The Best Toys for Pigs: Discover the Top Picks

As a pig owner, it is important to provide the right environment and stimulation to keep your pigs healthy and happy. Providing pig toys or other good pen enrichment can help with this.

Toys for pigs not only provide fun and entertainment, but also stimulate their intelligence and can prevent boredom. However, it is important to choose sustainable and natural toys. In this guide, you will discover everything you need to know to choose the best toys for your pigs.

Key Takeaways:

• Toys can stimulate pigs' intelligence and prevent boredom.
• It is important to choose sustainable and natural toys.

Why toys for pigs?

Toys for pigs have several benefits. They provide distraction and enrichment that can keep pigs active and stimulate their intelligence. They can also help reduce stress and negative behavior in pigs. Research shows that toys can contribute to increased well-being and happiness in pigs.

In addition, providing toys for pigs will help them to become less bored. This is especially important because pigs are highly intelligent animals that naturally like to be active. If they are not stimulated, they can exhibit negative behavior, such as biting or aggression.

Types of toys for pigs

Pigs are curious and intelligent animals that love to play. It is therefore important to choose the right toys that will attract their attention and keep them occupied. There are different types of toys available, depending on the environment in which the pigs live.

Challenging toys, such as puzzles and feed dispensers, are particularly suitable for pigs in a barn because they encourage them to use their intelligence in an environment where they have limited freedom of movement.

Outdoor toys such as balls and ropes are a good choice for pigs that have access to an outdoor environment. The activity and movement these toys provide stimulate the pigs and prevent boredom.

Toys specifically designed for pigs in a barn include hanging objects or chewable objects, such as a ball-shaped toy with holes, which allow the pigs to entertain themselves and sharpen their teeth at the same time.

Choosing the right toys for pigs depends on their environment and play needs. Make sure the toys are safe, durable, and do not pose health risks to the pigs.

Sustainable and natural toys for pigs

As a pig farmer it is important to choose sustainable and natural toys for your pigs. This not only sets the best example of an environmentally friendly approach, but also ensures the welfare of your animals.

Recommended cage enrichment at Stable Brothers

At Stable Brothers we offer the Porkyplay with chain as a very good distraction material for pigs. The Porkyplay distinguishes itself by a unique design and because it is made of biodegradable material with an antibacterial property (kills 99.9% of E.coli). Another important feature is the smell of the toy. There are 5 very attractive smells available. A big advantage of this is that as soon as the toy is replaced by one of the other smells, the pig experiences it as a completely new toy .

Product name	Material	Scents
Porkyplay	Biodegradable	Apple scent , truffle scent , anise scent , vanilla scent and chocolate scent

Benefits of natural toys are:

• They are better for the environment because they are biodegradable.
• They are more resistant to the pigs' teeth and chewing.
• Compared to plastic toys, they last longer.

Tip: For more information about sustainable pig toys, visit the website of the NVV (Dutch Pig Farmers' Union).

Toys for pigs in different life stages

Choosing the right toys for pigs depends on their life stage and developmental stages. Below are some recommendations for toys for piglets, growing pigs and adult pigs.

Toys for pigs

Piglets are curious and energetic. They are especially interested in moving and bright colours. Toys that are suitable for piglets include play balls and teething rings. Make sure the toys are small enough for their little mouths, but large enough that they cannot choke on them.

Toys for growing pigs

As pigs grow, their need for toys increases. They can become bored and stressed if they don’t have something to keep them entertained. Toys that are suitable for growing pigs include play balls, ropes, and puzzles. Make sure the toys are sturdy and can withstand constant chewing and pushing.

Toys for adult pigs

Adult pigs are less interested in toys than piglets and growing pigs, but they still need mental stimulation to prevent boredom. Toys that are suitable for adult pigs include play tunnels, hay ball accessories, and large balls. Make sure the toys are large enough to withstand the weight of adult pigs.

Impact of toys on pig welfare

There has been a lot of research into the use of toys as distraction material for pigs in agriculture. Several studies have shown that providing toys to pigs can help reduce stress and negative behavior, while also having a positive effect on their well-being.

For example, it has been shown that pigs that were offered toys spent less time on harmful behaviors, such as biting or nipping at each other. It has also been shown that the use of toys promotes the overall health of pigs, improves their cognitive abilities and contributes to their physical development. Therefore, giving pigs toys is not only beneficial for their well-being, but also for their overall health.

Conclusion

By providing stimulating and challenging toys for pigs, you can stimulate their intelligence and prevent boredom. In addition, enrichment with toys can promote pigs' well-being and reduce stress.

It is important to choose sustainable and natural toys, because this is less harmful to the environment and better for the health of the pigs. There are different types of toys, depending on the life stage of the pigs, such as toys for piglets, growing pigs and adult pigs. You can also easily make toys for pigs yourself.

Research has shown that providing toys to farm pigs has a positive effect on their behaviour and general well-being. Therefore, choose the best toys for your pigs to ensure continuous mental stimulation.

FAQ

Q: What kind of toys are suitable for pigs?

A: Suitable toys for pigs are sustainable and natural. Examples of these are play balls, challenging toys and toys that are suitable for use in the pigsty.

Q: Why are toys important for pigs?

A: Toys provide distraction and mental stimulation for pigs. They can reduce stress and prevent negative behavior. In addition, toys help prevent boredom.

Q: What types of toys are there for pigs?

A: There are several types of toys suitable for pigs, such as challenging toys, pigsty toys, outdoor toys and play balls.