The Pet Pig Podcast

Autumn Whitacre
Podcast The Pet Pig Podcast

What is it really like having a pet pig? What is the best way to prepare of a new piglet? How can I be sure a pet pig is for me? How can I care for my pet pig with confidence? What mistakes should I avoid and how do I do that? And the biggest question of all, can I really be successful with a pet pig? Whether your childhood dream is to have a pet pig, you are preparing for a pet pig, or you have had a pet pig and would like to learn why they act the way they do, this show is for you. The Pet Pig Podcast is a live - workshop style education podcast packed with actionable step by step tips that are helping thousands understand and enjoy their pet pig so much more. You can dig in, do the work and train your pig like an expert. Host Autumn Whitacre brings you two decades of experience and expertise with pet pigs. She shares everything she has learned from the best ways to prepare for a piglet to her tips to untrain bad habits and enable your pig to live a fulfilled life. Along with her best kept secrets to understanding pig behavior, she interviews pig experts and families from all over the country. With this new endeavor, she has a deep passion for supporting the pig community and bringing awareness to important issues that face pet pig families.

  1. HÁ 3 DIAS

    Snuggles in the North: Life with a Pet Pig in Canada

    *** 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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    44min
  2. 3 DE SET.

    Purina Pig and Sow Notice

    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:  Skin issues Profuse weeping of their eyes  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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    17min
  3. 20 DE AGO.

    High Temps and Happy Pigs: Kathy's Heat Safe Strategies

    *** 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. Kathy's Links: https://www.amazon.com/GeekAire-Rechargeable-Velocity-Portable-Industrial/dp/B07MXCDTB9/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8HsUBxfS1MLoby8KaOwqK6elSHY0XjKBrT7djY2d-_I-Hi8l3n0ln4m9rqAtAaGXbupvvv1BTCZRzAmZWHxG3zkVWYi_kLNVd4vd65s_BPJl9ZhsCmNFX3D4tLyuAkzOES6pbQ926wM3XlSf2L3lPzkdOq-Sj5Ja5ZnM5aJ5LRA1cIwnRfgO_AtASSVQtfIiMYK4Ruzdc9JhapW3DbUcxZMGj8Lesk98D1YLEZdDYj_RCvkB33S14LKXD14SSCkBUGits9_wAPW9O-Y-LClTgCLkIm31o0HVW6Wl5_O5Rw0.vj97cXe3_TvH71p-_M6dWDXv58t_rO4K-R5lvjKZTFs&dib_tag=se&keywords=Outdoor%20rechargeable%20battery%20fans&qid=1720656071&s=home-garden&sr=1-5 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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    1h21min
  4. 13 DE AGO.

    Bean the Piggy

    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. Life at first with a new little pig How all of their pets get along He shares how he came about trimming his hooves themselves He shares about a limp in his leg and how they treated his hoof He shares tricks that Bean knows He shares his biggest challenge of having a pig And last, he shares his biggest piece of advice for pig owners   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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    33min
  5. 6 DE AGO.

    Peaceful Nights: Tips for Getting Your Piglet to Sleep Through the Night

    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. Where you got your piglet from Socialization level 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? Select a piglet that has been taught manners Teach your new piglet to be content on its own right away Do not respond to them when they call you Do not interact with them at night 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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    28min
  6. 23 DE JUL.

    Summer Safety: Keeping Your Pet Pig Cool and Protected

    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.  Nice dense shade A kiddie pool Spray a hose so your pig can make a wallow   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. Cool water to drink Pet specific pools or home made pools A sprinkler   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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    19min
  7. 2 DE JUL.

    HELP! My Pig Hates My Boyfriend!

    *** 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.***   What do you do if your pig hates your boyfriend or girlfriend or just your friends in general? What do you do if your pig hates when strangers or company come over? This is what we are talking bout today. It was a special request so I am happy to get this information out there so people can understand why their pig has a hard time around strangers. Pigs are prey animals , so brining them in the house and taking away their pig responsibilities doesn’t change those natural instincts. A pig has to be taught that everything is safe. Pigs are very nervous around anything new. New things are scary. Sometimes it seems to come out of the blue that our pig starts to show signs of aggression to strangers. If you understand your pig you will understand the things that stress them out and cause them to act in a way that is aggressive. We will talk about why this happens and then how to prevent it and how to fix it.    In the wild if someone enters the pigs territory the pig perceives this as a threat. They have one thing on their mind, get this threat away from us. So a pig will pull out all their scary behaviors. When we have a pig in our home and a stranger, or friend comes over the pig will be stressed because in their mind they think this is a threat. So what can we do to make strangers or friends easier on our pig?   Keep our pig use to change Have a flexible routine Reinforce a calm state of mind Reward good behavior Give them daily enrichment Give them outside time   How can we help our pig with strangers in general? Constantly take your pig to new places Let people interact with them and pet them Never force your pig to interact with people Start when a pig is young if possible If we understand signs of stress and anxiety it will help us be in control of situations. If we see that our pig is stressed we need to step in and get their attention and change their mindset. Ease the pressure by getting control of the situation. If we are going to have people over we want to set our pig up for success, so we need to really think about how we are forcing people on our pig. You might not be able to make your pig be comfortable around strangers and you may have to be okay with that. A pig that is already hating strangers and company needs a backup plan. Instead of being defensive for our pig, we can try to think of ways to keep our pig comfortable when people come over. Sometimes that means taking them out of the situation all together. We can introduce our pig to the person with some form of barrier between them and gradually let them interact and get comfortable together.    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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    42min
  8. 25 DE JUN.

    Does a Julianna Mini Pig Exist? - With Corinne

    *** 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.***   Corinne's mother was not an animal lover but she let Corinne have whatever she wanted growing up. She owns Mulberry Meadow farms in southwest Michigan. They raise a variety of animals. It all started with a backyard full of chickens in the middle of the city. She has worked in vet med for many years. She has a lot of medical experience with animals. So she decided that they needed land. They saved up money and got land and then got more animals from there. Now they raise mini goats, mini pigs, AKC Great Pyrenees , rabbits, a little bit of everything. SHe shares as much as she can about the farm. She likes to show the good and the not fun side of having a farm. She has a small breeding program of mini pigs. She breeds Julianna mini pigs and American mini pigs. They have about 10 pigs total. Autumn just got a piglet from Corinne because she needed to add a new pig into her litter.  Corinne confirms that there are Julianna mini pigs. There are very specific looks and personality traits that set a Julianna mini apart from an American mini pig. A Julianna has a specific set of standards. Juliannas that do not have these specific traits are likely mixed and that would make them an American mini pig. The standard for a Julianna will always have spots, you will never have a solid pink or black pig that is a Julianna. Their faces are also different from American mini pigs. Corrine explains more physical traits that will show if a mini pig is American or Julianna.  Corinne explains that she thinks there is conflict on Juliana authenticity on the internet because there is want for a blanket over all mini pigs to try to make them 1 breed. Her pigs are registered on the Julianna pig registry so you know that for the past 7 generations it's a Julianna pig. She thinks there is just some confusion out there.  There are definitely 2 different pigs and they both make great pigs.  Corinne explains her pigs temperament. Hers tend to be very outgoing. They are the type of pig that will want to be active with people. She feels like all pigs are sassy and have personality. Juliannas are known to demand food. They are very vocal because they are very outgoing and talk often. She has about 3 and 4 litters a year so they can spend as much time as possible with each litter.  Corrine gives us tips on how we can make sure that a pig is truly a Julianna pig when talking to the breeder. Make sure the breeder is truly transparent and also check to see if they are registered. Corinne has been breeding for 5 years. She got her pigs from a breeder that was retiring. She had 4 generations of pigs and some of those are retired. She also explains that they get a year break in between litters and when they are done they get to live out the rest of their lives, happy on the farm with all the other animals.    Corinne's Link: https://www.instagram.com/mulberrymeadowfarms/   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: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT

    28min

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What is it really like having a pet pig? What is the best way to prepare of a new piglet? How can I be sure a pet pig is for me? How can I care for my pet pig with confidence? What mistakes should I avoid and how do I do that? And the biggest question of all, can I really be successful with a pet pig? Whether your childhood dream is to have a pet pig, you are preparing for a pet pig, or you have had a pet pig and would like to learn why they act the way they do, this show is for you. The Pet Pig Podcast is a live - workshop style education podcast packed with actionable step by step tips that are helping thousands understand and enjoy their pet pig so much more. You can dig in, do the work and train your pig like an expert. Host Autumn Whitacre brings you two decades of experience and expertise with pet pigs. She shares everything she has learned from the best ways to prepare for a piglet to her tips to untrain bad habits and enable your pig to live a fulfilled life. Along with her best kept secrets to understanding pig behavior, she interviews pig experts and families from all over the country. With this new endeavor, she has a deep passion for supporting the pig community and bringing awareness to important issues that face pet pig families.

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