[sweet_lfa]

At the moment, my new pigs are in a fairly small paddock as they are being trained about electric fences.  I have noticed that they are not eating the grass close to their arc, which seems to be a toilet area.  Are they selective grazers like horses?  Not that it really matters, I am just interested to know.  Thanks.

[robert waddell]

would you eat something that you have defecated on      all pigs even the commercial ones  (if given plenty space ) will have a toilet area      all pigs need a varied diet and although they can eat grass   (normally they eat the grass first then start rooting then you have no grass for them to have a meager diet)
they have to have a  supplementary source of protein and any way pigs are not ruminants

[sweet_lfa]

Thanks for the reply.  The Kunekune society states that they thrive on a diet of grass, fresh fruit and vegetables And in the summer they should live on grass and vegetables alone! I am however, feeding them a small amount of 16% protein pig nuts at the moment too.  The previous home they came from fed them on a very poor diet of human scraps and they are quite overweight, so they are on a bit of a health kick at the moment!  So do you disagree with what the kunekune society says they should be fed?

[HappyHippy]

I notice that mine tend to walk away from the arc, to their chosen spot, to do their 'business' - it's not always the same spot mind you 
We feed our growing Kunekunes one pound of pig nuts per day and give plenty of fruit & veg/grazing. Once they're over a year (providing they're not breeding pigs) they get a handful of nuts twice daily, but only if we're short of fruit & veg. If yours are over a year (especially if they're a bit 'porky') you should be able to cut the pig nuts down to get the extra weight off them.
HTH
Karen 

[sweet_lfa]

Hi Karen

Thanks for the reply.

My main reason for asking the initial question was I was wondering if, like horses, pigs have designated toilet areas which are then left - creating "roughs" where the grass is left.  The other poster seemed to think I am a bit stupid    I am not expecting them to eat grass from toilet areas, was just interested to know about their habits as I am a first time pig keeper.

They are 18 months old and will soon be moving to another area as they have learnt quickly about the electric fence.  I have about 6 acres specially for them, around which they are going to be moved to clear it (hopefully!!).

[robert waddell]

nobody thought you were stupid   cows wont eat grass that has had cow dung spread on it   and yes the majority of pigs do use the one area for the toilet just as horses do

[HappyHippy]

I've never noticed a dedicated latrene (is that the word ?) the way horses have, but it could just be I don't spend long enough watching them 
If you're regularly rotating them it'll not be an issue, any poo will decompose over winter and add lots of goodness to the ground. But, if you've not already, get them wormed before putting out onto fresh grass - you don't want them adding that to the ground 
WIth just 2 Kunekunes and 6 acres it's going to take a while to clear though - as they'll not root as much as bigger pigs....til the goodness goes from the grass in autumn time then they'll rootle it all up nicely for you 

Any other questions just ask away - I love my Kunekunes I do   

[robert waddell]

just noticed your reply  sweet-ifa     fed on humane scraps  so that will have come from the kitchen then once a pig gets fat or obese it will take months of a starvation diet to get them back down to a normal backfat or body condition
pigs are not ruminants they need a variety of foods to grow carrion being one   this idea of a grass eating and surviving on grass only  pig is only brought about by a few to encourage others that that breed of pig can survive on fresh air   if it could it would be the mainstay of the commercial herd(good grass and silage is cheaper than concentrates just ask a proper dairy or beef farmer)

[rispainfarm]

I agree Robert, research has been carried out keeping pigs in woods with some grass down south, the pigs foraged all day long on the grass, roots, nuts etc and although they wern't thin, they were definately well behind pigs of the same age fed on compound food.

[sweet_lfa]

Sorry, bit late coming back to this!  Horses aren't ruminants either Robert, but they survive on grass!    Pigs are categorised as ominvores, but seeing as by law they are not meant to eat any animal product, I'm not sure why you refer to them eating carrion?  I am assuming you mean wild boar?

As for them being a bit overweight - they are purely pets and I obviously had no control over their diet with their previous owner.  I just want them to be healthy so that they have long and happy lives.  I do not intend to put them on a strict starvation diet, but I would have thought that the correct diet would be a good place to start.

BTW I am loving piggy ownership, how could anyone fail to love a kunekune?!   

[robert waddell]

any pig will eat carrion if it is available     there was a post not that long ago about kunnies eating dead pheasants
that is the trouble with kunnies if fed to well they live up to there name fat        better to get there weight down so that they will live a long life    when they are to fat they can expire suddenly
glad you are enjoying pig ownership     just think of the rare breed British pigs that are missing out on your attention
 

[Blonde]

I've never noticed a dedicated latrene (is that the word ?) the way horses have, but it could just be I don't spend long enough watching them 
If you're regularly rotating them it'll not be an issue, any poo will decompose over winter and add lots of goodness to the ground. But, if you've not already, get them wormed before putting out onto fresh grass - you don't want them adding that to the ground 
WIth just 2 Kunekunes and 6 acres it's going to take a while to clear though - as they'll not root as much as bigger pigs....til the goodness goes from the grass in autumn time then they'll rootle it all up nicely for you 

Any other questions just ask away - I love my Kunekunes I do 

Well you have not seen an Alpacas Latrine then ....... more dedicated than ever.

[princesspiggy]

i find horses crap any where, except stallions who will have several marking spots that get higher and higher with dung.

[Sylvia]

My pigs and my friends horses who are often on our land don't seem to have a designated dunging area, yet another friend who has Dartmoor ponies tells me that hers dung in one place as taught by their mothers.

[Ladygrey]

My Kunekunes will only go the toilet in one area of the paddock, each week I just skip this out with a horse muck rake

Also once my kunekunes have slowed growing (around 9 months) I no longer feed them anything apart from the grass they graze and maybe 3 times a week they get some veggies/in the summer fallen apples and then autumn they get acorns.

Over winter they are fed 0.5kgs of soaked sugar beet per day ontop of grazing. I think I worked out once that per pig it costs me £15 to feed per year. I only feed them this due to lack of veg/apples/acorns, but I suppose sugar beet can still be classed as veg? so yes, kunekunes can thrive on a diet of grazing + some veg