs**

I saw them go back though after I left their pasture ...feel certain they finished the cooked veggies. Thanks again!


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## JHinCA (Sep 20, 2003)

I cook stuff they won't eat raw, too. I was surprised ours ate green beans and beets raw, though.

Ours do not eat any kind of citrus fruit or banana peels.


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## fixer1958 (Dec 12, 2005)

JHinCA said:


> I cook stuff they won't eat raw, too. I was surprised ours ate green beans and beets raw, though.
> 
> Ours do not eat any kind of citrus fruit or banana peels.



I just browse the pig section to learn as much as I can, BUT..........

We had a pot belly for about 10 years and myself on a whim gave him banana peels to see if he would eat them. He sucked them down like spagehti.

Later I went back into the garage (where he lived, complete with his own dog door, he was a free ranger) and he saw me and flipped completely the *$^& out. 
I told DW about it and she said banana peels were a hallucinagenic and don't do that anymore :nono: 

My boys heard me talking to DW about it and they being who they are, did the same thing and he reacted the same way only worse. Running into the wall 4" from the door trying to get out the door, ransacking the garage etc.
I had nothing to do with it!!

There must be something to this.
Am I wrong?


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## simplefarmgirl (Mar 31, 2006)

mine eat just about every thing except citrus peeling,, if you bust open the oranges they suck out the inside but wont eat any of the peeling,, dont blame them, wont touch lemons or limes at all. the eat everything else raw, I do cook any potatoes we give them if theres any amount to them,, I heard some where raw potatoes in bulk isnt good for them,, not sure better safe than sorry


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Pigs are funny buggers. Generally speaking, most will eat the banana but not the skin (but nor do I), they like the orange but not the rind (but nor do I) and most will not eat limes, lemons or grapefruit at all. Most do not relish raw carrot and my answer to this is to throw everything except citrus into a cooker and cook it and then the lot goes.

Simplefarmgirl, your quite right, raw potato in bulk can be a killer for pigs and I knew a lady who lost a litter of weaning age Kunes through feeding them raw potato. However, when cooked they are harmless and pigs like them.

Parsnip and celery are also better cooked as in their raw state can cause lesions to the mouth which resemble Foot and Mouth.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Kim_NC (Sep 5, 2007)

Well, they ate the cooked turnips and butternut squash. BUT they left the cooked green beans. I guess it's official - they have no intention of eating green beans raw or cooked! What!!! How can anything not eat snap beans??? 

Today they added raw watermelon to their list of "OK" things. 

I gotta say pigs do not deserve their reputation for "eating anything". And I'll never use the expressions "hog it down" nor "pig out" again. Yea, they eat what they like with gusto, but they ARE quite discerning.

Our beloved chickens are far less finicky! LOL....and the chickens do not make such snuffing and scuffing noise either! 

I've decided that to say "pigs oink" is a myth! They grunt, snort, and snuffle! And constantly! We get a huge laugh from them everyday.


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

Ours won't eat peppers either - raw or cooked!


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

Ours don't like pickles. Don't ask.
They also do not like citrus, as others pointed out.
Everything else we have given them, they have eaten - raw veggie scraps, leftovers, they're not picky.


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

ours do not eat citrus. Our newest batch does not like whole dried corn, will only eat it if it is the last thing in the trough.


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## Joelle (Nov 17, 2007)

Glad to hear that my pet pig Harry is normal and not just totally spoiled. I get produce leftovers from a farmer's market and it has really been funny to see what Harry likes and does not like. If you give him a big bowl of assorted fruit, he'll first eat his favorites even if it's the smallest thing (like berries) in the bowl and then go back to the rest that he's flung on the floor. He will not touch a cucumber, or carrots (unless cooked), and green beans (cooked or raw) either. I always end up roasting a bunch of veggies in the oven so they don't go to waste. And in order to get him to each lettuce, we have to put salad dressing on it. :shrug:


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

Pigs will generally eat anything that doesnt make them sick
They have good memories and if something make them sick they wont touch it again


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## savinggrace (Oct 27, 2005)

Wow I'm so suprised they are not over the moon about watermelon! Mine would smell the melons when I took them out of the truck!

Mine wouldn't eat zucchini squash. :shrug: I don't think we ever ended up with green beans when I was getting overripe produce. 

Interesting!


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## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

Do NOT like carrots or citrus. 

They DECIMATE , quite quickly, pumpkins. Love them!

Mine eat green beans & yellow wax beans quite quickly . No problem.

They LOVE eggs.

Does anyone know if they eat rutabega? I have a lot of seed I was going to plant.


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## Oldman in KY (Aug 31, 2007)

I've been reading this thread with interest. The only thing our Tams have ever walked away from was bell peppers. They won't touch them!

We have a friend in the donut business and we get all of his leftovers. You do not want to be between our pigs and the donuts - they think heaven has arrived.

We have a neighbor who raises crickets. We get his dead breeders and feed them to the pigs. They are about 50% protein and I mix them with a lower protein quality feed. Some days they pick out the crickets first - some days they are eaten last. Who knows?

Ours have always eaten turnips right out of the field. I plant a mixture of turnips and rape and they will eat the greens and then root out the turnip without ever moving to the next spot.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

fixer1958 said:


> I just browse the pig section to learn as much as I can, BUT..........
> 
> We had a pot belly for about 10 years and myself on a whim gave him banana peels to see if he would eat them. He sucked them down like spagehti.
> 
> ...



yes there is definitly somthing to it i had a biology teacher that talked about some of the things they tried in college in the sixties he said his room mate tried smoking dried banana peel and it was the worst trip he ever took.

they say if you take anything long enought you will have a bad trip ,

i would say your pig had a bad trip....


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Add clowns to the list...they don't eat 'em cause they taste funny;-)

RF


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

My hogs will not eat citrus and don't much like onions. Pretty much everything else is fair game!


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## Milkwitch (Nov 11, 2006)

Well I tell you this for sure they WILL eat chickens!!!! so beware! This rotten pig has eaten a doz of my chickens . :flame: We have such a huge barn I have to put everyone in the same room to keep them warm. the chickens (in theory) were suppose to live happily over the pigs pen and the cow on the other end, everyone keeps the place cozy and warm. Ya right ! so much for that "happily" theory! well the PIG'S happy! :1pig: 
Chickens have been disappearing for a while now. I have been blaming the dogs and maybe a raccoon with no evidence, even the cats. There was no sign of the chickens anywhere!
I started to get suspicious, when the floor of the chicken 'coop' was torn out, at first I thought she was just bored and tearing stuff up(what started out as a "coop" only got a floor so the chickens are just loose). But then I noticed a bit of feathers near her trough. Then last evening I forgot something in the barn and had to go back and surprised them. She had just killed my silver hen and had it almost eaten! :Bawling: The stupid chickens will go try to eat out of her trough, its like bait! 
How numb am I !!?!?!??!?! I should have KNOWN!! My mother used to say pigs will eat ANYthing! I guess mother is ALWAYS right!!!
By now I should be able to write a book on what NOT to do! :shrug: 
However they wont eat citrus peels or onions but love garlic.(and chickens apparently)


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## PETSNEGGS (Oct 7, 2005)

Wow, I am shocked to hear that about banana peels... MY PB loves them... hummm maybe she is reincarnated from the 60's LOL...... and other than that they will pretty much eat anything except sour citrus. I do take notice to the fact that they will go for their favorite first and then eat what is left over later... I have to watch how much they get though cause my female will blow up like a blimp... she loves her sweets. especially marshmellows and lifesavers.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Hmm... our pigs will eat all the things on your not list. The things they don't eat is onions and citrus peels although occasionally I'll see one do so. Interestingly, they love thistles and burdocks... Ouch.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I still in the "information gathering" stage... so this may sound silly, but the mention of feeding crickets made me wonder if they would eat earthworms. I raise rabbits and could have worn bins under the rabbit cages. I know they can be used for chickens... how about pigs?


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## Barn Builder (Feb 27, 2008)

Ive heaed they wont eat cucumbers,dont know if is true are not. But dont let one of your chickens get in their pen.,they will gobble them down to the bacon dept.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Ours will eat cucumbers no problem.

If the pigs are raised with chickens then I find they are fine with them.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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