Pigs are extremely intelligent animals and they are very clean. They do not like to use the bathroom where they eat or sleep. That makes potty training a pig a lot easier than potty training a dog per-say. If you are bringing home a baby pig I recommend a litter box as well as outside because piglets cannot hold their bladder for a very long time so to avoid messes in your house litter box training is a good idea. Don't worry as they get older you can phase out the litter box and make it so they only eliminate outside.
Before You Bring Your Pig Home
Before you bring home your pig you are going to want to make sure you have everything set up. Being set up, sets your pig up for success, and will lessen the amount of work you have to do in the long run.
Step 1: Make sure you have a play pen of some sorts set up or a large crate because your pig needs to be in a confined area to start (I go into more detail on this here).
Step 2: Pick a Litter Box
Step 3: Pick a Litter
Litter Box Options
1. Assortment of Boxes:
These are the most popular options for litter boxes and are great options because your litter box can grow as your pig grows and you will not have to worry about trying to introduce your pig to a different type of litter box once she is older. The only negative to using litter is pigs are known to make a mess with the litter and depending on which litter you use they may try to eat it in the beginning. But they will eventually stop trying to eat it and there are techniques you can use to reduce the mess. There are so many litter boxes you can use but here are the most popular:
A. Under The Bed Storage Bin: Amazon has a ton of options for this. If you get an under the bed storage bin that is shallow you may not need to cut an entrance for your pig because it will be easy enough for them to step over and into the bin. If you get a deep bin with high backs or if your pig will not go into the storage bin you will need to cut an opening to make an entrance. This makes it less intimidating and enables your pig to easily walk in it. Here you will find storage bins that come in all different sizes and they offer one that is "deep" which means it would have high walls around your pig and that is a plus in my opinion. Having a litter box with high walls will help eliminate the mess that is made from the litter spilling out and prevents any urine from spewing over the sides. Below is a storage bin with high backs and an entrance that has been cut. It is very effective.
The links to storage bins provided above and here, are useful because it offers them in all different sizes so you can get a small one to fit in the play pen or large crate and as your pig grows you can up the size. Here are some traditional big under the bed storage containers that a lot of people use. There are a lot of options just pick one you like best!
B. Concrete Mixing Tub: This is also one of the most common litter boxes used because it is cheap and does the job! You will need to cut an entrance on one side for your pig to easily get in and out and it makes the tub less intimidating. Here is one from Lowes for around $6. You can find them at Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Amazon, and pretty much any hardware store. From reviews they work great as a litter box!
C. Dog Crate, Dog Crate Pan, Rabbit Tray: I know some people who use these with great success. For the dog crate you use the bottom of a plastic dog kennel. This already provides an entrance for your pig to walk in and has high backs. You would use only the bottom of the crate pictured below. This gives you options to grow in size as your pig grows. The negative to this is you have to buy the whole kennel you cannot just buy the bottom.
Another option is to use the bottom of a dog wire kennel crate pan. You can buy just the pan so you do not need to waste money on a whole crate you will not use. This is shallow so your pig could easily get in and out without having to cut any entrance. The negative is since it is so shallow it allows more litter to come out making a bigger mess. But some people have gotten creative and built enclosures around these pans to eliminate the mess. Take a look below.
You will see in the second picture, taken from mini pig info facebook group, they used 2x4's to build an enclosure around the dog crate pan to help lessen the mess from the litter.
The last option in this category is a rabbit tray. These have great reviews when being used as a litter box. You can get them at Tractor Supply and they come in all different sizes.
D. Plastic Kiddie Pool: This is the most popular option for a large pig and it is cheap! A kiddie pool is plenty big enough for your pig. You may have to cut a small entrance for your pig if the pool is too intimidating for them to get in. The only downside to this is that it takes up a lot of space and is not the most appealing things on the eyes. But it works! And you can even find fun shaped ones.
E. Miscellaneous Options: Below are some other litter box options to use for your pig!
1. Washing Machine Pan
2. Water Trough or Tank
The "litter box" I started with was a potty patch but I do NOT recommend this specific type because the odor is awful. Here is the one I started with and do not recommend. Even washing it regularly I could not get the odor out of the artificial grass. The "litter box" I use now is called the Piddle Place and I absolutely love it. You can purchase it off Amazon, here. The piddle place is a similar idea to the potty patch but it has a tank underneath to hold the urine and the fake turf on top does not soak up urine and hold smell like the potty patch does. I recommend buying the super saver kit on Amazon because it comes with the bio treatment plus and bio treatment concentrate and both are needed. The Bio Treatment concentrate you put into the tank and it helps break down the urine to eliminate the smell. The Bio Treatment Plus you spray on top of the fake turf and it also breaks down the urine and eliminates the smell. There is no smell at all using the Piddle Place and no mess like there is with litter. Also the super saver kit comes with a splash guard and you are going to need that especially if you have females. The only problem I ran into with the Piddle Place was that my girls would pee off the side of it but since putting up the splash guard they do not do this anymore. If you have a male it should not be an issue. The Piddle Place can hold up to 200 pounds. As your pig gets bigger, and if you are still using the Piddle Place, you may have to switch to a large litter box if they are not comfortable using the Piddle Place. Some pigs like to have enough room to turn around. This is dependent upon each pig, some pigs will use the Piddle Place forever while others grow out of it.
3. Puppy Pads:
While a lot of people you talk to might recommend puppy pads I do not. Most pigs, including mine, just shred them up. But if you want to go the puppy pad route get the largest size you can find so your pig feels comfortable and has enough room. Another route you can take if you want to use pads is using washable puppy pads. This is a better option because they cannot be ripped apart and you can wash and re-use them which saves money and the environment. Here is a good washable pad option. Washable puppy pads I have no problem with I think they are very effective, get the job done, and you can wash one and put another one down while one washes. So when they get filled up with urine or start to have an odor just simply throw it in the wash. I know a lot of people who use washable puppy pads and love it.
There are your options when it comes to litter boxes! Now let's move on to choosing the litter you want to use!
Litter
There are a lot of options to pick from when it comes to the litter you want to use. But there are some litters you cannot use and that are toxic to pigs.
Litter that you CANNOT use:
1. CEDAR: Anything cedar is toxic to pigs so do not use anything with cedar in it.
2. Cat Litter: Cat litter does not break down in your pig's stomach so if inhaled or ingested it could cause an intestinal blockage.
3. Corn Cob Litter: Also can cause an intestinal blockage.
Litter Options you CAN use:
1. Pine Pellets: This is the most popular litter because it is less mess than shavings and soaks up the urine well. You can get the Pelletized Bedding from Tractor Supply. The negatives to this are that they resemble the food we feed our pigs so sometimes the pigs try to eat it at first but they eventually stop this. Also they may try to sleep it in until they understand this is where we use the bathroom. Another negative is when they get wet they turn to dust and it can make it easy for your pig to track outside of the litter box and harder to clean.
2. Pine Shavings: Such as these. These work well but they are known to make a huge mess and do not soak up the urine as well as the pellets.
3. Shredded Newspaper Litter: Such as this unscented cat litter (this is safe as it is just shredded recycled newspaper). These are known to do really well but your pig might try to play with it or eat it. They are also not very absorbent so it may leave a mess.
4. Newspaper pellets: This is newspaper pellets and can be found at your local pet store in the cat department. The negative to this litter is the cost, it is more expensive than the others.
5. SMELL SAVER!: Regardless of which litter you choose, but especially if you choose pine pellets or pine shavings, I recommend purchasing an assorted material bedding for odor and moisture control. Such as this one right here. Put this down on the bottom then put your litter on top. It will help with the barn smell some of these litters can give off and help with odor control.
There you have it! Options for litter box and litter. Click here to read the next step to potty training!
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