One of the primary components when looking after your pigs’ health is their diet. Pigs have the extraordinary capacity to eat almost anything they can find; they will even eat rock just to see if they like it.
With this appetite caring for the pigs, diet can be quite challenging, especially if you’re new to the pig breeding club. For this reason, in today’s topic, we give an inside on whether or not pigs should be eating citrus and how this could affect their health.
Can pigs eat citrus? Yes, pigs can eat citrus fruits; this is a great option to use when looking to treat your pigs. It will make them happy, and they will thank you for it. Plus, citrus fruits can provide a large number of nutrients and vitamins that will improve your pigs health.
But even though pigs can eat these types of fruits, it’s important to consider that their primary source of food should be the pigs feed.
The pigs feed is usually made of corn, flour, and soy, which contain high amounts of protein and nutrients that your pigs will need in order to grow strong and healthy.
And if you’re looking for great meat quality, you will want the primary source of food to be the pigs feed as it helps them build muscle and provides a better meat taste when compared to a pig that just eats scrap food.
For this reason, providing a balanced diet can significantly improve the health and meat quality of your pigs.
So only use the citrus fruits as a treat, but also give them other fruits like bananas, watermelons, and even vegetables of all types in addition to the pig feed.
With these recipes, you will have happy and healthy pigs.
The previous conditions are also recommended for pet pigs, because even though you’re not going to eat your pet, having them on a balanced diet will help them live a long and happy life.
Are Citrus Fruits Good for Pigs?
Yes, citrus fruits can provide many nutrients and vitamins such as Protein, Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Potassium, Vitamin B, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, and many more.
The nutrients and vitamins could vary depending on the type of fruits you’re using, but overall they provide a great energy boost that your pigs will enjoy.
The citrus fruits class includes oranges, limes, clementines, grapefruit sweet, and many more hybrids and varieties.
These delicious fruits are not only great for the winter month as they bring a burst of energy to your pigs, but they can be used throughout the year.
These types of fruits are cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates, and major exporters are Mexico, India, Spain, China, Brazil, and the US.
They are quite available, so there is no surprise pigs have been exposed to this type of fruit.
And what’s best is that you will find them year-round. Some varieties will have a peak season, like the oranges, but there will always be some type of citrus fruits available for your pigs.
Something to point out is that citrus fruits are a great source of fiber, which can definitely help with your pigs digestive system. And it’s a great option to use if you’re looking to treat an overweight pig.
Citrus fruit will provide large amounts of vitamins, fiber, and nutrients, but they won’t make your pigs fat, which is great. Pigs should only gain muscle and fat primarily by eating the pig feed.
Can Mini Pigs Eat Citrus Fruits?
Yes, mini pigs and other pig breeds can also consume citrus fruits; this is a great optician to use if you’re looking to train your mini pigs as you can give them the citrus as a reward.
But overall, this is great for mini pigs and all pigs in general.
Just follow the previous recommendation, and your pigs will be fine no matter the type.
Can Pigs Eat Citrus Peels?
Yes, pigs will eat the citrus peels, if you just gave them the peel, it’s important to consider that this is not the most juice part of the fruit, so some of your pigs might reject it.
So I do recommend mixing it up with other types of fruits or even vegetables, just to make it easier for them to consume.
But overall, as long as you’re not giving them rotted peels, your pigs will be fine.
Since I mentioned rotted peel, I want to use the opportunity to make clear that pigs should never eat old fruits, rotted fruits, fruits with worms, etc.
This is unhealthy and prohibited in many countries.
When someone feeds rotted food or fruits to their pigs, they are opening the door to sickness in the pig community and also the human community. This will raise a serious problem as you cannot eat or sell a sick pig.
So it’s very important to avoid this type of issue at all costs. Only give them fresh and healthy fruits.
Conclusion: Can Pigs Eat Citrus?
Yes, pigs love to eat oranges, grapefruit, sweet oranges, pomelos, citron, clementines, yuzu, and all types of citrus fruits. Pigs will usually eat all parts of this fruit and they are great because they have a high volume of vitamins and nutrients that your pigs need in order to stay healthy.
It’s important to understand that pigs can develop a taste for a particular fruit, so don’t be surprised if some of your pigs regret a particular fruit as they might need the time to acquire a taste for it.
Some will like it; others will never do; it’s important to never force the pig to eat something they like; from time to time, you can give it to them to see if they like it, but they should always have their primary source of food always available.
Like always, remember that pigs need to have a balanced diet, so in addition to the citrus fruits and pig feed, it’s great to add some vegetables and a mix of other fruits.