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Do Pigs Have Hooves?

As a new pig owner, it’s essential to get to know your pig, and that includes their diets, behavior, living conditions, and all aspects of their life. This type of care will ensure strong health for your pig.

Whether we have them for consumption or as pets, we must ensure we care for them. With this in mind, I imagine you have asked yourself if pigs have hooves. Some people are confused about whether or not they have hooves or trotters.

Do pigs have hooves? Yes, pigs have hooves, but at the same time, they also have trotters; think of it this way, the trotters are the feet of the pigs which contain the hooves. There are different types of hooves in the case of pigs; they belong to the commonly known split hoof or divided hoof. Which also include deer, cattle, antelopes, goats, gazelles, and sheep.

Fun fact, some gropes associate cloven hooves with the devil. 

But going back to the topic to make things simple, the hooves are the hard part of the bottom of the pig feet while the trotters are the feet. 

Do Pigs Have Hooves

The hooves consist of different parts, which are called the hoof wall, the sole, the bars of the hoof,frog, and soft tissue. 

This helps the pig perform many functions, such as supporting the weight of the animal and avoiding a high-energy impact which helps protect the bones and muscles. 

So caring for the pigs hooves is an essential part of their overall health; we do this by trimming the pigs hooves. Later on, in the article, I explain more about it but it’s important to keep this in mind. 

What Are Pigs Feet Called?

They are simply called trotters. Many people want to know if pigs have trotters or hooves, but the answer is that they have both.

The trotters are the feet of the pigs, and within them, they have the hooves at the button of the feet. 

And by the way, many communities around the world, including me, eat the trotters, and I tell you, they are delicious. 

Do Pigs Have Toenails?

The nails you see are the pigs’ hooves, just like other animals: horses, cattle, sheep, or goats. They need to be trimmed.

There are different types of hooves, but they don’t have nails, or at least they are not called that way.

How Many Toes Do Pigs Have?

Well, I guess this is a simple answer, if you look at a pigs toes you will notice they have four on each foot,  out of the four only two touch the soil. If this is not the case, you might need to trim your pigs hooves. 

Or very if they are not hurt. 

Do Pigs Have Split Hooves?

Yes, pigs have split hoofs, commonly known as split hoofs or divided hoofs. This is a category of hooves in which you could find pigs, cattle, deers, gazelles, goats, sheep, and deer, unlike horses which are not split. 

But both types need to be trimmed if necessary and taken care of. 

Do Pigs Hooves Need to Be Trimmed? And How to Do It?

Yes, you need to trim your pigs hooves; this should be done on a regular basis to prevent overgrowth, which usually causes wounds and lameness. 

It is usually done in between 3 to 6 months, but it just depends on your pigs; in some pigs their hooves will grow faster than in others. 

Depending on the pigs behavior, trimming the pigs hooves could be an easy or difficult process. 

If the pig is aggressive in this type of case, you will need to sedate the pig, which is usually done by the veterinarian, but if it’s a calm, easy-going pig that trusts you, it will be quite easy process. 

To trim the pigs hooves, you can just lay them down on the grown, making sure the pigs feel comfortable and relaxed. 

You will need the trimming tools, the techniques could vary depending on your preferences, but you will typically measure the pigs hooves and remove the overground part of the hooves, of course making sure not to overdo it.

I recommend watching a video to give you a better idea of how the process is done so you can check out this video.

But if you have a big pig farm, this process needs to be done systematically; in this case, I recommend watching this video

Whether you have a pet pig or a pig farm trimming the pigs hooves its part of their overall health, and it should be done with the proper care, there are lots of videos that show how it’s done and with different techniques, I recommend you watch them.

Also, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, I recommend you get a professional to do it or to teach you how to do it. 

Conclusion: Do Pigs Have Hooves?

Yes, pigs have hooves which are basically part of the pigs trotters (feet). They are located in the button part of the pigs feet. There are different types of hooves; in the case of the pigs they are considered to be split hoofs, in this category, you will also find cattle, goats, sheep, etc. 

Something important to consider when caring for pigs is that you have to make sure their hooves are healthy and trim them if necessary. Not doing so will make the life of your pigs harder, and depending on the condition, it could bring illness to the pig. 

As pig owner, we want to make sure our pigs are happy and healthy, so yes, focus on their diet, but also look at their buddy to see if they are healthy, if they need cleaning, trimmed their hooves, clean their teeth, etc. 

You can also ask a local veterinarian to help you out with the trimming process if you’re not sure how to do it or don’t feel comfortable doing it.