Enrichment games and toys are so important to keep your pig busy and give them mind thinking exercises that get out their natural instincts. A bored pig is a destructive pig so having enrichment games for your pig is essential to having a happy and good pig.
Above you will see Winnie's rooting box and this is the first enrichment toy I recommend having for your pig. You can make a box like Winnie's using 2x4s or you can use a plastic under the bed bin such as this . Either one work great. If you use the plastic bin maybe put a towel down so your pig does not slide around. In Winnie's rooting box there are plastic balls but I recommend large river rocks that are not small enough for your pig to eat or sharp to prevent cutting your pig's nose. Fill your rooting box with treats, vegetables, your pig's meal and they will go to town rooting up the rocks to find the food. It keeps them occupied, stimulates their mind, and gets out their natural need to root.
Similar to a rooting box is a rooting mat. Winnie has both and the box is definitely better than the rooting mat but the rooting mat is easy to take with you when traveling and does a good job keeping them busy.
It is the same concept as the rooting box, you hide treats and let your pig have at it finding them! You can get the rooting mat pictured using this link from Etsy, or find ones made for dogs on Amazon.
The next toy I recommend is super simple and cost no money! It is an empty oatmeal container, with holes cut in it, and filled with treats. This keeps Winnie occupied for hours as she pushes it around and tries to get all of the treats to fall out of the holes.
Make sure the holes are big enough for whatever food you are putting in your rooting mat and your pig will have so much fun trying to get the treats out.
A couple enrichment toys you can purchase off Amazon are the Bob-A-Lot, the IQ Treat Ball, and the LickiMat. The Bob-A-Lot and IQ Treat Ball are the same concept as the oatmeal container. Your pig has to knock or roll it around to get the treats out. Pig's love food so any game centered around getting food will keep them occupied, tire them out, and help create a less bored pig. The LickiMat is also centered around food. Spread peanut butter or coconut oil on the mat and let your pig try to get it all off. The grooves are perfect to keep the product on the mat so your pig should be entertained for a good while trying to lick all of the food off. Coconut oil is great to use because it also helps their skin!
Another way for enrichment and keeping your pig busy is training! Make sure you train everyday with your pig either in small sessions throughout the day or at least one good session a day. Training is not only great for enrichment but also helps establish leadership roles and helps lessen your chances of your pig getting spoiled pig syndrome. Make sure no matter what your pig works for every piece of food she gets! The AMPA has an awesome training handbook you can purchase or just check out their website they have training tips on there! Here is the handbook. Do commands such as come, sit, spin, back, leave it, shake, and more!
The last and MOST important idea for enrichment is outside time! Pigs need plenty of time outside to root the ground and get natural nutrients from the soil. It is the best outlet you can find for your pig's energy and boredom. So whenever you can try to let your pig have some outside time. Have an outside pen so your pig can have a secure area to root, make sure the pen is staked into the ground, and let your pig have some fun! I understand the weather does not always permit this so if the weather is bad then look to the other enrichment ideas but if the weather permits let your pig outside!
There are a lot of other enrichment ideas, take a look at the AMPA list of enrichment ideas here. You can also always come up with things that will help keep your pig busy and wear them out!
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