Before buying a pig or pigs, a prospective pig owner must:

•   Seek veterinary advice on requirements for the animal’s welfare and compliance with

  legislation (Animal Health Act, 1981; Animal Welfare Act, 2006; Welfare of Farmed Animals Act, 2007)

•   Get a County, Parish, Holding (CPH) number that identifies where the pigs will be kept

•   Obtain an animal movement document from the seller (AML2), transport pigs in compliance with DEFRA’s general licence for moving pigs, and register pig(s) with Animal Health within 3 days of arrival on the premises (Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement (Scotland) Amendment Order 2002). A 20 day standstill for other pigs on the premises applies.

•   Make sure the pig is properly and legally identified. AHVLA provide a herd mark that can be used on ear tags or tattoos.

•   Implement good bio-security to protect both the health of pigs and their keepers

•   Keep accurate records of any pig movements on/off premises (the holding movement

  record). Records must be kept for 6 years (even if the owner stops keeping pigs).

•   Keep records of any veterinary treatment 

0. pig owner must never:

•   Move pig(s) without the proper licence, or walk them without obtaining a walking

  licence from Animal Health (available in England/Wales for approved, set routes). In Scotland pig walking off premises is not permitted.

•   Feed pig(s), or allow pig(s) access to, any waste food, kitchen scraps or food that has come from a domestic or commercial kitchen (Products of Animal Origin (Disease Control) (Scotland) Order 2008). Milk, milk products, fruit and vegetables may be fed

as long as they have not come from a domestic kitchen or catering outlet. Best to seek advice from Animal Health on current regulations. 

• - They should spend approximately 60% of their waking time foraging for food so it’s best that food is scattered around to allow them to do that.

•   Free-access fresh clean drinking water must always be available. In winter conditions, special provision must be made if pipes and troughs are liable to freeze

•   Keep a body condition score of approx 3 by not over- or under-feeding. An adult pig requires approximately 1% of its bodyweight in concentrate feed daily; less if on good pasture or receiving supplementary fruit/vegetables; more in cold winter conditions.

•   Pigs should be handled regularly so they are accustomed to being caught, restrained and turned over. This is essential for ongoing care of feet and dealing with any injuries or health issues.

•   Boars should be castrated at a young age to prevent aggression and unwanted mating behaviours. Tusks might need to be trimmed regularly to avoid them becoming large and dangerous.

•   If it is not intended to breed from females, they should be spayed at approx 10 – 12 weeks of age before onset of oestrus. Vietnamese potbellied pigs and other Asian types reach puberty at approx 4 months of age (generally 2 months earlier than commercial breeds of pigs). 

• Obtain the pigs from a reputable source with a good health policy (freedom from the

  major endemic diseases including mange, lice and worms). If there is any doubt over the worming status it is advisable to keep the pig quarantined in a small pen and treat it with avermectin on arrival and again 2 weeks later. This will prevent the ground becoming infested with Ascaris and other species of worm eggs and the shelter or buildings becoming infested with mange mites and lice. If the premises cannot be kept worm-free, pigs need to be treated with benzimidazoles every 4 – 6 months to avoid heavy infestations with Ascaris and other parasites.

•   All pet pigs should be vaccinated against Erysipelas using an initial double injection course followed by 6-monthly vaccination.

•   If it is planned to breed from gilts, they should be vaccinated against Parvo virus before getting served, for the first 3 parities.

•   Vaccination of gilts against E.coli and Clostridium perfringens type C should be done at 6 weeks and 3 weeks before first farrowing, then 3 – 4 weeks before farrowing in subsequent pregnancies.

 When introducing any new pig to another, or to a group, care should be taken to ensure that this is done without causing undue injury through fighting. Put pigs in adjacent pens for at least a week so they are able to get to know one another, on the day of mixing, move both to a new pen with ample feed scattered around as a means of initial distraction, provide a large, well-bedded lying area with a temporary partition so they can lie in different parts out of sight of one another; provide hiding areas in the pen (a line of bales, bushes, long grass etc) to allow the submissive pig to take refuge until they accept one another. 

• can affect pigs if no shelter is available in hot weather. Provide shaded areas if there is no natural shading in the pen. Some pet pigs will use wallows and the mud cover will help against sunburn. Others hate getting wet and will not use wallows. Sunscreen should be applied to pink-skinned pigs under these conditions. Dark pigmented pigs can also be subject to sunburn if there is no shelter. Plants causing photosensitization e.g. bog asphodel or St John’s wort are readily consumed by pigs and can give rise to sever ‘sunburn’ if pigs are grazing land that is infested by these plants. 

• this tends to affect lateral claws more commonly than medial claws and they turn inwards causing pigs to adopt an abnormal gait if severe. Overgrown claws can also occur on the accessory digits. All claws should be trimmed/filed regularly and owners can be trained to do this. Exercising regularly on hard surfaces will help to keep feet in shape. 

• Boar tusks continue to grow and will need to be trimmed. There are no nerves in the tusks, so they could be sawn off without any local, but generally the animals need to be sedated to allow this. 

• can be caused by obesity, general age-related wear and tear, or by infections. Potential infectious causes are all those described for commercial pigs including erysipelas, streptococci, Haemophilus parasuis and Mycoplasma infections. Treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories with pain relief can be used. 

• are fairly common in older pet pigs. These include melanoma, osteosarcoma, lymphosarcoma, leiomyoma (mainly of the uterus) and thyroid tumours. Depending on the site and severity these may be suited to surgical removal