Calling **Autumnovember** re: Mini/Micro Pigs

[poshpepper]

I have seen you mention Mini/Micro pigs in a few posts, and I was just wondering if you had done any research on them or knew of a good place to start. Ever since I saw my first Micro pot belly pig about 10 years ago I have wanted one. I know they are incredibly intelligent and are able to be litter box trained, but beyond that I don’t know much (other than that they are super cute!).

Anyway I know you don’t have one, but you mentioned that you wanted one/came close to getting one, so any info you would be able to share would be great.

TIA

 

[Autumnovember]

I'm jealous!

I did do research for a little while in May when I wanted to buy one. There are tons and tons of breeders for micro/mini's and for the teacup pigs. I'm pretty sure the lady I was going to purchase one from was in Texas and we were going to have the pig flown to my place in PA/NJ. I don't remember exactly what her website was but I made sure to call a few places because there are many breeders who were a COMPLETE rip off. I think the micro/mini pigs end up being smaller than the teacup ones or vice versa but one of the two definitely isn't "small" like you would think. I can do some research again and find out for you if you want.

I love how they're so intelligent and loving. God, my heart melts just thinking about those babies. I was youtubing videos of them like CRAZY and actually got my parents really interested in them too. When we buy our house, we'll have a backyard which seemed key in the minds of the breeders.

 

[poshpepper]

Oh, I didn’t mean to get you jealous, in fact I may not be getting one for a while... hubby and I already have a mini zoo with 2 cats, 2 dogs and 3 birds lol.

I just wanted to talk about them I guess since they don’t seem to be that popular

So, I had also researched them a little bit a few years ago and did see teacup, micro and mini used as terms, and I do remember that one of those was rather large (like 50 lbs), which was not what I was thinking of. The ones that I saw 10 years ago were being sold as Micro Pot belly pigs (they were still babies, like 4 months when I saw them) and were about 10 pounds and SO CUTE!!!!

Why did the breeders place a high importance on a backyard? Do they need dedicated "outside" time? I am wondering if their needs are more like dogs and less like cats (i.e. need walks and constant attention) or if they would be fine as almost complete indoor pets.
I was thinking that you would be able to leash them and take them on walks, but their feet are hooves right?

Anyway, sorry for the rambling, just wanted to talk about the cuteness I think I need to go dig up some pics!

 

[poshpepper]

In my search for pics I came across this article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/teacup_pigs/Animal_Welfare/prweb3119874.htm

Kinda sad... (all of the unwanted piggies)

I am thinking that I should expect any "mini" pig to be around 90lbs.

 

[Autumnovember]

Oh, I didn’t mean to get you jealous, in fact I may not be getting one for a while... hubby and I already have a mini zoo with 2 cats, 2 dogs and 3 birds lol.

I just wanted to talk about them I guess since they don’t seem to be that popular

So, I had also researched them a little bit a few years ago and did see teacup, micro and mini used as terms, and I do remember that one of those was rather large (like 50 lbs), which was not what I was thinking of. The ones that I saw 10 years ago were being sold as Micro Pot belly pigs (they were still babies, like 4 months when I saw them) and were about 10 pounds and SO CUTE!!!!

Why did the breeders place a high importance on a backyard? Do they need dedicated "outside" time? I am wondering if their needs are more like dogs and less like cats (i.e. need walks and constant attention) or if they would be fine as almost complete indoor pets.
I was thinking that you would be able to leash them and take them on walks, but their feet are hooves right?

Anyway, sorry for the rambling, just wanted to talk about the cuteness I think I need to go dig up some pics!

Oh no no, I didn't mean it like that. I just REALLY love pigs and have wanted one FOREVER and I totally envy anyone who has one as a pet

I think the micro pot belly pigs are the ones that end up being rather big.

I'm wondering the same thing about the backyard? It can't possibly be healthy for them to hang out there all day as it could probably cause them to overheat depending on the region?

Either way, backyard or not they probably need more room than what I have to offer right now. I would 100% take the pig on the leash and walk it for a little bit. I've actually seen some pig owners doing this. I'm thinking they have needs similar to dogs but I could be completely off on that. I stopped researching (to keep myself from feeling sorry for myself not being able to get one just yet) so I forget a lot of the things I learned when I was reading about them.

Dig up some pics! Don't you just wanna squeeze them!?!!?!

Off topic kinda, but I have a friend that has a pet skunk!

 

[poshpepper]

I found a breeder's site that has some good info: http://www.potbellypigs.com/index.htm

Pros/Cons from her site:

Advantages

Long life span (12-20 years)
Clean and odor-free
Non-allergenic in most cases
No fleas
Very little shedding
Quickly trained: litterbox, tricks, harness, etc.
No barking
Non-destructive, unlike a puppy
Low maintenance: annual vet visit, low fed consumption
Communicative, affectionate, and intelligent

Disadvantages

You may not be zoned to own a pig.
You may not have a vet available who knows how to treat potbellied pigs.
Pigs can become spoiled and manipulative.
Pigs require a commitment of time and energy from their owners.

I am having fun reading about them and of course pics like this don't hurt:

 

[Autumnovember]

I found a breeder's site that has some good info: http://www.potbellypigs.com/index.htm

Pros/Cons from her site:

Advantages

Long life span (12-20 years)
Clean and odor-free
Non-allergenic in most cases
No fleas
Very little shedding
Quickly trained: litterbox, tricks, harness, etc.
No barking
Non-destructive, unlike a puppy
Low maintenance: annual vet visit, low fed consumption
Communicative, affectionate, and intelligent

Disadvantages

You may not be zoned to own a pig.
You may not have a vet available who knows how to treat potbellied pigs.
Pigs can become spoiled and manipulative.
Pigs require a commitment of time and energy from their owners.

I am having fun reading about them and of course pics like this don't hurt:

This thread is going to make me harass SO about this topic all over again

Is it weird that I kinda like that they might become manipulative? I see that in my dog sometimes and it just fascinates me completely.

For some reason I remember one of the teacup/micro/mini's do end up being smaller than 90 lbs. If I'm wrong, I still want one. 90 lbs isn't THAT bad, right?


This piglets are just so cute, I can't handle it!!!

 

[kelpie]

Can I interject?

I have a pot belly pig. She is towards the larger end of the range (maybe 150lbs) but no pig is going to be tiny! I'm having someone watch my pig while I'm away and they have one of the pig's from Paris Hilton's breeder someone abandoned because it is larger than they expected (think 50lb+ sack of potatoes w/ legs and those are the tiniest pigs). Pigs get big, case in point. Some bigger than others but all big and basically like a bull in a china shop for your house as they have no grace like a dog and cannot navigate more than a few stair steps. Breeders are quite irresponsible IMO about managing people's expectations about size and care. No matter what anyone says, pigs are TERRIBLE as exclusively housepets. While my girl's main interest is sleeping on the couch they get bored and destructive like ripping up phone books, knocking over/ripping up furniture, going through your cabinets. She lives outside in her own heated/cooled house where she can create her own constructive entertainment and is invited in as a guest when it is very hot/cold or as a treat. Everyone loves to point out how smart pigs are which is true but the caveat is they use it for evil. They are very willful creatures. You simply cannot make a pig conform to your will unless it's what she wants anyway. That being said I love my piggy, my piggy loves me, and she brings so much joy to my life. Just a caution to say that if you are expecting a pet pig to be on the level of effort as a dog think again. A pig in the house at times will be like a dozen 10 month old jack russells in a room full of balloons and down pillows. Also, the part about allergies is another myth perpetuated by mini pig hawkers, they have the most dandruff you'll ever see in one place. It will be literally everywhere. My mom is so allergic to it. Playing in mud improves it, again not really an activity you want for a housepet.

Example
I lock my backyard gate with a bungee cord by looping it over a picket in the fence. Well my pig apparently tests it daily because she can squeeze through if some inexperienced person hooks it on the first picket instead of the second. Here is my baby after she liberated herself and her goose buddies, ripped up bags of wood pellets because they look like food, got into the real feed, ate nearly all of a 50lbs bag with her accomplices until she passed out, and shredded a cubic yard sized block of pine shavings to pass out on top of. This is the type of antics to expect from piggies on a regular basis.

 

[kelpie]

My impressions on the accuracy of this info. I have a vendetta against these pig breeders spreading these falsehoods because it leads to so many abandoned piggies!

Advantages

Long life span (12-20 years) *TRUE Maybe 17-18 is typical
Clean *FALSE (hello loves mud if you don't give it to them they will make it themselves!) and odor-free *KINDA (free of BO except that kind of "dirty hair smell" but their bathroom areas in the yard are very stinky)
Non-allergenic in most cases *FALSE (the dandruff is so bad!)
No fleas *KINDA (they have different parasites nearly all have chronic mange mites and ticks in their more delicate areas)
Very little shedding *FALSE (They do a major shed of all their hair annually)
Quickly trained: litterbox, tricks, harness, etc. (KINDA- Bathroom is easy, tricks and harness not so much, my pig was so excited about the one cheerio I was offering her that she could not concentrate to learn the tricks, quite afraid of a harness)
No barking (Have you ever heard an unhappy pig squeal!?!?!?! Especially when it is getting a shot which takes four adults to hold them down to do?!!?!?!? And even when they are happy they make a noise which is basically like barking "MOOF! MOOF!")
Non-destructive, unlike a puppy (FALSE - this is the biggest lie I have ever heard, this is why so many people abandon their pet pigs!!!!)
Low maintenance: annual vet visit, low fed consumption (FALSE- My pig has had several major health concerns with skin infections and an infected spay wound. Again with the squealing and the size pigs are very challenging for vets to treat. She has a good vet but it has been very expensive and she still gets potentially life threatening skin infections every year requiring lots of attentive care)
Communicative, affectionate, and intelligent (TRUE)

 

[Autumnovember]

Kelpie, thanks so much for your very very informative post!!!!!

I did LOL at some parts but it was really interesting to read about what pet pigs are REALLY like.

Could you share some more stories about your pig?

 

[yssie]

kelpie - your post and that pic made me giggle

 

[kelpie]

Kelpie, thanks so much for your very very informative post!!!!!

I did LOL at some parts but it was really interesting to read about what pet pigs are REALLY like.

Could you share some more stories about your pig?

Lol! Too happy to. Pigs are smart, so smart it's scary. I had my mom watch my pig while I was on vacation. My mom's dog bit the pig and she resented it quite a bit. Fast forward about 3 days...the dog is sleeping halfway under the deck with her head out. The pig is on the deck and my sister-in-law comes outside to discover she is pushing a massive concrete planter towards the edge of the deck. It's even teetering on the edge, right above where the dog was sleeping! My SIL got what she was doing and stopped her from crushing the dog's head with it. Yes, pigs are capable of plotting premeditated murder! She also ate all mom's landscaping so she was not welcome again!

She is capable of inter-species affection though, the geese are her best friends. My neighbor calls them her "bodyguards" because they are like an entourage. I lock them up at night to protect them from foxes and she jailbreaks them in the morning. If she can't get them jailbroken she'll sleep next to their kennel. As soon as the geese are out they're just following her everywhere and hanging out in her house. When it's snowy she's in her house with basically down blankets since they all cram in after her.

Gratuitous pig pic

 

[dragonfly411]

These guys are really cute.

Forewarning they are VERY SMART. Most pigs are actually. But Pot Bellied for sure.

Is it bad that I like my huge pigs/hogs?

 

[Autumnovember]

Kelpie, thanks so much for your very very informative post!!!!!

I did LOL at some parts but it was really interesting to read about what pet pigs are REALLY like.

Could you share some more stories about your pig?

Lol! Too happy to. Pigs are smart, so smart it's scary. I had my mom watch my pig while I was on vacation. My mom's dog bit the pig and she resented it quite a bit. Fast forward about 3 days...the dog is sleeping halfway under the deck with her head out. The pig is on the deck and my sister-in-law comes outside to discover she is pushing a massive concrete planter towards the edge of the deck. It's even teetering on the edge, right above where the dog was sleeping! My SIL got what she was doing and stopped her from crushing the dog's head with it. Yes, pigs are capable of plotting premeditated murder! She also ate all mom's landscaping so she was not welcome again!

She is capable of inter-species affection though, the geese are her best friends. My neighbor calls them her "bodyguards" because they are like an entourage. I lock them up at night to protect them from foxes and she jailbreaks them in the morning. If she can't get them jailbroken she'll sleep next to their kennel. As soon as the geese are out they're just following her everywhere and hanging out in her house. When it's snowy she's in her house with basically down blankets since they all cram in after her.

Gratuitous pig pic

I just woke up and the first thing I did was read this post. Let me just say, you made my day

I love these stories and the pics even more!!!!!

I love how the pig and and geese are best friends!!

 

[kelpie]

Dragonfly, Do you have pigs? I want to hear about them! Here is my piggy sleeping on the couch wearing a tin foil hat.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Omg, this thread is hilarious. kelpie, what a mischievious piggy you have!

 

[Autumnovember]

Dragonfly, Do you have pigs? I want to hear about them! Here is my piggy sleeping on the couch wearing a tin foil hat.

If you could see my smile right now...

 

[poshpepper]

Dragonfly, Do you have pigs? I want to hear about them! Here is my piggy sleeping on the couch wearing a tin foil hat.

Kelpie, thank you very much for jumping in this thread, I really do want to learn about what to expect (realistically) from a pet pig... and you have provided some very valuable information (biggest thing being that a pig is a better outside pet, so I would need to have an area dedicated to him/her).

I am loving the pictures and stories too, your piggy is so cute!!!! Again, thank you


ETA -- Anyone with a pet pig please feel free to post pics and share stories (hint hint... )

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I don't have pigs and don't plan on getting one, but I LOVE these stories and the pics! Kelpie, more stories please!

 

[dragonfly411]

I had a blue rump. She was over 450 lbs. She was slaughtered without me knowing last year.

I want another. Badly.

 

[poshpepper]

I had a blue rump. She was over 450 lbs. She was slaughtered without me knowing last year.

I want another. Badly.

OMG... how sad!!!! Im so sorry...

 

[dragonfly411]

Thanks Posh. I picked her out of a littler as a baby. I carried her to the truck as a piglet. She survived a dog attack, and losing half of her ear from it. She really liked to be scratched on her nose. Someday I will have another. I had one before her that was wild caught that was never fond of people but she was a pretty little thing. I actually would like to have two or three, I think they're adorable, and they are such fun animals to raise. I had hoped to breed her and sell the piglets to FFA kids. Someday....someday.