# What Do Domestic Pigs Eat?

> What domestic pigs eat: Omnivore — grain, vegetables, forage, and scraps, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Farms worldwide; wild boar ancestry in Eurasia.

- **Species:** Domestic Pig (*Sus scrofa domesticus*)
- **Conservation status:** Domesticated
- **Diet:** Omnivore — grain, vegetables, forage, and scraps
- **Habitat:** Farms worldwide; wild boar ancestry in Eurasia
- **Lifespan:** 10–15 years (commercial pigs shorter)
- **Top speed:** Up to 17 km/h (11 mph) over short distances
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pig/what-do-pig-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pig/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The domestic pig is a highly intelligent farm mammal descended from the Eurasian wild boar and kept worldwide for meat, and increasingly as a pet. A typical pig weighs 60 to 150 kg, stands on four short legs, and lives 10 to 15 years, though commercial pigs are raised for far shorter periods. Pigs are social, curious, and among the smartest of all domesticated animals.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Origins and domestication

The domestic pig descends from the wild boar, Sus scrofa, and was domesticated independently in several parts of Eurasia at least 9,000 years ago. Centuries of selective breeding have produced hundreds of breeds, from the pink Large White and Landrace of commercial farms to hardy traditional types such as the Tamworth and Gloucestershire Old Spots. Compared with their wild ancestors, farm pigs tend to be larger, faster-growing, and less hairy. Feral pigs that escape captivity readily revert to a boar-like appearance within a few generations.

## Help protect the Domestic Pig

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/pig/what-do-pig-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.