Explore every episode of the podcast The Pet Pig Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snuggles in the North: Life with a Pet Pig in Canada | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:44:20 | |
*** This episode is sponsored by Mikko’s Choice. Mikko's Choice is a small women owned business that provides high quality CBD for your pig. Use code pigpodcast to get 25% off your first order. $5 from every sale is donated to animal rescues. Go to www.Mikkoschoice.com or email info@mikkoschoice.com for more information.***
Katie Ingram wears many hats: a university instructor, media professional, journalist, author and pig mom. She grew up with a variety of animals (a dog, rabbits, fish and a horse), but always wanted a pet pig. No one believed that she would have one though. Alex grew up with animals also but did not think he wanted a pet pig. Katie saw an ad for a pig and decided to get it. When they brought the pig home within a couple days they realized that they were not prepared for a pig at all. They ended up giving her to someone who was able to take care of her properly. They were devastated at having to give her up. Later on after doing research and being better prepared they started looking for another pig and ended up getting Snuggles.
Snuggles will be 4 years old in November. She used to love to cuddle but after about 2 years old she has turned sassy but is still very sweet. Snuggles knows how to dance (spinning in a circle). She also knows her left from her right so while she is dancing they will tell her to go the other direction and she will spin that other way. She knows how to give a good kiss (basically booping her nose). She knows how to get a specific ball when instructed to. She is learning how to use communications buttons.
Katie and Alex share what life is like with Snuggles and share some things she loves to do. They also share their biggest challenge of owning a pet pig and their favorite part of owning one. They share that their biggest piece of advice is to do your research and not just go with how cute a pig is because they are a 20 year commitment.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Purina Pig and Sow Notice | 03 Sep 2024 | 00:17:18 | |
Recently the American Mini Pig Association held a Zoom meeting that some breeders were invited to attend. They are a great resource for anyone who wants to get a mini pig. They also have a very small list of approved breeders that need to follow their code of ethics and meet their standards that are quite high. There are very few breeders that actually make it on this list. I am proud to say that I am one of them. This zoom meeting that I was able to be a part of was incredible. We were able to exchange information with each other about pet pigs. These breeders were very knowledgeable about pet pigs. I love to learn so this was a great opportunity for me. In this conversation we talked a lot about what we do with our pigs. Something came to my attention and I feel the need to get this information out there to other pig owners.
One of the women in this group had the opportunity to speak to a nutritionist from Purina. Purina Pig and Sow is a food that many pig owners use. It was the only food available to me for a long time in 2004. We had trouble with some of the bags being moldy for a bit. I returned it and started to lose my trust in the brand. I had to switch to Kalmbach pig feed that I still order from Chewy.com and it gets delivered twice a month. My pigs love it and do well on it. This woman was told by the nutritionist not to feed a pig, Purina Pig and Sow because that food is not meant for longevity. At this time I am going to suggest that it might be a good idea to switch brands if you have your pig on Purina Pig and Sow. There are now several brands on the market that are good foods.
If you live in an area where you are able to order Chewy.com you can order Kalmbach and pick a food that fits your needs. They have a food called Squeals of Joy that is marketed specifically for mini pigs. Many people love Sharps mini pig food, OinkBox Mini pig food, Nature's Best Organic mini pig pellets. This might be a great time to look at your mini pigs' food and make sure that it is doing them well.
Signs to know that your pig food isn't doing your pig so well are:
Do not drastically change their food. Make sure you slowly transition to the new food. Overall we all want the same thing. We all want our pig healthy and to live as long as possible. So by paying close attention to the food that they are eating we are going to make sure that happens. If you need help with your pig's diet, skin or behavior please reach out to me. I have many resources to share with you to help. If there is a topic you would like to dig deeper into I have courses that I offer that dive deep into many pig topics. If you click the link below on the Stan store link I have everything I offer there in 1 place.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Grazing: A Guide to Outdoor Enjoyment for Your Pet Pig | 04 Jun 2024 | 00:17:11 | |
*** This episode is sponsored by Mikko’s Choice. Mikko's Choice is a small women owned business that provides high quality CBD for your pig. Use code pigpodcast to get 25% off your first order. $5 from every sale is donated to animal rescues. Go to Mikkoschoice.com or email info@mikkoschoice.com for more information.*** Does your pet pig love to graze in the spring and summertime? Most pigs love to be outside. What is there not to love? The sun, dirt, the breeze. There are so many health benefits that our pig gets from being outside. They get minerals and vitamins and it also helps with boredom. SO being outside is really good for a pig. Especially a pet pig that lives in the house. Where we don't want them to be bored and destructive or snippy and wanting to eat all the time. It’s really nice that our pig can spend time outside. When it comes to our pigs spending time outside there are a couple things that we should keep in mind that are going to allow our pig to stay healthy, not get overweight, and not be exposed to things they shouldn't be. Grazing is great but there are things about grazing that aren't so good. 1) Excessive grazing can cause a pig to gain weight. If your pig is gaining weight due to grazing you can do a couple things, cut back on their pellets and snacks. By cutting back on those they will be able to maintain a weight that is healthy for them. 2) Grass causes bloating and gas. If they are not used to the grass it can cause digestive upset. We can help with this by slowly introducing them to the grass. 3) We need to watch out for toxic plants in their grazing area. You will need to take a look around at the plants in your yard and gardens and make sure that they are not toxic to pigs in any way. And if they are toxic you need to keep it away from them. It is also a good idea to keep activated charcoal on hand. Activated charcoal is a binder so it binds to the toxins and it can save a pig's life. 4) Remember that worms and other parasites can be picked up from grazing so a regular deworming schedule is needed. This will help with internal parasites. We also need to consider external parasites like ticks. If you live in an area that allows free range birds they will help control ticks but you can also dust their belly and legs with diatomaceous earth. I also have tick and mosquito repellent sprays that are all natural that I spray them with. 5) Pigs can easily wander off while grazing so it's important that we either keep our eyes on them or have them in a fenced in space. 6) Your pig should have access to water at all times if it is hot outside. They should also have a shaded space to get out of the sun. 7) There is a fungus that grows on red clover and this fungus produces a toxin that stimulates the salivary glands and will result in excessive drooling.The thing to do is to keep them off the clover in the spring time because this is when this fungus grows. Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| The Journey to Her Dream Sanctuary! With Amelia | 28 May 2024 | 01:10:26 | |
Amelia currently lives in Northern Canada in Quebec. She has always been an animal lover in fact her first word was dog instead of mom or dad. She has always been drawn to animals. Her parents saw that she was always drawn to animals as a child. She grew up having ADHD and animals helped her calm down and control her emotions better. She grew up with chickens and rabbits and eventually turned into a hobby farm. She ran the hobby farm and it was the beginning steps towards what she has now. Now, today she runs a sanctuary for farm animals. They have criteria to accept farm animals on the sanctuary which are, handicapped animals, animals in need who have been neglected, and animals that need emergency care. Their goal is to take in animals in need and to be able to offer them a loving, stable home for their entire life and then to use a select few to reach out to vulnerable people in their community to offer emotional support visits to lift their spirits. Amelia is also a teacher in an indigenous community in her area and her school is very open to letting her bring the baby animals into class so they can be fed their bottles throughout the day as needed. Amelia tells us about life as a teacher and how she has been able to incorporate animals into the class to teach her students lessons about kindness and acceptance and also about responsibility. She also tells us how her sanctuary came about and major challenges she came across with the sanctuary but how she was able to overcome it. She ends the episode with how the sanctuary is today and what her and her animals are up to these days. Amelia shares her goals for the future of the sanctuary. She tells us about her 3 pigs and how they are doing now and that she is about to get a 4th pig. If you would like to help Amelia click her links below and get her name out there.
Amelia’s Links: Website: https://la-petite-fermette-du-mieux-etre-105161.square.site/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lapetitefermette1
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Would You Like to Understand Your Pig's Behavior? | 21 May 2024 | 00:08:26 | |
Do you sometimes struggle to understand your pet pig's behavior? Does your pig have bossy behavior? Have they become aggressive? Are they snippy with you? Do they bite? Do they charge, headswipe, chomp or snap? If you are struggling to understand why your pig is doing these things, I have an answer for you! I just created a course called Understanding Mini Pig Behavior. The reason that I created this course, is because behavior questions is the #1 type of questions that I receive from people all over the world. My Instagram and Facebook DM’s are full of people asking for help with their pigs behavior. The problem is that most people don't understand why their pigs' behavior is happening in the first place. So it becomes almost impossible for them to fix it. I have been studying pig behavior for almost 20 years now. I understand what it feels like to be completely baffled about why my pig is acting a certain way. When I get a message from somebody it's really hard for me to be able to give a very detailed reason about why this behavior is happening and how to fix it. I like to give all the details so I decided to create something that allows me to give you the tools that you need to understand why your pig acts the way it does and the ways to teach your pig that this behavior is unacceptable. So let's talk about what is in this course.
Module 1 - Bossy behavior Module 2 - Herd mentality Module 3 - Understanding your pig Module 4 - Training
Use discount code podcast for a 25% discount on this course. Click the link below so that you can have access to this course and start understanding why your pig acts the way it does and so you can change any bad behaviors that your pig has.
Course Link: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs/p/learn-to-understand-your-pet-pigs-behavior Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter: | |||
| Oliver the Rescue Pig - With Sarah Castle | 14 May 2024 | 00:43:40 | |
*** This episode is sponsored by Mikko’s Choice. Mikko's Choice is a small women owned business that provides high quality CBD for your pig. Use code pigpodcast to get 25% off your first order. $5 from every sale is donated to animal rescues. Go to Mikkoschoice.com or email info@mikkoschoice.com for more information.***
Sarah has always loved animals but especially horses. She works at an animal rescue in the Miami area and that's how she was introduced to pigs and became obsessed with pigs also. The rescue she works at has a very strict vetting process for finding their rescues a good home. There is no time limit on how long animals can stay at the rescue so they are able to take their time and find a great home for each animal. That is how she got Oliver. Early January of 2023 Sarah was leaving work and her boss said she needed to go pick up a little pig. The next day when Sarah came into work she saw a tiny cute little baby pig and she thought he was so cute. The vet estimated him to be 2 to 3 weeks old. That time of year they can have some cold snaps in Miami so she offered to take him home so he could stay warm. Sarah put pee pads down in her room because she noticed in the stall that he would use a corner to go to the bathroom. So in her house he picked the corner he wanted to use and that's the one he stuck to. Sarah remembers being scared because the whole 24 hours she had him he hadn’t pooped. The minute she took him outside he pooped. She had it in her mind that she would just foster him. But at night she wanted to take him home because she didn't want him to be alone. There were a lot of people that wanted him but Sarah's boss was determined to not just place him anywhere. Sarah had him for 2 months and her boss had found a sanctuary that would take him but Sarah decided that now she wanted to keep him. She was able to adopt him and he has been with her ever since.
Sarah tells us about Oliver and what his personality is like. She brings him with her to work every day so he is such a great pig and they have a great routine together. She tells us about how he is at the ranch that she goes to every day.
Sarah tells us about how things went when she first brought Oliver home with her and how he trained so fast so early on. She also tells us how Oliver is with her kids. We compare the hierarchy in the pig world and the horse world and how similar in that aspect.
The biggest challenge Sarah has faced is trying to find an apartment that would work with her about having a pet pig even though he is registered as an emotional support animal. She tells us that her favorite part of having a pet pig is her relationship with him. He is just as important to her as he children. She loves that he is with her all the time and he feels like he was made for her family.
The one piece of advice that she would give to someone who wants a pet pig is, pigs are an easy pet if you have the time and resources for them but they take a lot of work. They need a lot of attention and they need outside time. They are amazing pets to have.
Sarah’s Links: instagram.com/oliverpiggy2023/
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Spring! Rain, Mud, Mess | 07 May 2024 | 00:10:31 | |
Happy Spring! It has been a beautiful spring in Ohio so far, but it has been very wet and muddy. That got me thinking about how much mud everyone is going to have in their house right now, due to their pig going out to go potty or for eating or whatever. So I wanted to talk about how we can handle the rain when our pig doesn't want to go outside to go potty and the mud that they are going to be bringing into the house. How can we keep some of that mess outside? First of all, when it comes to rain, many pigs do not want to go outside in the rain. We need to be proactive to get our pigs to be motivated to always go outside. One way we can do this is to feed them their meals outside as long as the weather isn't extreme. Food is close to every pig's heart so if the weather isn't their favorite they may hesitate but they will still go outside. Something else that you can do is use really good treats to reward them for going outside. Going out in the rain is a hard thing for a pig so buy good treats to reward them well for doing hard things. If you start when your pig is young you can teach them to let you put a little jacket on them. It will keep the rain off of them so it's not as cold. I also have a space outside that is movable and has a little roof on it so once they get to that they won't have rain on them. When it comes to mud, I like to make sure that they are on fresh grass every morning and move it throughout the day so they aren't knee deep in mud. We also put straw down in muddy places so the pigs don't sink into the mud. We also put gravel or wood chips down in places that get really muddy on our farm. Some pigs love to walk through the mud and others hate to walk through mud. I keep a small tub filled with warm water in front of the door that they walk into the house through. I put a few Cheerios in the tub so they also clean off their snouts. They will walk through the warm water and will get most of the water off their hooves and legs. I try to keep their crates and blankets clean so their blankets aren't caked in mud. This will help with the constant buildup of dirt and mud that happens in the spring.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Keep Your Pig Safe in the Car! -With Maribeth | 30 Apr 2024 | 00:20:50 | |
Maribeth gives us an update on how the pigs are doing and how Tree Family Party Piggies is coming along. The reason I really wanted to invite Maribeth back to the show is because she had an experience with her pigs that was very scary and I wanted her to be able to share that with everyone because we can all learn from her experience.
Maribeth and her pigs were coming back from a senior service that ended up totaling her car. There was a lot of damage but she is very grateful that neither herself or the pigs were hurt because she was traveling safely with the pigs. They have always had their pigs travel in the cargo or luggage portion of their vehicle and the pigs are always in a secured hard or soft sided crate. They were traveling in hard sided crates the day of the accident. The reason they are in a crate is because it really protects them from ejection or being severely injured. They have room to turn around in their crate but they are not able to just roam in the vehicle. The most trauma that the pigs experienced was having to be transferred from the crashed vehicle to a new vehicle after the accident. The pigs recovered great because they thankfully had no injuries and were laying down in their crates when the accident happened. She explained that she thinks getting the pigs back into their routine as soon as possible is what helped them the most.
Maribeth's number one takeaway from this experience is that safely traveling in a crate in the cargo compartment of the vehicle saved her pigs from health issues, harm, death and was only mildly traumatizing to them. She also believes that the way she talked to them kept everyone calm throughout the process. I am so grateful she was able to share this experience with us, so we all can learn from it and keep our piggies safe.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Keeping it Real: Why Treating Your Pet Pig Like a Pig Matters | 16 Apr 2024 | 00:14:18 | |
Recently I made a statement on social media that many pig owners and pig lovers did not like. So I am going to share what I said and why I said it. First of all, the statement I made was, “Pigs are not people. They do not need lunch or snacks.” Why did I say that? Well, It’s true. Pigs are not people, they are actually wild animals that have been domesticated within the past 40-50 years. In those years is when we started to bring pigs into our homes. Before that people raised pigs as livestock. Bringing pigs in the house changed the game for pigs. They began to be viewed as more of family members than they did farm pigs. Pigs are more like a puppy or a dog in the house now. That has caused a lot of people to begin to treat them more like people or a family member. I am not opposed to pet pigs, I have several of my own. I am not saying we should treat our pigs like livestock, but when you really understand pigs and what anthropomorphising a pig does, you will understand that they do have emotions but they do not have the same needs as a human does. They do not need to be treated like people, and doing so can cause issues. Now, let’s talk about why. Pigs in the wild have 3 jobs, reproduce, hunt for food, and make a nest. These three instincts drive a pig. A pig has no control over these things. As we domesticate them, we don’t change their instinct. We may lessen them by a tiny bit but those instincts are still there. When we make them a pet we take away their jobs. This causes a pig to become bored, destructive and even aggressive. We love our pigs and we want to provide them with the best kind of nutrition but you have to think about the repercussions of this. If you feed your pig constantly throughout the day your pig will become dependent on that. It will become a routine of eating all day long and it will make it very difficult to take care of them. Two meals a day is all a pig needs. The more you feed them will make them become more entitled towards food and very food aggressive. When it comes to snacks, I did not mean treats. In my opinion, treats are for training and for keeping your pig busy. I am very methodical when it comes to giving my pigs treats. They have a purpose. A treat is a reward for doing something hard or to reinforce good behavior. I also put them in a treat dispensing toy or in the grass so they have a purpose. So what is the takeaway from this episode? Pigs are wild animals. We bring them into our home and make them a part of our family. Although we change the environment, we don't change their instinct to survive. So when we bring them into the house we need to really be knowledgeable about what a pet pig is and how they think.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Amy - Rebel Rescue Ranch | 09 Apr 2024 | 01:06:53 | |
Rebel Rescue Ohio is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that was created in 2018 to help small domestic and exotic animals in need. The rescue moved to the “Ranch” in 2020 as the need to take on larger "farm" pets grew. Rebel Rescue Ranch, located in Berlin Center, Ohio has the space and availability to take in and help more critters! We provide sanctuary, funding, education, vet care and find homes for unwanted or abandoned pets. If ever there is a case that we can not take on, we try to find someone who can! As of now there are about 140 animals on the ranch. Amy tells us about her motivation to create the ranch and how she has grown and keeps it going. She shares how she has gotten different animals at her rescue and what life is like with each of them. She also explains what it takes to run the ranch and how we are each able to help her continue to help these animals. Her one piece of advice to anyone who wants to bring a pig home is to do their research and schedule a visit, not just a meet and greet, to really meet and learn about the pig that you want to be part of your family. Also, make sure you know that this life is what you want.
If you are wanting to help please reach out to Amy by contacting her at the links below! Amy's Links: Linktree: https://www.instagram.com/rebelrescueranch/ Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Is Your Pet Pig Food Aggressive? | 02 Apr 2024 | 00:35:45 | |
*** This episode is sponsored by Mikko's Choice. Mikko's Choice is a small women owned business that provides high quality CBD for your pig. Use code pigpodcast to get 25% off your first order. $5 from every sale is donated to animal rescues. Go to Mikkoschoice.com or email info@mikkoschoice.com for more information. *** Food aggression is so common in pigs. It’s easy for them to become food aggressive because they are so food obsessed. If we can work with them while they are young, so they don't become food aggressive, we will save ourselves so much stress in the future. What is food aggression? Food aggression is when a pig can not focus on anything else except the food in front of them. They become aggressive and try to get the food. They are not always deliberately trying to hurt us. Many times they are just trying to scare us so we let go of the food more quickly so they can have it. We have to remember that in the wild pigs are foragers and scavengers, this is how pigs find food. They spend a lot of their day trying to find food. Since they do not have that stomach to brain connection they always feel hungry. They are always starving and think if they don't eat now they will die. So we can have a little empathy for them, nobody wants to be starving. But as a pig owner, our job is to keep our pig healthy so that means enough food. They shouldn't have too much and too little food. We love our pig but that doesn’t give them the right to bully us. Food aggression is one of those things that we do not want to happen with our pig. In my opinion, many times food aggression is caused by us. I see it in underfed, malnourished pigs. But, another time I see it is in spoiled pigs. If we are not a leader and inconsistent in making them work for their food they can become aggressive because they feel like they have to fight for the food that they get. We are not talking about squealing for meals. Squealing for meals is not true food aggression. Food aggression is sheer panic. They are on edge because they feel like they have to fight to get that food. What are some examples of when we might see food aggression and how to handle it?
By following the tips I share in this episode you will be able to prevent food aggression or fix food aggression if they already are aggressive. We have to remember that a lot of lessons that we teach our pigs can only be taught when they trust us. If we build a bond and they trust us they will know that what we say we will do will happen. Pigs are naturally food obsessed so we have to teach them that they will get their food but they can not have it if they are being mean, bossy, aggressive and rude. Kitchen Shenanigans Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5sGXPKGVDmnZx2iKgBI0GX?si=f33dd09d1f1b415e https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/thepetpigpodcast/Kitchen_Shenanigans.mp3
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| A Pig Named Olive - With Rose | 26 Mar 2024 | 00:28:15 | |
Rose is a High Ticket Affiliate Marketer, Beginner Homesteader and Animal Lover. She resides in Northwestern, Pennsylvania with her husband Alex and 13 animals. She has always dreamt that her life would be centered around the outdoors and animals so she decided instead of dreaming about it - she was going to make it happen. Rose has always been an animal lover but a pet pig was not on her list until her husband suggested it. She immediately started to research ethical pet pig breeders and came across Autumn Acres and that is how she became a pig owner. Rose knew about farm pigs but never really knew anything about mini pet pigs. Rose tells us her experience of bringing her pet pig home and how she fit in with the cats and dogs. We learn about Olive and her personality and what life is like with her. Rose shares a story about a situation where Olive got into grain for her other animals and got sick and how she cared for Olive during that situation. We also hear about their challenge of having a pet pig with having other animals in the house and on the farm. Rose shares her biggest piece of advice to someone thinking of getting a pig is: Do your research and make sure that you have someone on call that you can contact at any time if something or an emergency comes up that you can talk to or ask questions. Just having that person that you can get those answers from is huge.
Rose’s Link: https://www.instagram.com/therosekilgore/
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter: | |||
| High Temps and Happy Pigs: Kathy's Heat Safe Strategies | 20 Aug 2024 | 01:20:32 | |
*** This episode is sponsored by Mikko’s Choice. Mikko's Choice is a small women owned business that provides high quality CBD for your pig. Use code pigpodcast to get 25% off your first order. $5 from every sale is donated to animal rescues. Go to Mikkoschoice.com or email info@mikkoschoice.com for more information.***
Kathy has such a great perspective on Florida heat and her pigs. She has had several pigs over the last few years and has had some tragic things happen so she is going to share about that in this episode in the hopes of helping other people when they face difficult circumstances. Kathy hopes that her tragedies can help other pig owners. Kathy has always been an animal lover. Growing up she had so many animals and even wild ones but nothing exotic until she got a pig. Her daughter loved watching Dr. K Exotic Vet shows and Kathy was drawn to the adult pig episodes. She loved the bond that they had with their owners. She loved how intelligent pigs seemed to be. One day she decided to spend the day with her granddaughter going to look at pigs. She wanted to just look at pigs but ended up bringing one home. She believed the breeder that her pig was 6 weeks old and agreed to use her own farm vet to spay the pig because the breeder wasn't happy with her own vet. Kathy noticed that her piglet was so sweet but always seemed to be panic stricken for no reason. Kathy learned a lot through her experience with her first pig and after her death also. Kathy knew she was not going to go back to that first breeder to get a second pig. She decided that a rescue was the way to go because so many pigs need a home. Kathy explains how she learned about PSS and what that meant for her pig. She gave us the warning signs she saw but wasn't able to get 5 different Vets to identify the issue before she passed away. She tells us about having to surrender her second pig due to the trauma of her first pig's death. She then tells us about her pig that had issues with choking and had emergency surgery and passed away at 2.5 years old. They ended up finding out that her intestines were necrotic but they did not ever get an official answer about why that happened. She explains how important it is to pay close attention to your pig when living in a high heat and humidity area. She gives us tips from what she has learned. She explains what we need to watch to decide if a pig should be outside or not when it comes to sunlight, temperature and humidity level. She gives some great tips on ways to keep your pig cool depending on the weather.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Do Not Make This Mistake with Your Pet Pig! | 19 Mar 2024 | 00:29:51 | |
Training is so important if you want your pig to grow up enjoying interaction with people. If you don’t train a pig when it is young and continue that training throughout their life, you end up with a pig that is stressed and doesn’t know how to do anything outside of its normal daily activities. Things come up in life that we can not control, so there is no way to keep our pigs' lives exactly the same every single day. When we don’t work on training while our pig is young then we have a pig who doesn't do well with any change at all. Why does this happen? Piglets are born terrified of everything because they are prey animals. Being a prey animal, that fear of anything new is what keeps them alive. When we bring them into our home and they become a pet results in our pig not having to be afraid of everything because we keep them safe. At a young age, our pigs need to be taught what to enjoy and how to enjoy it. Training can help so our pig is not afraid of every little thing. They are able to have a flexible mentality, they are open to new things and challenges and they have confidence. When you have a pig that has a good level of confidence, you are able to enjoy them and they will enjoy their life by being calm and content. What are the real benefits of training a pig when it is young and keeping up on the training?
What are some examples of training?
What happens if we do not keep up on the list above or if we never teach them these things? We end up with a terrified, stressed out pig that is in constant panic mode. What can this result in?
How can you help a pig that is older that you didn't keep up with training that is very afraid of anything new? Restart your training today. Pick something that is easy that your pig doesn't know how to do and feels uncomfortable with and be consistent. Use treats, build their confidence and their trust in you. By working on one thing at a time you will have a pig that is more confident and happier.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter: | |||
| Chevy the Pig and the Dangers of Foxtails - Emmaly Thomas | 12 Mar 2024 | 00:49:24 | |
In this episode I interview Emmaly about her pet pig Chevy. Chevy is a 2.5 year old potbelly she adopted as a piglet. Chevy and Tahoe(husky) bonded immediately and have been brothers ever since. They are both mamas boys who love to snuggle each other when mom is busy. They are always on the road exploring new places and putting smiles on people’s faces. Oh and he’s quite the fashionista! Emmaly always had a love of animals and dropped out of college to start working with animals. Now she specializes in behavior modification for highly aggressive animals. She is also a Vet tech now because she got interested in the medical side of animals as well. Emmaly tells us the story of how she got Chevy and what it was like bringing Chevy into her home with her dog Tahoe. She tells us all about how Chevy is with her different rescue animals that come in and out of the home and shares what his personality is like. She shares her story about Chevy getting into Foxtails and what ended up being needed at the vet to remove them. She shares the danger of foxtails and the process of how to remove them and why we as pet owners need to be aware of the damage this plant can cause to our pets. She tells us how much she enjoys getting Chevy dressed up and tells us about all the costumes they have. She tells us her favorite thing about having a pet pig.
Emmaly's Link: https://www.instagram.com/pupsandpig/ Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Does Your Pet Pig Have Spoiled Pig Syndrome? | 05 Mar 2024 | 00:25:57 | |
***This Episode is Sponsored by Pardal’s Petite Pets*** Pardal’s Petite Pets can be found at www.PardalsPetitePets.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552773110269 https://www.instagram.com/pardalspetitepets
Does your pig respect you? Is your pig mean, loud, destructive, demanding and bossy? If so, your pig has probably developed spoiled pig syndrome. Why does this happen? It happens when a pig becomes a leader. Pigs live by a very strict hierarchy. So when it comes to living with any species of family, pigs live by that hierarchy. It is an instinct. What is spoiled pig syndrome? Spoiled pig syndrome refers to a behavioral problem that comes from a pig that does not respect its humans. It’s a very entitled, and very demanding behavior. What are some signs that your pig has spoiled pig syndrome?
Can this behavior be changed? ABSOLUTELY! It doesn't matter how old your pig is, it can be done. How can we change it? I will go through a number of ways to change that behavior. Ultimately we want to become the leader. Spoiled pig syndrome is when the pig becomes the leader. How can we change this behavior?
If you would like to learn more about how to set yourself up to be a leader check out my resources below to find courses, webinars, guides, and also personal consultations in my stan store.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| My Dog Attacked My Pig! - With Brittany Hussey | 27 Feb 2024 | 00:28:41 | |
***This Episode is Sponsored by Pardal’s Petite Pets*** Pardal’s Petite Pets can be found at www.PardalsPetitePets.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552773110269 https://www.instagram.com/pardalspetitepets
My name is Brittany. I've had my pet pig Kimmy for nearly 4 years. We have a German shepherd and a blue heeler. I also have 3 beautiful girls and 2 step sons. I wanted a pet pig since I was a little girl. Their cute snorts and adorable noses made me happy. I work in retail and have fostered for various rescues for the past 7 years. I enjoy being around my animals and getting them ready for their forever homes! I also am attending school for veterinary medicine, and I sell makeup on the side. I like to keep myself busy, but my most important job is a human and pet mom. Brittany shares her experience of having her first pig and what they learned from that experience to prepare them for getting Kimmy. She tells us what it was like to bring Kimmy home and how she fit into the family and then how it was to bring a puppy into the house and how Kimmy reacted to that. Being a home that fosters dogs they bring in about 20-30 dogs a year that stay with them until they get adopted. They had 1 incident when a dog got out of the crate in her room and Kimmy was in her own crate in her room. The foster dog broke into Kimmy’s crate and 2 dogs ended up attacking Kimmy and hurt her ear badly. She ended up losing the ear from the damage but was fine other than that. The foster dog was then transferred to a new foster house and her dog that also was involved in the attack was rehomed as well to keep Kimmy safe. They are no longer fostering white dogs because Kimmy did not forget that it was a white dog that attacked her. Brittany is now trying to only foster small dogs or puppies to be sure to keep Kimmy safe.
Brittany wants to remind us that dogs and pigs do not speak the same language and do not think the same. She wants everyone to do your research and be prepared for bringing a pig into your home so you can keep your pig safe.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Beating Pet Pig Winter Boredom | 20 Feb 2024 | 00:19:19 | |
Keeping a pig busy inside our homes during the winter time can be a challenge. If it's cold outside the pigs don't want to be outside. If it is very cold outside, our pig can't be outside in this weather without proper housing, bedding, things to keep them warm and protected from the bitter cold wind, snow and ice. In this episode we will discuss 4 ways that we can keep our pig busy inside. Pigs need to stay busy. If they don't have anything to do they get themselves into trouble because they look for something to do and start to pick at things, or they decide they want to build a nest. It's not kind on our part to try to make our pig stop being a pig. It’s not going to happen. We don’t want to punish them for being a pig. We want to give them healthy ways to have an outlet for the energy they have. If we give them things to do we can keep them safe and keep our home safe.
It does take some thought and planning but these ideas are pretty easy. They don't take a lot of time or money. When we provide this sort of enrichment in the wintertime we are building trust and a bond with our pigs. They will learn to trust you and be much more likely to follow the rules in the home because they will already be busy with these activities. All of this will lead to a safe home and a happy pig.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| A Mini Pig and Chronic Lyme - Taylor deRegt | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:45:05 | |
Taylor has always loved animals. She grew up with dogs and horses but has always loved farm animals. Her favorite is pigs. She has struggled with chronic illness for the majority of her life and one of her main symptoms is very bad insomnia due to pain. She would try to find things to do at night to distract herself from the pain. SHe would always find herself watching any kind of pig video on YouTube and it would make her laugh. It was the best distraction for what she was going through. She wanted a pig from a pretty young age with what she was going through but her parents were not very sure. She was in the thick of her chronic illness about 5 years ago and that felt like the right time to add a pig to her family. Taylor tells us that she has started to get her life back. She went from bedrest to taking care of her farm and horseback riding so she is starting to improve.
Taylor tells us how she went about getting a pig as a pet. She did a ton of research and found out that pigs are well suited for someone with a chronic illness because they do not have the same needs as a dog does. She was able to finally get a pig and that ended up being exactly what she needed. She named her pig Bubbles. For the first 2 years of having Bubbles she was bedridden so they did everything together. It was a little bit of an adjustment when she started to get healthier and their lives together changed a bit. Bubbles is certified as an emotional support pig and also as a therapy pig. He was even able to go with her for her stays in the hospital.
Taylor tells us a few of the struggles she has had with Bubbles and what they have overcome together. We also learn about life on her farm and the different animals that she has. She tells us how Bubbles interacts with the other animals.
Taylor explains how her therapy program started and what is involved with that business. She shares with us the different forms of therapy her animals provide and a few personal stories of how she has been able to use her animals to help others through whatever they are battling.
Taylors one piece of advice for someone wanting to get a pet pig is to make sure that they are ready to make this commitment for the pig's life. Do your research and realize that you will have this pig that you need to care for through their entire life.
Taylor’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/taylormademinifarm/ https://www.instagram.com/taylynnderegt/ https://www.facebook.com/taylor.deregt
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| What Happens When a Pet Pig is Underfed? | 06 Feb 2024 | 00:29:33 | |
Pigs come in all shapes and sizes. They can be so many different colors, heights, and lengths. And each pig has its own personality. We know that overfeeding a pig really isn't good for them. It makes them susceptible to arthritis and tends to shorten their lifespan. We want our pigs to live as long as possible and be as healthy as possible. That is always the goal.
Now we are going to talk about something that is absolutely cruel and horrible to do to any living thing. .Underfeeding. Underfeeding is a big problem when it comes to pet pigs. So today I want to talk about what happens when we underfeed our pig, what it does to their bodies, why does this happen in the first place? The lack of nutrition has a huge impact on the body. If we are going to keep from doing this to our pig, and be able to help others, we need to know what the signs are of a pig that is underfed.
Physical signs:
If you notice these signs on a pig, this is not the time to attack the owner. If we truly want to help people and help a pig you should not send a rude message on social media. They will not listen to you! If you reach out to them in friendship and community and stay kind you eventually might be able to bring it up in a kind and gentle way, they will appreciate your good motives. Most likely the person doesn't realize what they are doing.
Less obvious things happening in a malnourished pig's body.
Not a single living thing should be subjected to starvation. Why does this still happen? I have come up with three of the most common reasons.
Do not starve your pig. There is no such thing as a Micro, Nano or Teacup pig. Breeders can never guarantee small sizes unless they are starving their pig to keep it small.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Keeping A Pig Motivated to go Outside in All Weather | 30 Jan 2024 | 00:13:43 | |
Pigs naturally do not enjoy cold temperatures. They also don’t like precipitation, or when it is windy. Naturally they prefer heat. It’s our job to keep our pig safe while teaching them that precipitation and cold weather are not an excuse to stay inside and have an accident this winter. We are going to talk about ways to keep our pig motivated to go outside in all weather and all types of precipitation. Also, how we can do it without a lot of stress to ourselves or to our pig.
Don’t force your pig out the door if they are hesitant to go out when it gets cold.
Ways that I train my pigs to be motivated to go outside’
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Tree Family Party Piggies - Therapy Pigs | 16 Jan 2024 | 01:01:38 | |
***This Episode is Sponsored by Pardal’s Petite Pets*** Pardal’s Petite Pets can be found at www.PardalsPetitePets.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552773110269 https://www.instagram.com/pardalspetitepets
In this episode we talk to Maribeth who has been married to her husband for 4 years. When they were dating she had chronic Lyme Disease and was dying. Her boyfriend was doing everything he could to cheer her up and sent her a piglet picture and called her his little pig in a blanket. He explained how adorable pigs are and showed her more pictures of adorable piglets. They both then started sending each other little pictures of pigs and piglets everyday for 2 years. Over those 2 years they both fell in love with pigs. Maribeth then decided that they needed a pet pig once she was healthy. She googled pig breeders near her and Autumn Acres was the first breeder to show up. She is very happy that she did not have to go through an ordeal of an unethical breeder by finding Autumn from the get go. She is about to quit her editorial job and go full time into her therapy pig business. They have a 2 year old son and so she loves that their pig business is something they can do as a family. They have 2 pigs, Willow and Perry and have a deposit down on a piglet for a 3rd pig for their family. In this conversation Maribeth tells us all about the process of getting a piglet and how she prepared her house for a pet pig and their biggest challenge of having a pet pig.
Maribeth explains how some life challenges came up and that ended up leading to her training them to be therapy pigs and what has been involved in getting them ready to do this. Their family business Tree Family Party Piggies has been thriving for its first year. They are booked for parties and entertainment services and they also do therapy visits at different centers. She explains how they handle situations at any of their events to keep them comfortable and having fun and want to continue doing it.
Maribeth's biggest piece of advice is to use small treats to reassure your pig so it can refocus.
Maribeth’s Links: www.Treefamilypartypiggies.com https://www.instagram.com/treefamilypartypiggies/ https://www.facebook.com/treefamilypartypiggies
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Should a Pet Pig be a Gift? | 02 Jan 2024 | 00:12:25 | |
It is that time of year again. The time when my phone is ringing off the hook because people are looking for piglets as gifts for Christmas. I think it’s important to understand why, in my opinion, a pet pig is not a gift. In order to be successful with a pet pig, preparation is essential. If you have been listening to my podcast, or you have a pig, or you have ever visited a pig rescue or you follow any rescues on Instagram or Facebook, you already know that pigs are constantly abandoned or rehomed. They are constantly given up to rescues and sanctuaries. Those same rescues and sanctuaries are bursting at the seams. Why does this happen?
The first reason is, pigs are not an easy pet. Pigs are extremely intelligent which means they need interaction, training and things to stimulate their mind to keep them in a good mood. Not everybody who gets a pig knows what they are getting themselves into. They see the most adorable little face and snout and they just have to bring it home without doing any preparation. These are the people who end up getting rid of their pig when it grows up. It is important to know these things for everyone who decides to bring a pet pig into their home. They need to be able to make an informed decision. So when it comes to getting a pet pig for someone who LOVES pigs, these people are the ones that are in danger of getting a pig as a gift when they are not ready. This is a recipe for disaster.
When we bring a pig home we need to make an informed decision. We also need to make sure we are able to find a vet in our area. Having a vet is the number 1 thing we have to have before bringing a pet pig home. A close second thing is legality. Is this person zoned for a pet pig? Do they have a homeowners association? Do they live in an apartment? Do they live in a community where there are laws against “farm animals”? It is NEVER a good idea to bring a piglet home when it is legally not allowed. You may be able to hide a pig for a certain amount of time but is it good for the pig? Pigs NEED outside time every day. What happens when they are found out? Is the city going to take the pig away, euthanize it, or give you time to find it a new home? Next we have to think about if this person is ready for the responsibility of a pet pig. Getting a pet pig is like having a baby. It is a lot of work and responsibility. Has this person been able to do research? You want to be ready BEFORE you bring a pig home.
The main thing I would like to eliminate is the after Christmas scramble to find help for people who had been given a piglet for Christmas. These people either want help fixing a behavior they didn't know how to handle or they were already ready to rehome their pig by January. This is why it is so important to be prepared beforehand. There are some exceptions to giving a pig as a gift. A parent who has done a lot of research and maybe has a child who has always loved a pig and wanted one that has also done all the research on how to care for a pig may be a person that could give their child a pig as a gift. Also if you know someone who has had a pig before but maybe it passed away after 15 years and you know they are ready to get a new one, they would be a person that could receive a piglet as a gift as well. A pet is family forever, there is never a good reason to get rid of a family member. So when we get a pet it is important that we are able to make a truly informed decision. Really look at it logically and see if we can physically take care of this animal. If you get a pet pig and you do it all the right way, a pet pig is the BEST pet you will ever have. With time and effort you can have a best friend for life and that is ALWAYS the goal.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Bean the Piggy | 13 Aug 2024 | 00:32:47 | |
Doug has always had cats since he was younger and wasn't much of a dog person. He never thought of getting a pig. One day he was sitting and his daughter came into the house and said “welcome the newest member of your family”. She turned the corner and had a little pig. Doug instantly thought it was going to chew the house up so he said they needed to return the pig. They decided to try keeping him for a few days because his daughter wouldn't get her money back. Doug did not want to pig so of course the pig came right up to him first. They started to pick a name and Doug said Bean (like pork and beans) and that stuck and Bean became his pig. Bean also loves Doug's wife and youngest daughter. He likes the oldest daughter but sometimes he goes after her because he doesn't see her as often. He gets along with everyone in the family for the most part. Bean is 6 years old now and about to turn 7 in September. He loves his routine every day. He loves his buttons. His favorite button is “treat please”.
Doug shares some stories about life with Bean.
Doug’s links: https://www.instagram.com/bean_the_piggy
https://www.facebook.com/Beanthepiggy
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Merlin the Pig - With Mina | 26 Dec 2023 | 00:48:37 | |
***This episode is sponsored by Hold Onto Your Hooves*** Hold Onto Your Hooves can be found at https://www.instagram.com/hold_onto_your_hooves and HTTP://Facebook.com/holdontoyourhooves
Mina Alali is a 26 year old from Sacramento, California, who grew up loving animals but expanded her love for exotics through adopting her first pet (all to herself), Mochi, a bearded dragon. Through lots of time together during Covid, she began to train Mochi like a dog. Mochi mastered tricks such as: come here, high five, kiss, wait for his food (bugs), and even to use Mina’s hand as stairs. Mina amassed over 700,000 followers on TikTok through sharing videos about training and daily life with Mochi. Over the next two years, Mina would adopt rats, another bearded dragon, and a pet pig - Merlin. Mina adopted Merlin in March of 2022. Merlin specifically, brought in surge of followers, who loved to see his ability to communicate through buttons, pre-recorded with Mina’s voices, incorporating humor in phrases like, “Dance With Me Mommy,” “Ice Cube, Ice Cube!” and “Pay attention to me right now,” among others. Mina has shown the world just how intelligent and emotional animals can be, given the time, space, patience, and positive reinforcement. Mina had heard about mini pigs but also knew that micro pigs were not a real thing. And that if they were they were probably being underfed and wouldn't be healthy. She learned that a mini pig is anything under 300 pounds. She also learned that someone could sell you a mini pig but you wouldn’t really know until 3 or 4 years down the line because they grow so slow. She wasn't concerned about the size very much but at the time she lived in an apartment. So she knew she did want a mini pig because she wasn’t sure when she would move next. She loves to rescue but she found a very nice place called California Mini Pigs so she reached out to them and they sent her the names of a few pigs and then they said “Oh and then there is Peter.” She asked about him and they told her that he was the older of their pigs and 2 homes had fallen through for him already and he was 50% off. She asked for pictures of him and they sent her a picture of Merlin and she decided to take him. She feels that even though he was through a breeder she decided to get him because he hadn’t been picked so far. She noticed that people always want the smallest and youngest pigs they can get and that didn’t matter to her. She knows that all pigs grow. 48 hours later she was driving 4 hours north to go pick him up. She had spent the whole day before prepping and getting the necessary things she needed for him. There is always a learning curve because every pig has its own personality, so you have to learn what their experience has been and what they need.
Bringing Merlin home was such an exciting thing. She has a video of her crying on the drive up to get him because she was so excited. He was totally calm in the kennel in the car and slept the entire drive home. When they got home she opened the kennel and had a trail of food leading out of it. He was definitely curious and very food motivated. He got used to her presence very quickly because at that point Mina worked from home so she was spending 24/7 with him. The first night he slept in the kennel she had set up for him but every day since then he has slept in bed with her cuddling her.
Mina did so much training when she first got him that he got used to a leash very fast. She noticed right away that he was so attentive and smart. From the beginning she could sense that so she started teaching the typical dog tricks to him. He learned each of his tricks within 5 minutes or less. As long as there was food involved, training was not very hard at all. The biggest thing he needed to adjust to was being picked up like most pigs. With training he got used to being picked up within a week or two. He would do hot pants (a way of showing affection from a pig) within a couple days of being home when Mina would be out to run an errand or two. Mina was able to establish that she was the boss in the house very quickly. She was pretty adamant that she would have positive discipline right away so that she would not have spoiled pig syndrome to deal with. She really did her best to avoid it at all costs. She is very glad she did that early on. Also, on their walks (3x’s a day) she would bring treats with her and when people would be excited to see him she would offer to let them give him a snack. She feels that this is why he is so comfortable with people and such a people lover. He is not aggressive at all and just loves people.
Mina shares some of the other things she has trained Merlin to do. She potty trained him to go potty outside. She had a litter box inside but gave him treats every time he would go potty outside. She also got those buttons that you can record your voice on to train him to use. The first button Merlin had was “outside”. When she would put his harness and leash on him and then press the button herself so he would associate that button with going outside. The way she would train him to press the button was to boop the button on his nose. Then they would go outside and as soon as they were outside she would give him a treat. That has been so helpful because now he will press the button and tell her when he needs to go outside to go to the bathroom. Merlin grew out of the litter box phase. She moved in March 2023 and he hasn't had a single accident in this house. If Mina isn't home he will hold it and go to the bathroom outside as soon as she gets home again. Merlin has about 20 buttons that he uses at this point. The easiest one to teach him was hungry. He also knows his water button. If he goes to his bowl and it is empty he will press the button so Mina knows to fill it again. Those are his practical buttons but he also has fun ones. He has one button that says “Pay attention to me right now”. He loves to press that button when she is preparing food for her bearded dragon. MIna learned that he loves ice cubes, so he has an ice cube button. Another favorite button is one that says “Dance with me mommy”. He loves to be picked up and spun around with that button. She has also taught him how to close the door. Merlin loves Mina’s rats so now he knows how to open the door to their cage and let them out for playtime. Now she has to put a lock on the cage so he can only let them out to play when she is home to supervise. Mina knew that pigs were smart but she had no idea just how smart he is.
The biggest challenge for Mina with having a pet pig has been leaving him. The most she can stand to leave him is 2 weeks. She feels like he is her child. Since she isn’t able to fly with Merlin she pays her sister to come stay with him when she has to leave. She imagines the limited freedom is similar to motherhood. She has established that she is the boss with Merlin but with other people he can challenge them. He loves Mina’s boyfriend but he does not listen to him as well as he listens to Mina so that can be frustrating for everyone involved. Mina makes sure that Merlin is disciplined the same way from her and her boyfriend but Merlin reacts differently to each of them. She wishes that Merlin would respect her boyfriend on the same level that he respects her.
Mina and her boyfriend adopted a calf in October. They had gone to a pumpkin patch that had a petting zoo. She was not happy with the conditions that the animals were living in. Moo had nothing but hay shavings and a water bucket in his stall where he would sleep at night. He was only 10 days old at the time and he had no blanket or form of heat source in his stall. Moo was also very very skinny. Mina is aware that his breed is a skinny breed but he was excessively skinny. When she approached him he didn't even budge when they approached him and tried to pet him. Her boyfriend saw a sign at the back of the barn that stated that every animal except for the kittens was available for purchase for either a pet or as food. Alex decided to put their names down to try to adopt the cow. They talked to a staff member and learned that a beef farm was very interested in him already and if that fell through they would contact them. Mina ended up getting a message from a staff member on November 2nd saying that there were 2 people ahead of her to adopt Moo but they both had fallen through and would she be able to give this calf a home. Two days later they picked him up. Moo is currently being rehabilitated at their home now. When they picked him up he was only 1 month old and they found out that he had been taken from his mother at 4 days old. He was given the colostrum that he needed but separated from his mother immediately after that. He was drinking store bought milk instead of calf replacer milk or calf starter. He was on Timothy hay pellets which are for horses. He was also only being fed about half of the amount he needed to be getting at his age. Mina and her boyfriend have been gradually increasing the amount of milk he is getting along with all the proper nutrition he should be getting. They have also been taking him to the vet for checkups to make sure he is doing good. He is doing so much better now. He is slowly getting to the weight he should be at this age. The Vet recommended that they keep him until he is weaned off of milk and then to find a rescue or a sanctuary that will board him for them until they are able to purchase more land in California and adopt more cows so he has a herd to be with. They have all fallen totally in love with each other. Merlin is being supervised when around Moo and he is doing better. When he goes near Moo and doesn't react negatively they praise him to encourage positive behavior. They also try to feed Merlin outside and just make sure that Merlin understands that they love him and then they take him inside and cuddle him on the couch. Merlin still has some work to get used to having a brother. Their goal is to make sure that Moo is happy and safe for the rest of his life. They are making sure to show Merlin a lot of love and attention during this time because it is such a huge adjustment for him.
Mina’s biggest piece of advice is to only get a pet pig if you are ok with having a toddler for the next 15 years, and to treat them like a child because they just want love and you have to be very patient.
Mina’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/merlinthepig https://www.tiktok.com/@mina.alali Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Pet Pigs and CBD - With Emma from Mikkos Choice | 19 Dec 2023 | 00:39:44 | |
Emma Davis is the Founder and CEO of Mikko's Choice--a pet CBD company. Mikko's Choice offers CBD for your pig, dog, cat, horse or any other animal. Mikko's Choice is inspired by Wild Mustang Mikko and combines Emma's Animal Science background and experience in the cannabis and CBD industries. Emma is an avid animal rescuer and takes in fosters as well as supports other rescues of all species and as a result, $5 of each sale is donated to animal rescue.
Emma decided to get a pig in college. One of the animal science classes was swine production which is geared more towards pigs for market and she wanted to learn about pigs. She grew up in Los Angeles so she didn’t have much exposure to pigs but she was always drawn to them. In school she got a formal education on how to raise them and then through working in animal rescue and at different ranches and farms she got to know pigs in a different way. That was the way that resonated with her. Through rescue she discovered her pig Patrick. Now she has 2 pigs, Patrick and Lily. Patrick's mom was at a shelter and set to be euthanized and a friend rescued her and later found out she was pregnant and Emma saw Patrick and was drawn to him and decided to adopt him and has had him now for 3 years. Last year is when she got Lily. Lily was also a rescue. She was looking for a friend for Patrick so she took her. Patrick loves to explore and will do little hikes with the dogs but he takes a second to get comfortable around strangers. WIth Emma he is very loving and often follows her around the house and likes to get tucked into bed every night. Lily is extremely outgoing with people and loves meeting new people but she is not afraid of letting people know when she has had enough of them also. She is very sweet and loves to be with Emma and to be tucked into bed and cuddle. Both pigs grew up with dogs so they do really well with her foster dogs.
The biggest challenge that Emma has had with pigs is people's perception and getting them to understand how to be when they are around pigs. Also because the pigs are so sensitive and emotional they aren't as easy going so they have reactions to other animals or people that come into their house. They are very emotional and needy and can be very loud so if you aren't aware of those traits it can be a little overwhelming. Pigs are very sensitive to energy like a horse. They both have very strong instincts of fight or flight.
Emma's favorite part of having a pig is she loves how connected they are. They are so emotional and in tune that they are so sweet to have around. They are comforting and entertaining. She also loves how they just flop over when they come around and are comfortable with you. She loves to look into their eyes.
Her number one piece of advice to someone before getting a pig is to be very open to the experience and a shift in your perspective of what it is like to be around them. You don't fully understand the deep connection that you can have with a pig until you have had one.
Mikkos Choice is named after a wild mustang that Emma adopted for a ranch about 10 years ago. She was working for a ranch running their horse program then. That was the same summer that another horse broke her back and she was paralyzed. Mikko was at the ranch for 2 months then and since he was a wild mustang he needed a lot of training. The ranch owners thought it was too much without Emma at the ranch so they sold him. Two years later Mikko reappeared on Craigslist and looked very skinny and didnt look good. Emma immediately responded to the listing and went and got him. He was in horrible physical shape but even worse mentally. They went through a 2 year process of gaining trust and a relationship. During this 2 year process Emma was working in the cannabis industry as well because CBD and cannabis is how she got off opioides after her surgery. She recognized how that plant helped her through physical pain and even helped her dog that had cancer. Cannabis wasn't made for animals yet so she experimented to figure out dosing and how often to give it to her dog to help him through his cancer. His cancer ended up going into remission and he lived for about 4 more years. This led her to think about giving Mikko CBD for his mental health. She used connections and her knowledge of animal science and came up with pellets for horses in 2019. She now has grown into helping dogs, cats and pigs as well. She is very excited about pigs especially because there is so much they can help with since there are not a lot of options for them out right now. The difference between Mikkos Choice and other pet CBD pellets and tinctures is her quality. Emma tests everything twice to make sure it is a quality product and has the potency to help animals. Emma discusses the difference between CBD and THC. All of her products are human grade as well. Emma gives $5 from every order to different animal rescues that she rotates every month.
Our audience can use Autumnacres15 for 15% off their orders. The code can't be used with other discount codes, nor for items on sale.
Emma’s Links www.Mikkoschoice.com https://www.instagram.com/mikkos_choice https://www.instagram.com/briankangal
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Keeping Our Outside Pig Happy and Healthy This Winter | 05 Dec 2023 | 00:18:25 | |
When it comes to keeping a pet pig, many times it’s not ideal in a family's circumstances to keep a pig in the house. Or you have a pig that was raised in the house but they moved themselves outside, they like to be outside and that is where they want to stay permanently. How do I feel about this? I’m cool with it because a pig's natural habitat is outside. I have several outside pigs. They each have a fenced in area for them and they each have shelter and a buddy. It works very well. They are happy and they enjoy their lives. When it comes to outside pigs, sometimes they can be an even better pet than an inside pig. Inside pigs are the ones that can have behavioral challenges. But when we move a pig outside or have a pig that’s a pet outside, they generally don't have behavioral problems at all. Instead of viewing us as members of their herd, they kind of view us as neighbors with benefits because we bring them their food, interact with them and give them scratches and cuddles and yet they are able to have their own space and be territorial over that. There usually aren't issues with company and strangers with outside pigs. I think that having outside pigs make really great pets. Since pigs are social animals, it is best if your outside pig has a companion unless you interact with them a lot.
One challenge this time of year is keeping our pig warm. How can we keep them warm and safe in the wintertime? We need to make sure that we are able to provide winter weather proof housing. This needs to be completely draft free. Somewhere they can escape from the elements to sleep. At the very least it has to be weatherproof. A small building or one of those prefabricated sheds as housing can work very well. If you have a barn with an extra stall that can be a great spot for the pig to hang out. Once you have housing for your pig, the next step is to make sure all the windows and doors are covered when the weather is bad. Blankets are not ideal for an outside pig because they absorb moisture and freeze in the winter. Straw is my preferred bedding. Straw is bedding and hay is food. Straw is insulating so it keeps a pigs heat next to them when they get down in it and it helps keep them warm. If the weather is 25 degrees or above our pigs do fine outside because they have a hut or barn or housing they can get into that is packed full of straw bedding. We have a small barn building for our pigs so I bought a garage door heater that is hung on the wall and it heats the building. If the weather goes below 20 degrees and especially around 0 we bring all of the animals in and they do really well. They mostly just sleep in the cold weather. If you have an area that is safe for a heater thats a great way to keep your pig warm. We don't have to have the building in the 80’s, even if we can raise the temperature 10 or 20 degrees it will keep them warm. Other heat options are infrared heaters because they don’t heat the room but they heat the object in front of them. So if you have a smaller building with a small roof you can mount that to the ceiling and they are safe to use in a dusty environment. This is not my advice but options that you can research and decide which is best for your particular circumstances and your pig’s housing that you have. I’m not a huge fan of heat lamps in a dusty environment because of the fire risk.
One other thing we do to protect our pigs feet in the winter time is we shovel a path from the door of their housing to their potty area so they can get to it. If a pig is going to have to walk through deep snow on a very cold day they are not going to want to go to their potty area and will go inside their house and we don’t want them to do that. If you are able to cover an area of their path so you don’t have to shovel snow multiple times a day it is helpful. For our pigs, if the weather isn’t excruciatingly cold, I still feed my pigs outside of the barn so they are always motivated to go outside. There are two things that are extremely important for our pigs in the wintertime. Water. In any extreme temperature water is very important for our pigs body. So we need to make sure that our pigs' water is not frozen. Check their water several times a day to make sure they have fresh water. The second thing that is important is body condition. Because their body is working so hard to keep them warm and healthy in the winter, we need to make sure we increase their food if they are losing weight. Every one of my pigs lose weight in the winter and need their food increased by at least 25%. I also like to deworm all of them in the fall before winter comes and in the spring. It is very common for outside pigs to get worms because of eating dirt and bugs or dead mice or moles. We don’t want our pigs' bodies to have to work more competing with parasites for their food. So it’s nice to start the winter parasite free so their body has a good chance to keep themselves warm and healthy this winter.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: | |||
| Keep Your Pet Pig Safe During the Holidays | 21 Nov 2023 | 00:11:12 | |
The holiday season is fast approaching for those who celebrate them. There are some things during the holidays that could be really harmful to our pigs, so I like to share these reminders every year. Let’s get into what they are.
It is very handy to have an emergency veterinarians phone number on hand this time of year because there are many offices that close early or are not open for the holidays. Pay attention to your pig and don’t feel like putting your pig away for a family dinner or a holiday party is a mean thing to do. You are trying to keep your pig safe, so put your pig to bed early and let them sleep through the party and bring them a little treat the next day.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Can I Give My Pet Pig A Bath? | 07 Nov 2023 | 00:19:11 | |
If you have a pet pig, most likely you have tried to give them a bath. There is a 50/50 chance that it did not go well. Giving a pig a bath can be traumatic for the pig and us. There is a very good reason why it is so difficult for a pig. Pigs are prey animals so anything new or even slightly scary sends them into high alert and makes them panic. I have some tips that will help bathtime be much more successful and way less stressful for everybody involved.
What can we do to make bath time not so scary? Bathrooms in general are scary to a pig because they echo, they are bright and maybe cold. A bathtub has no traction and it echoes and has loud water flowing into the tub and filling up. We want to try to make it a calm, happy experience. What makes a pig calm and happy? FOOD. We need to incorporate food into a bath for our pig so they view it as something fun and not super scary. Let’s go over the steps I do to give a pig a bath. If it does not go well at all I will talk about the steps to desensitize your pig to getting a bath in the first place.
How to give a pig a bath.
If you have a pig that is freaking out and jumping out of the tub it's important to get them in and out as quickly as possible. It is very common, so try very hard not to stress out. If you have tried to give your pig a bath and it is freaking out and trying to bite and will not cooperate at all, then I suggest putting in a little extra time to desensitize your pig to the bathroom and the tub. This is going to help immensely.
How can we desensitize our pig to the bathtub? This is going to take some time and effort on your part. It will be worth your time and effort.
Once a pig lets me do whatever to them while they are in the bath I know they are officially desensitized to taking a bath. I would then give them a bath once a week for a month. I don't use soap every bath for that week, sometimes I just get them wet and brush them. Putting in the effort to desensitize your pig to baths, giving them a bath, without soap, often while they are young, is going to help bathtime be so much easier when they are older. It is very important to teach your pig to be comfortable and calm in the bathtub. I promise that all the effort will be so worth it!
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| When Should I Worry About My Pig's Eyes? | 17 Oct 2023 | 00:14:49 | |
Let’s talk about pig eyes. How do we take care of our pigs eyes? What are some common complaints about a pig’s eyes that we should be aware of?
Overall pigs do not see well, they have poor eyesight. This is a genetic thing that is passed down from pig to pig. Some of that is due to the placement on the head, or just due to genetics. Think about the placement of the eyes on the pig’s head. Due to the structure of the spine, a pig can not bend its neck to look up, so due to that lack of mobility they don’t have good vision around them. This can cause them to be slightly skittish or nervous in new settings because they can’t see everything very clearly. Pig’s really rely on their sense of smell to know things.
Some common complaints when it comes to a pig’s eyes and what we can do about them. The first complaint I hear often is drainage or weeping from the eyes. This can be literally water like tears or, it can be piggy rust that is orange and chunky and literally looks like rust that stains the face around the eyes. Pig’s naturally live in dusty conditions, so this weeping is a means of protection to keep the eyes clean. It is not something to worry about. It is unique to each pig as far as how much their eyes weep. What can we do about it? I like to use a soft bristled toothbrush with some coconut oil and just kind of scrub under the eye. My pigs generally love it. It does help if you start when they are young. They will be much more tolerant of it. Just be gentle.
The second complaint is excessive drainage from the eyes. This could be constant tears or thick, chunky, gooey, nasty brown stuff coming from their eyes constantly. There are many reasons for this. Some are serious and some are not. If you are not sure, and are very worried then it would be a good time to get an evaluation from a vet. I try to look at their eyes myself to see if I can see if anything is stuck in their eye, or maybe they are having trouble with their eyelashes. There are also some mini pig foods out there that I do not like that cause piggy rust and eye weeping. Food allergies can cause it as well. Diet plays a big role in the health of the pig including the amount of eye drainage they have.
Complaint number three is eye swelling. Sometimes a pig's eye will be swollen shut or it will be red and puffy around the eye and there could be many reasons for this as well. It could be an allergic reaction, they could have gotten into some plant that is toxic to them but not deadly, an infection, or insect bites or stings. If this comes on very suddenly and they have other symptoms such as fever, acting lethargic, or vomiting the vet needs to see them right away.
The fourth complaint is when a pig becomes overweight, one of the places they gain weight is their forehead. Once that fat pad becomes too heavy it falls down and covers their eyes. This is something that is called fat blindness. This is a tragedy because it does not have to happen because it is all diet and movement related. They are eating too much and not moving enough. This is another reason why we need to keep our pig lean but not skinny. We want to try to prevent fat blindness at all costs because it's very hard to reverse and can often result in surgery. What can we do? We need to restrict their diet and grazing and get them to move as much as possible.
The fifth complaint is as a pig gets older they keep their eyes closed a lot and people don’t understand why. It happens often with older pigs, because as they gain weight these different fat pads on their face get heavy and put a lot of pressure on their eyes and can make it hard to open them so instead they just keep them closed. This is a fairly normal thing that happens often but this is another reason why we need to keep our pig at a healthy weight from the time they are young and continually keep up on that. One thing i like to suggest people do is to look at their pigs eyes often so you know what they look like and are able to tell what is normal for them or not.
The sixth complaint is called entropion. This is when the eyelids curl the wrong way and it causes the lashes to hit the eye. It can be the bottom lashes or the top lashes. So what happens is the lashes hit the eye and rub on the eye every time the pig blinks and it is very painful so their eye will weep. This is serious because as the lashes continue to rub on the eye it can cause a scratch and the scratches can become quite excessive and then cause more damage and make it so the pig can’t see permanently. Overweight pigs are more prone to this and can lead to surgery that can be very dangerous for the pig.
It's important that we keep our pig at a good weight. A lot of these eye complaints will be nonexistent if we keep our pig at a healthy weight. We want to be educated when it comes to our pigs eyes which includes knowing what our pigs eyes look like from when they are young if possible so we can easily identify a problem and be able to act on it.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| How Should I Care for my Pet Pig's Ears? | 03 Oct 2023 | 00:10:02 | |
Should you be cleaning your pet pig's ears? In this episode I am going to answer 2 questions.
Let’s start with what it should look like in a pig’s ear? It is normal for a pig to have a waxy, oily, brown, chunky buildup in their ears. That is the wax in their ears. This wax can even have a slight smell to it and that is completely normal. This wax has a purpose. The purpose is to protect the pigs eardrum and not let any liquid in there. Liquid can be very dangerous to a pig’s ear. It also protects their ears from dust, debris and insects. Many times a person will take their pig to a vet that is not used to seeing a pig and they think that the pig has an ear infection, so they treat the pig by cleaning that out and prescribing ear drops like they would for a cat or dog with brown wax in their ears. Unfortunately this is a huge mistake. When the wax is removed from a pig’s ear that natural protection is removed and then adding drops into a pig’s ear is very damaging. This could lead to giving your pig an ear infection. The waxy plug does a very good job of protecting the pigs ears. If you are looking at your pigs ear and you notice this wax at the top of their ear or piggy rust around the top of the ear you are able to clean that area. We do not want to go down into the ear to clean anything out.
How can we clean around the top of the ear? A warm washcloth that is completely wrung out can be used to clean the wax or rust off the top of the ear. We do not want to go deeper or dig with our finger in their ear. I like to put some coconut oil on a paper towel or cotton swab and use that to rub off the piggy rust on the top of their ears. We do not want to use so much that it drips into their ear or to put it directly into their ear. It is best to train them when they are young to let you clean around the outside of their ears. If you start while they are young you can continue it as they grow older.
We are not going to let anyone, or ourselves, dig into the ear of our pig. We are not going to clean out that wax. We are never going to pour any liquid into our pig’s ears. When cleaning the outside of our pigs ear, we will not let anything fall into it.
Ear health for pig’s is pretty easy. It's pretty easy to keep a pig's ears nice and working well. We don't want to mess with them. They take care of their ears themselves.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Pickle and Sprout - An Interview with a Pig Dad | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:35:45 | |
Max did not grow up on a farm or around farm animals, but about 10 years ago he saw some videos online with pigs and started doing some research and decided he needed a pet pig. Before getting a pig he would watch funny and cute videos online and became obsessed with them and from there he realized he wanted to get one. He then started to do research to figure out how to care for pigs and where to get one and just tried to learn everything he could learn. There was not as much information available 10 years ago as there is today but he was still able to learn about owning a pet pig before he got Pickle. He felt pretty prepared when he first brought Pickle home because he had done so much research. After a couple years he decided that he wanted to get a second pig. When he brought home Sprout they did not get along as well as he hoped they would. Sprout has a much more anxious personality than Pickle does, so Sprout was more nervous when he brought him home but he has adjusted to life with Max and Pickle.
In this episode Max tells us about:
Max’s biggest piece of advice he would give to someone who wants to get a pig is, do your research. Watch as many videos as you can. Learn as much as you can. Know that you can not treat them the same as you would a cat or dog. Know that you are getting into a 15+ year commitment when you get a pet pig.
Max’s Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pickle.the.pig/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/picklepig YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxDiNatale
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: | |||
| Can My Pet Pig Comfortably Ride in the Car? | 05 Sep 2023 | 00:21:05 | |
Does your pig like to ride in the car? Most pigs don't. Pigs have a high fear instinct. That instinct in the wild is what keeps them alive. When we bring them into our world and introduce them to people things, like riding in a car can be very difficult for them if that skill hasn’t been practiced over time. It is very important to teach our pig to be comfortable in the car, and if they can’t get comfortable, we want them to at least tolerate it well. We don't want to wait for an emergency to be their first time in the car. The younger the age that we teach them that riding in a car is safe the better. How will we get our pig in the car? Where will the pig ride? How do we desensitize our pig so it can and will ride in the car with us? Keep in mind that riding in a car is a skill learned over time. It is not a skill that pigs automatically want to do. It will take planning and effort to train a pig to ride in a car. If you are able, take your pig in the car once a week in a crate to help them feel safe in the car. How will you get your pig in the car? I like to use a crate for my piglets because I can lift them into the car easily. I have a very low car so my bigger pigs can hop in themselves. If a pig is not able to hop into the car, ramp training is a great option. Ramp training is very easy. Bring the ramp in the house and sprinkle their favorite food on it and let them walk on it to get used to the feeling. Then slowly raise it with a pillow or cushion to elevate it a bit. Gradually raise the ramp so they get used to walking up the ramp. It will be different outside so plan for that. Take the time to really teach your pig how to use a ramp or a stool or whatever you are going to use to help them get in the car. Where will our pig sit once they are in the car? A crate that is secured in the vehicle. There are a few different types of crates that can be used. Another option that can be used is to harness and leash the pig and let them just be in the vehicle with you depending on the drive. I wouldn’t use this option until the pig is very comfortable in the car. Many people hold their pigs on their lap. I do not suggest the driver do that but many people let a passenger hold the pig or let it sit in the passenger seat while they drive. Just be very careful because we want everyone safe in the vehicle. I've also seen people set up a bed or blankets or a big crate with blankets in the back of the vehicle if it's a hatchback or SUV type vehicle and has the space that is still in the vehicle. How do we desensitize our pig to ride in a vehicle? It is very common the first couple rides for the pig to have high anxiety and be squealing, panicking and moving around, or going to the bathroom. Have some compassion and try to start very slow. The more patient and slow you do this, the better the outcome will be. What I like to do is, put their bed or blanket wherever you decide you want them to be. It will make it less scary because it has their scent on it. Then I like to load it with really good treats and just let them be there. We are not going for a ride this time. We want to get them used to being in the car. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting the pig in the car. I like to immediately reward them and reward them alot when they are doing something hard. Next they need to work on getting in and out. We want to teach them that they are not trapped in the car. Once they are comfortable it's finally time to go for a very short ride. Do this several days in a row to get them used to this process. From there increase the ride time. Continue taking your pig in the vehicle regularly. At some point you will have to take your pig in the car for something so start now to get them comfortable so the day you need to get them to a vet fast it is easier for everyone.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| The Shocking Truth About Salt and Your Pet Pig | 22 Aug 2023 | 00:18:53 | |
Have you ever heard of something called salt toxicity? Pigs and salt do not go together well. The pig's body does not regulate salt/sodium well. Too much salt can cause huge problems. What happens when a pig has too much salt? Too much salt causes a pig to become very thirsty so they drink as much water as they have access to. This could be gallons and gallons of water. When they drink all of this water their body is not able to process it fast enough so they will have an electrolyte imbalance. Pigs have a very delicate electrolyte balance, so when it gets thrown off it can cause a lot of neurological issues. How does salt toxicity happen? The first way is through diet. Processed human foods have high amounts of salt in it. Other foods that have high amounts of salt are, dog food, cat food, and chicken food. When a pig finds these foods they are not able to just eat a piece or two. They will continue to eat until their body can't physically fit anymore food in. Your pig will become excessively thirsty for hours and hours after they are very full so they will continue to drink. After they drink to try to quench the thirst they will develop neurological symptoms such as brain swelling and seizures. Be very careful about how you are storing your animal feed. The second way, and most common is, dehydration. If you live somewhere that is a very warm and humid climate, salt toxicity is a major concern. When a pig gets overheated they will drink as much water as you give them access to, so it is easy to develop an electrolyte imbalance. What are some of the symptoms of salt toxicity?
What do we do if our pig has salt toxicity? Time is crucial. It's very important to get them into the vet because the vet will be able to relieve some of the excess salt in their body and slowly rehydrate and balance the electrolytes. It is important that you do not give extra water at this point even if your pig is extremely thirsty. If you can't get to the vet what do you do? Give very very small amounts of water that will not satisfy them but give them enough just to wet their whistle, every 20-30 minutes until they no longer want water. When it seems like they don't care about the small amount of water being offered, wait about an hour and give them a bowl of fresh water. We need to keep salty foods away from our pigs. This is any food that will make them excessively thirsty. Make sure that your pig has access to the appropriate amount of water for them, especially if they are outside.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Peaceful Nights: Tips for Getting Your Piglet to Sleep Through the Night | 06 Aug 2024 | 00:27:37 | |
Will my new piglet sleep through the night? This is a reasonable question for most new pet owners. It is nice to know if our piglet is going to sleep through the night or not before you get one. There are factors that influence whether a new piglet is going to disrupt a family's sleep at night or not. So let's talk about what those factors are and then we will talk about causes and prevention. Let’s start with the factors.
When you bring a piglet home they will be skittish at first. But how we respond to them will set them up for success if we do the correct things. They will learn that they love us and can trust us. Pigs learn quickly that they can get our attention if every time they make a noise we run to them. Now if we never respond to every little noise they make they will stop. The cause is us. It is how we respond to them when we first get them. Now how do we prevent it from the start?
If you follow these 4 steps from the start your pig will not make a peep at night ever. If they do then something is wrong and you can obviously help them. Know the difference between an attention scream and a panic scream. If you have a pig that already gets up during the night there are a few things you can do to break the habit they have of getting up. Crating a pig at night solves safety issues and also helps with stopping bossy behavior. Also not responding when they scream at night.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| Can I Still go on Vacation if I Have a Pet Pig? | 01 Aug 2023 | 00:16:05 | |
I have a pet pig. Can I still go on vacation? The answer is yes! It will take a good bit of planning but for the most part, we can definitely go on vacations. I know many people who even take their pig with them on vacation. This can definitely be done if you start while the pig is a very young age. Help them to understand that these situations and places are safe. Not all of us are able to take our pig on vacation with us. So, what two options do we have when we go away?
Make sure that you keep your pig in a routine so the pet sitter can take care of your pig and you would expect them to be taken care of. I like to have the person come over a couple times before the actual trip to follow me and see exactly how the routine goes. There are many things that we can do to make the task easier for our pig sitter. We also have to be okay with everything not being done exactly as we do it. Try not to panic if things don't go perfectly. Make sure your sitter has the Vet phone number available and an emergency vet phone number as well.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Charlotte the Pig Who Paints | 18 Jul 2023 | 00:52:52 | |
In this episode we are interviewing Jenny about her pet pig Charlotte. Jenny got Charlotte on August 8, 2020 from a friend of her neighbor who also has a pig. A couple months before Charlotte turned 1, she had a wasp sting her on her left eyelid, which caused a permanent droop in her eyelid that resulted in a sight impairment. Jenny started to paint with Charlotte in November of 2021. She enrolled Charlotte's art in the Calavera County Fair and Frog Jumping Jubilee in May 2022. That summer started it all! From there Charlotte was featured on the front page of the newspaper and on the news. We learn how Charlotte got into painting and everything involved with it. She explains her challenges she had with bringing a pig into her home that already had dogs and what she had to do to adjust her life to make it work. We also learn what it was like getting a new dog and introducing Charlotte and the new dog. Jenny tells us her most important piece of advice. "Do your research, and once you think you have done enough, do some more."
Jenny’s Link: https://www.instagram.com/charlottethepigwhopaints/ Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Let Your Pet Pig be a Pig! | 04 Jul 2023 | 00:30:15 | |
We all know that pigs are constantly rehomed for many reasons. One reason that is often overlooked is that people rehome their pig for being a pig. They think the pig will or should stop doing things that are natural pig behaviors and instincts. What are some of the natural pig behaviors that cause people to get rid of their pig? We are going to talk about the top 5 natural behaviors or instincts that cause rehoming and what we can do to make these behaviors not so annoying or damaging to us.
People get rid of their pig for rooting up their yard, home, and their belongings. What they don't realize is that rooting is an instinct that pigs need to do. Some pigs have a much stronger desire to root than other pigs. What can we do if redirecting does not help the rooting? Give them a place that they are allowed to root.
Pigs squeal because it's a form of their communication. We don't get rid of a baby for crying so we shouldn't get rid of a pig for squealing. Now pigs are smart and they can learn that squealing is irritating so they will do it on purpose. How can we teach them that squealing isn't going to get them what they want? It is a lot of consistency from a young age if possible.
Most people don't realize that pigs are nesting animals. They make a little nest for themselves or a mother will make one for her and her babies. They will pull anything from anywhere to make a nest if they have a strong nesting instinct. It's very important for our pig to have a safe space to make a nest with blankets that are theirs.
Pigs are prey animals. They are also herd animals so they know who is in their herd. They are also territorial animals. This territory that is theirs, their home, makes anyone that comes into it a threat. We need to put ourselves into our pigs place. How would you feel if a stranger walked into your home? You can work on desensitizing your pig so company isn't as scary to them, or you can train your company on how to handle your pig.
Pigs need activity and mental stimulation. If you sat around for days, how would you feel? You feel worse the more you sit around. When a pig is young they like and want to move around. In the wild they are constantly on the move looking for food. They will not just lay around like a dog. What can we do? We need to give them lots of outside time. They fulfill many instincts just by having outside time. We can also work on training sessions with our pig. Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Do You Paint Your Piggy's Toes? | 20 Jun 2023 | 00:12:49 | |
Piggy Paint was created by Melanie Hurley (a Mom & former Teacher!) in 2008, when her girls were 2 & 4. For the past 15 years, Melanie’s mission has been to create non-toxic, premium, FUN products that are completely safe for kids (and animals!). Piggy Paint is sold in 4000 stores including Target, Amazon, and other fine retailers (in 15 countries!). In this episode Melanie and I discuss how to use Piggy Paint and how nail polish can affect a pig's hooves. We also discuss how Piggy Paint started and why Melanie wanted to create this business. Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| What is a Pig's Job? | 06 Jun 2023 | 00:21:04 | |
Pigs have been wild animals for thousands of years. We have mildly domesticated the farm pig. It’s only in the past 40-50 years that we have been truly domesticating pigs and bringing them into the house to live with them like a pet. Pigs don’t always make the best pets when we as people don’t understand how pigs are built and what they are built to be focused on. What is a wild pig's job? If we understand this, we will be able to understand what it takes to have a pet pig successfully. We want our pig to be happy and to thrive so they can live for a really long time. So let's talk about the 3 jobs of a wild pig.
When we domesticate a pig and bring it in the house and make it a pet, we shift their life's purpose. In the wild they have a drive to survive, but when we make them a pet we change that need. How can we provide jobs for our pigs to give them a meaningful life so they can work out those instincts and fulfill them so they can be a pig?
We need to be patient when it comes to the instincts of our pigs. We need to realize that many times we are the cause of the issues we have with our pigs. We need to let our pig be a pig. Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| The Guitar Pig | 23 May 2023 | 00:59:35 | |
My name is Matt Lawson, aka (The Guitar Pig) on social media, and I’m a 26 year old living in Phoenix. I grew up in Minnesota and came to Arizona to attend ASU and never went back.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a love for pigs and always dreamed of having one as a pet one day. I got Lido when he was just 9 weeks old in 2015, he’s now 7 years old. We’ve traveled across the country together from Arizona, to California, then to Florida, then once again back to Arizona where we now reside.
In 2018 I started the page The Guitar Pig on Instagram posting videos of me playing guitar beside him. We’ve grown a community of over 90k followers across our different social media platforms.
Matt tells us what personality Lido has and what life is like with him. He explains how he got him and what he has experienced with him. He explains what his biggest challenge has been since having Lido.
Matt gives us his best piece of advice: Research where you are getting your pig from. If they are a good breeder or rescue they will vet you and educate you to decide if a pig is a good fit for you.
Matt’s Links: Instagram: https://instagram.com/theguitarpig Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088711284472&mibextid=LQQJ4d TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@theguitarpig YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjoKLqmcaJ3dU_yo2823siQ
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Pet Pig Scams - Don't Fall For Them! | 02 May 2023 | 00:11:18 | |
I get many calls from people that think that they have been in contact with me and they paid a deposit but their piglet was never delivered. I have been informed that there are a couple people out there that are using photos of me and my family and our piglets trying to be me and dragging my name into piglet scams. There are pet scams all over facebook and you have to be very careful because it’s very difficult to know. These people know what they are doing. How can we avoid falling for a pet scam? What do we need to know so we are not falling for these and losing our hard earned money. What are the red flags to look for to know that we are dealing with a pet scammer?
How can you know that you are actually talking to me and not a scammer impersonating me?
I hope that these tips help you so that you never fall for a pet scam. Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Penny - The Pig with the most Worldwide Followers! | 18 Apr 2023 | 00:30:52 | |
A little fun fact about Penny, she’s the most followed pig on tiktok in the world, and now by extension her new sister Penelope is getting her name out there. We’ve had Penny for about 2 years now, almost her whole life. We just adopted Penelope this past summer from a family who loved her dearly but could no longer take care of her due to landlord issues. I’ve always wanted a pig but I don’t like to buy my animals so almost every animal I have has been rescued. Penny was a spur of the moment thing, which worked out for me after LOTS of questions in Facebook piggy groups but it’s definitely not what I would recommend. Luckily I’ve grown up with animals my whole life and have a firm no rehoming policy once I take an animal in so I was just stubborn enough to handle a piggy. Cristina tells us her experience of getting Penny and Penelope and how it was bringing a second pig into the home with Penny and how they adjusted to each other and their dogs. Cristina also shares how her social media account became so popular after a video she posted of Penny falling over for a belly scratch. We also learn about her biggest challenge she has experienced with Penny and Penelope.
Cristina’s Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penny_the_pidoublegy/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@penny_the_pidoublegy?_t=8z2g7hop6of&_r=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pennythepidoublegy?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: | |||
| The Exceptional Standards of a Pet Pig Breeder | 04 Apr 2023 | 00:19:54 | |
When I got my first pig, Oscar, in 2004 I bought him from a pet store. At the time there was very little information about where to find an ethical breeder. These days there are an astounding number of mini pig breeders. The issue with these people is that they are not working towards the betterment of the breed, they are not working with their piglets, they are not vetting the families or supporting or educating them. So that leads to a huge issue of pigs that are being abandoned and rehomed or being dropped off at rescues and sanctuaries. As a breeder myself I take a lot of pride and I feel a lot of responsibility for every single piglet that is born here at our farm. Of all the breeders that I know of, I can probably count on one hand how many are actually exceptional, ethical breeders. An exceptional breeder is going to vet and educate every single family. They will make sure that the family can make an educated decision when it comes to deciding if they even want a pig or not.They will be honest and open and not make everything look perfect and sparkly. They will share the hard and dirty parts. Today we are talking about a mentorship program for someone who wants to be an ethical breeder. If you are going to buy from a breeder it should be from someone who is working towards the betterment of the breed and not just for their pocketbook. There are no processing standards to be a breeder and I wish there were. I wish every state had super high standards in order to legally be able to sell another animal. When I decided that I wanted to become a breeder I couldn't find anyone to train me so I had to do a lot of research and over the years I have gained experience. I have had a few people reach out to me to train them on how to become an ethical breeder. I have decided that I would love to create a breeder mentorship program to help anyone out there that has the desire to breed mini pet pigs to have all the knowledge I have gained over the last several years. So that is what I have done! In order to set up new breeders for success I have created a mentorship program. What do I discuss in this program:
I share everything I have learned over all these years so that a new breeder can start off with all the knowledge and all the keys to success. This program also comes with my support. All the resources I have used or created come in this program in a workbook. You will have direct access to me to answer any questions you might have that may not be covered in the program. There is a yearly qualification process involved in this program also because I expect exceptional standards. When you keep my high standards I will share your information on my website also. I will support you with a page on my website that will list your information also for others. I want to raise the bar for breeding pet pigs. I want the standards for everyone to have to be exceptional.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| A Pig Saved My Life! Janeth's Story | 21 Mar 2023 | 00:53:41 | |
My name is Janeth Painchaud. Mother of 3 humans and 2 piggies. Having a pig was always a dream that I never thought would come true but here we are living the dream! Olive, our first pig is 4 and Luna is around 11 months old. When they had their daughter she had health issues and needed a multi-organ transplant so she was in the hospital until she passed at 7 months old. Janeth struggled with her death for a couple years and one day told her husband that she was done with all of it. Her husband wasn’t sure what to do but started to do research for emotional support animals. He found out that pigs are great emotional support animals and decided to surprise her with one for Christmas. Unfortunately, they were given no information on how to care for their new pig and it did not go well. They ended up taking him back to the breeder the next day and then got Olive. Janeth did research on how to care for her and they bonded and Janeth feels that Olive saved her life because she gave her purpose again. They love having Olive so much they decided to volunteer at a pig rescue and ended up getting a second pig, Luna, from the rescue. In this episode we discuss how Janeth and her husband decided to get a second pig, Luna, and how they adjusted to life with 2 pigs and helped them bond and become friends. Janeth also discusses what it was like bringing a new baby into the home with the 2 pigs. Janeth discusses the biggest challenges they have come across as a family with pet pigs and the different bonds and personalities each pig has with them.
Janeth’s Link: https://www.instagram.com/olive_and_luna_kisses/
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: | |||
| Summer Safety: Keeping Your Pet Pig Cool and Protected | 23 Jul 2024 | 00:19:29 | |
The heat is upon us. That’s what I want to talk about, helping our pigs so they can have a good summer. Something so that we don't have to worry about them. The heat can be dangerous for them. Too much sun can also be dangerous. It’s important to help our pigs through the heat so they don't get heat exhaustion or heat stroke because they both can kill pigs. We need to find ways to cool our pig off.
Pigs need ways to cool down because they do not have very many sweat glands. They do not have enough to cool themselves down. Ways for them to cool down are necessary.
Water deprivation for pigs is extremely dangerous. When a pig is deprived of water and then they have access to water they end up drinking so much water that it throws off their electrolyte balance and this can cause a lot of problems. So please keep in mind that they will need small amounts of water often until they are satisfied before you give them access to a kiddie pool if you notice they haven't had water for a while. I love to take fruit and freeze it in a bowl of water for them to enjoy while also cooling down. Sometimes I also freeze bottles of water and throw those in their kiddie pool or their big water bowls and it keeps their water cool and is something they will play with sometimes. If you have a light color pig and they are in direct sunlight and it's hot out, you need to make sure they always have a shade option. Even if they have shade they tend to love laying in the sun so if your pig is pink they will need some sort of sunblock. I prefer zinc oxide based and natural sunscreens but if i’m in desperate need I will use a spray sunscreen made for babies. Heat and sunburns have been linked to Dippity Pig Syndrome so keep an eye for those symptoms. Heat stroke is also something that we need to be on the lookout for. If your pig is not eating or drinking you need to call the vet immediately. If you don’t have trees to create shade, you can hang a tarp or build a little building for them to go into. Concrete floors are great because they tend to stay cool when they are shaded. The most common way a pig will cool down is in mud but they will only do this if they are hot and need to cool down. If you don't want them rolling in the mud then you need to provide them a pool to cool down in. As responsible pig owners we need to pay attention to the weather and pay attention to our pig.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Stan Store: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Newsletter:
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| What is Earthing and Why Does Our Pet Pig Need to Do it? with Clint Ober | 17 Mar 2023 | 00:54:14 | |
Clint grew up in Montana in a rural area. His job as a child was to watch their cows and make sure that they were healthy and separate the ones that may be sick, but to also make sure the grass wasn't too short and the weeds too high. Throughout his whole life he has always looked at things in a way to figure out what caused it to happen. He left that job when he was young and went into the communications industry and helped develop the cable television industry in the hills of Montana. In that industry he learned about electrical stability to deliver a clean picture to the residents. Even in this industry he learned that everything had to be grounded in order to have electrical stability. He spent about 30 years in that industry. When he turned 50 he retired from that industry and was living in Evergreen Colorado on a mountain. He ended up having a major health issue about that time and as he recovered from it he didn't want to go back to conventional work. He wanted to do something with more value. After this health issue he decided that he did not want to own anything so he gave everything away and bought a small RV and spent 4 years traveling around the US. He ended up in Sedona Arizona and spent 2 years there. While there he ended up thinking, “ I wonder if there is a consequence to humans no longer being naturally grounded, connected to the earth?” He took a big interest in that and started to do a study by grounding himself outside and then walking in the house and seeing what electrical charges happened. He eventually moved to Ventura California and started to do research with a couple students to do more research on earthing and how it affects the body.
In this episode Clint discusses:
Clint’s Links: Products: AUTUMN'S AFFILIATE LINK: https://www.earthing.com/?rfsn=7887686.51c0e9f&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=7887686.51c0e9f Youtube: Education: https://earthinginstitute.net/
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs/p/autumn-acres-educational-membership-group Courses, Webninars, Guides, Consultations: https://stan.store/autumnacresminipetpigs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| Help! I Got a Piglet for Christmas! | 07 Mar 2023 | 00:25:53 | |
January and February every year I am bombarded with messages from people who need help with their new piglet or they need help rehoming their brand new piglet they just brought home a couple weeks ago. I do not suggest giving someone a piglet as a gift because the owner needs to be able to do research to know what they are getting into, to make an educated decision when it comes to getting a pig. The reason this is so frustrating for me is because there are so many pigs in rescues and sanctuaries that have been rehomed. Who is responsible for these piglets? The answer is simple. It's the breeder that is responsible. It is their responsibility to support the family and to take the piglet back and find them a new home. Unfortunately, there are very few ethical, excellent breeders out there when it comes to pigs. Look for a breeder or a rescue that is going to educate, support and provide resources for you. What are some complaints that I get those first 2 months of every year from new piglet owners? Explain why piglets have these behaviors and how and why to correct them.
Pigs are not an easy pet but if you put the time in and stick with it and can be consistent you will have the best pet you have ever had in your entire life.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter:
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| The History and Temperament of Kune Kune with Lindsay Dennis | 21 Feb 2023 | 01:04:43 | |
Aloha, my name is Lindsay Dennis. I’m married to my best friend Micah and we have two boys, Kona who is 11 and Kai who is 9. We live on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii! We have a family ranch called Kaohe Corral where we raise cattle and Kunekune pigs. We also have horses, dogs, chickens and a donkey. We try to grow and raise a lot of our own food and be as self-sufficient as we can. We also live completely off grid, so we make all our power from the sun, heat our water from the sun, and collect rainwater for all our water sources! We’re trying to raise our boys to develop farming and ranching skills that will help them to continue to be self-sufficient into adulthood. They're favorite part of it all, including mine, is the pig part! The day after Lindsay got engaged there was an ad in the newspaper for potbelly pigs so she asked her fiance if they could go see them. She fell in love instantly and asked if she could get the pig and her fiance said yes so they got Petunia. They had Petunia for 13 years and she was unlike any animal she had ever had. After Petunia passed away they learned a lot about what to do better next time and started to research and find another pig they could get for their farm. Lindsay first saw a Kunekune on a trip to New Zealand and fell in love with them. She decided then that some day she would get a Kunekune. But in Hawaii it is rare to find that breed. Four years ago she found an intact male Kunekune on Craigslist. They went and looked at him and she immediately fell in love with him so they got him and named him Milford. She later came across a woman on the island that had a herd of Kunekune pigs but had to move back to the mainland and asked if Lindsay would be willing to purchase her herd of Kunekune pigs so they all could stay together. They did purchase the herd and have had a few litters. Now they have 9 adult Kunekune pigs and litters of babies here and there. They sell their pigs as pets and for meat also because many people on the island are becoming homesteaders and prefer to grow their own meat.
Lindsey’s Link: https://www.instagram.com/kaohe_corral/
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: | |||
| Beware Underaged Piglets! | 07 Feb 2023 | 00:29:48 | |
I am very passionate about this subject because I feel that if more people understood the problems with bringing home an underaged piglet, they wouldn't do it. So today we are going to talk about why breeders sell underaged piglets, why they are wrong, and how it sets families and pigs up for failure for the rest of that pig's life. So first, why do breeders sell underaged piglets? An underaged piglet is a piglet that should still be with its mother. In my opinion between 7- 8 weeks old is a good time to wean a piglet from its mother. Anything under 6 weeks old is technically an underage piglet.So why would a breeder sell an underage piglet?
What lie do these breeders use to sell their underage pigs? They say a hand raised or bottle fed piglet bonds better with the family. What facts come with an underage piglet?
What are some consequences of taking a piglet from its mother?
If you find a breeder that you like, check out their social media page to be able to see a timeline of proof of the piglet's age. If they don't have a social media account I tend to feel like that is a red flag. Everyone wants a pig that is going to stay tiny and I get that because they are adorable but chances are if they do stay tiny they will not be healthy and they will probably die young.
Autumn’s Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/ Facebook: HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: | |||