It will have a lot of questions answered here. MICRO & TEACUP PIGS
Micro Pigs and Teacup pigs are actually NOT pig breeds at all. These terms are used by unscrupulous breeders trying to misrepresent the size of pigs, trying to deceive a potential customer into thinking that the pigs will remain a smaller size throughout its life. Micro Pig simply means a smaller sized pig, virtually any pig small
er than a farm pig could technically be considered "micro" by many. There is one breed of pigs smaller than a Mini or Potbelly piglet and this is a Juliana, Proof of Parents being 100% registered Juliana is the best as you will know what you are getting. It is stated these pigs will be 40-50 pounds but in all honesty we have found they can get as big as 60 and this is full grown.. I personally have and raise these piglets. You are going to pay two to three times as much for this size piglet than a Juliana/potbelly or a Potbelly. Some breeders like to use this name (Juliana) on piglets to get a higher price or try to lead you to believe that you are getting a smaller pig than you are. Also a Juliana, purebred has to have at least some spotting, light or heavy it MUST have spots. If even one in the litter do not have spots it is not a purebred. UPDATE: In the comments I have added info about the crate we use the playpen set up and the root rug. Prices vary from $200 to $600 On my piglets in general
Regular pigs will commonly get to 400 to 700 pounds even up to 1500 pounds and a mini between 50-125, a lot depends on care, feed and exercise. They do not stop growing until 4/5 years, Yes I have seen starving piglets that broke my heart in the owners attempt to keep them small and I have also seen "dog food and corn fed" pigs that were 200+ pounds
A mini Pig is often a down sized Potbelly or a Juliana or a Potbelly Juliana Cross. We prefer to downsize as we continue to breed. Pigs love FOOD and to play and root... their favorite thing is food and treat which is why they must have a strict diet.. The Pellets are easy to find and about $17 for 25 pounds, they also eat fruits and Vegetable. Plan on having them eat Vegies before they start to eat fruit. It is to easy for them to refuse Vegies because they know the fruit is coming. I mix mine with adults and give them a bit of a salad
Pigs are easy to housetrain, usually within a week & they can be box trained, outdoor trained, both or just one. Their drive for food makes them very easy to train to do other things/tricks with the use of treats, normally cherrios for us or small peices of apple or grapes. Limit the amount of Grapes as this will cause loose stools. Pigs generally need one vaccination a year and a couple deworming's that can be done on their food
In general with a $17~25 pound bag of Pellets if you measure and limit feed (like you should) it will last almost 2 months for quite a few months in age.. We make sure our new families have information on this as well. They do well with Children
They do not shed
They are VERY affectionate & strong willed
They do not smell if allowed to be clean
They are very clean
They can be easily harness trained
They do not do steps well, most not at all but several of ours will start up, just got go more than one or two
Some like baths some hate them
Pigs normally can not swim so are terrified of water
They love mud and wading in the heat
They require water at all times
They normally get along well with cats and dogs as long as they dogs don't think they taste like chicken or want to chase them
When you see the teeny tiny babies in large coffee cups and such online, know that is normally a newborn.. if you see a umbilical cord as I can in some they are under 48 hours old.. A 8 week old piglet will normally range from 3 to 7 pounds and be fat from mama's milk
Never feed your piggy Avocado or Chocolate. These are toxic to pigs. Pigs also have salt toxicitiy issues so be sure to stick mainly with a Mini Pig Pellet Diet. Never feed your pig salted items such as potato chips or salted popcorn. We personally prefer our babies have a nice heated bed but I know many others that have kept their bigger pigs in a draft free enclosure outside without heat and plenty of straw/blankets.. Many people will in home their pig during the winter and make a nice mud pit, house and clean water area outside for the summer.. they love to graze, root and lay in the mud, blowing bubbles & lay in the sun. When a piglet leaves with a new family you must be prepared for them being scared and their only defense is to run, squeal and bite... I have had people call me on the first day, saying this pig hates me... no the pig doesn't hate anyone and will normally warm up and become very bonded with you within the first week. The same goes for potty training, even though we have them going properly here, you still need to realize that they do not know your house or the lay out of it. Rooting is a natural thing with pigs, they love to do it and in the comments you will find a awesome ro9ot rug you can get thru Etsy or make yourself. I personally buy mine so I can spend as much time as possible with pigs, chickens, hedgehogs, puppies and family LOL . Important Points and Questions To Consider Before You Decide To Buy A Pet Pig
Are pigs allowed in your city or town? Will your pig be living in the house with a backyard or on a farm? Do you own or rent your property? How will you house your pig? Will the pig be kept indoors or outdoors? What will the pen size be? Do you have a fenced yard? Is your backyard / fenced yard landscaped? Pigs are destructive, they love to dig, it's an instinctual behavior, their snouts are a digging tool. What type of house will the pig have for protection? Will the pig have shade, sunlight and a dry area during the winter? If the pig is going to spend most of its time indoors, will the pig be able to go outside when you are not home (eg: a piggy door aka doggie door)? For pigs that will be allowed in the house, what type of floor covering do you have? Is your house child proof? Have you owned a pet pig? Did you know that pigs continue to grow till about 3 to 5 years of age? Is everyone in the family happy about adopting a pig? Do you own other animals? Do you have children? If so what age(s) are they? A pig’s life span is estimated at 15 to 20 years. Are you aware of this? What are your long term plans if the pig lives for 20 years? Are you aware of proper feeding and where to buy pig food? Mazuri makes a Mini Pig Food and it is normally found at T.S.C. or any store carrying Purina and I am told Runnings will order it. Do you have a vet who can and will work on pigs? We have found you often have to deal with a "Large" animal vet that normally take care of regular swine
If you are adopting a second pig to go with a pig you already own, are you able to fence train the pigs so that they can visit with each other for a week or two before putting them together? We have found that even when allowed to get to know each other, they will have a 24 hour or less period of disagreement. You can not keep them apart and occasionally go back together to play. What age, s*x, colour, breed and size pig(s) are you looking for? ( Pigs are highly intelligent and social animals who grow very attached to their owners, you become their family. Deciding to rehome or give them away after you have raised them is like giving your child away! They can sink into a deep depression, grieve, develope bad behaviour that may make them unadoptable to anyone else and wind up in a sancuary to spend the rest of their lifes wandering what they did wrong and why their family doesn't love them anymore. So Please do your homework before you decide you want a pet pig! Due to the increasing amount of $$ we are putting into our lines to be sure we can provide small (registered 100% Juliana) To Mini's (Juliana/potbelly mix or Potbelly) Piglets, we are neutering all males before they leave, Saving a great amount to the new homes. We will also be spaying any 100% Juliana Female Piglets unless a higher fee is paid for breeding rights, This would need to be pre-arranged and I would need to approve your home/situation. I do not breed until at least 2 - 3 years of age and I would expect no less from someone that purchased one of my piglets. At this time, we have not made a decision on the mini females.. this will be decided as time goes on, If you plan to breed, please let us know before you assume the piglet is intact.
