Always remember, a cat looks down on man, a dog looks up to man, but a pig will look man right in the eye and see his equal. - Winston Churchill
For quite some time we joked with each other that someday we'll have a pet pig. Never in a million years would I have thought that it would actually become true! Here's the short story:
I was forwarded a Craigslist ad for a 10 month old "teacup" pig. I get these types of ads sent to me because I have a few connections in the animal world, and we spread the word. I immediately respond to the sender that I already have a "piggie" (aka Maggie the Bulldog), but as always I would pass along the info. I sent the ad to Winston, and much to my surprise he responds with two words - "Call them". Followed quickly by another response from him - "I'm serious."
Ok! So we're off to the races. But much to our disappointment, the advertiser never answers us and the ad disappeared off Craigslist. Do we leave it as a case of "it was meant to be"? Heavens no, we start searching in earnest for our new piggie friend. And into our lives walks Olive.
Olive is a 6 week old potbellied pig. Some call them miniatures, some don't. While I won't get into the controversy over so-called teacup pigs or other supposedly miniaturized pigs, I will say that she will end up considerably smaller than any farm hog. She's only 5 or 6lbs now, but she will likely end up being 60-70lbs full grown. Still smaller in stature then any of our dogs, but certainly large enough to handle herself among them.
Without further ado, here's Olive! (Potbellied Pig info below the pictures.)
I was forwarded a Craigslist ad for a 10 month old "teacup" pig. I get these types of ads sent to me because I have a few connections in the animal world, and we spread the word. I immediately respond to the sender that I already have a "piggie" (aka Maggie the Bulldog), but as always I would pass along the info. I sent the ad to Winston, and much to my surprise he responds with two words - "Call them". Followed quickly by another response from him - "I'm serious."
Ok! So we're off to the races. But much to our disappointment, the advertiser never answers us and the ad disappeared off Craigslist. Do we leave it as a case of "it was meant to be"? Heavens no, we start searching in earnest for our new piggie friend. And into our lives walks Olive.
Olive is a 6 week old potbellied pig. Some call them miniatures, some don't. While I won't get into the controversy over so-called teacup pigs or other supposedly miniaturized pigs, I will say that she will end up considerably smaller than any farm hog. She's only 5 or 6lbs now, but she will likely end up being 60-70lbs full grown. Still smaller in stature then any of our dogs, but certainly large enough to handle herself among them.
Without further ado, here's Olive! (Potbellied Pig info below the pictures.)
All Potbellied Pigs are miniature when compared to their cousin, the farm hog. Hence the name miniature pot bellied pigs. When full grown, a farm hog can exceed 1,000 pounds. Thus it is obvious why Vietnamese pot belly pigs are considered miniature. Also, weight is not always the best way to describe them. Their bodies are very compact and solid. A 100 pound pig can be the size of a small dog that weighs 35-40 pounds.
A full grown Vietnamese potbellied pig can be anywhere from 100 to 250 pounds and not be overweight, and is still considered a miniature potbellied pig. The average size seems to be 120 to 150 pounds but just like humans, pigs do come in various sizes and weights. With proper feeding and exercise your pig will grow to its predetermined genetic size. You can affect your pet pig's weight through overfeeding, underfeeding, or a lack of exercise (just like us!). This is not a good idea and could cause serious health problems!!
LIFESPAN: How Long Do Pot Belly Pigs Live?The lifespan on the average pot belly pig is now considered to be 12 - 15 years. It was originally thought that their longevity range was from 12 to 20 years. The truth is that nobody knows for certain. The oldest potbellied pig we know of is one that died at 19 years of age. Keep in mind that the potbellied pig has only been in this country since 1985, so this pig evidently was one of the originals.
HEIGHT: How Tall do Pot Belly Pigs Get?The average full grown pot bellied pig is anywhere from 16-26 inches tall at their shoulders. I am 5'4" and my biggest pig, Ziggy comes to just above my knees.
WEIGHT: How to Weigh Your Pet Pig Without a Scale
If you cannot get your pot belly pig on a scale, you can still weigh her by using the formula below. You will need a measuring tape similar to those used by tailors. The formula is not exact, but it comes within about three percent of the actual weight. The formula is as follows:
Types of Mini PigsThe most common type of mini pig is the Potbellied Pig (also called Vietnamese Potbellied Pig, Miniature Pot Belly Pig, or Chinese Potbellied Pig). The KuneKune is also a mini pig, but weighs in at around 400 pounds on average and looks more like their cousin the farm pig.
Another breed is the Guinea Hog which is about the size of a large pot, but looks a bit thinner and taller. (I'm not sure of the weight). They look similar to a pot minus the belly and a lot hairier.
A full grown Vietnamese potbellied pig can be anywhere from 100 to 250 pounds and not be overweight, and is still considered a miniature potbellied pig. The average size seems to be 120 to 150 pounds but just like humans, pigs do come in various sizes and weights. With proper feeding and exercise your pig will grow to its predetermined genetic size. You can affect your pet pig's weight through overfeeding, underfeeding, or a lack of exercise (just like us!). This is not a good idea and could cause serious health problems!!
LIFESPAN: How Long Do Pot Belly Pigs Live?The lifespan on the average pot belly pig is now considered to be 12 - 15 years. It was originally thought that their longevity range was from 12 to 20 years. The truth is that nobody knows for certain. The oldest potbellied pig we know of is one that died at 19 years of age. Keep in mind that the potbellied pig has only been in this country since 1985, so this pig evidently was one of the originals.
HEIGHT: How Tall do Pot Belly Pigs Get?The average full grown pot bellied pig is anywhere from 16-26 inches tall at their shoulders. I am 5'4" and my biggest pig, Ziggy comes to just above my knees.
WEIGHT: How to Weigh Your Pet Pig Without a Scale
If you cannot get your pot belly pig on a scale, you can still weigh her by using the formula below. You will need a measuring tape similar to those used by tailors. The formula is not exact, but it comes within about three percent of the actual weight. The formula is as follows:
- Girth Measurement: Take the heart-girth measurement. Your measuring tape needs to go around the body just behind the front legs and over the shoulder area. As an example for you I will use the measurements of my little girl Flower. Her girth measurement is 43 inches.
- Square the result (Multiply the measurement by itself). Example: The measurement was 43 inches. 43 X 43 = 1,849
- Length Measurement: Measure the length of your pig. Start at the top of his or her head right in between the ears and measure down to the start, or base, of the tail (not the end of the tail). Flower's length is 39 inches.
- Girth Result X Length: Take the girth measurement result (in the example above this was 1,849) and multiply that times the length of your pig. In our example this would be: 1,849 X 39 = 72,111.
- Weight Calculation: Divide this result by 400, and you'll have a weight accurate to within about three percent. In our example: 72,111 divided by 400 = 180 pounds. Factoring in the 3% variance (5.4 pounds), this means Flower weighs between 174.6 and 185.4 pounds.
Credit for this formula goes to the Old Farmer's Almanac 1993
Types of Mini PigsThe most common type of mini pig is the Potbellied Pig (also called Vietnamese Potbellied Pig, Miniature Pot Belly Pig, or Chinese Potbellied Pig). The KuneKune is also a mini pig, but weighs in at around 400 pounds on average and looks more like their cousin the farm pig.
Another breed is the Guinea Hog which is about the size of a large pot, but looks a bit thinner and taller. (I'm not sure of the weight). They look similar to a pot minus the belly and a lot hairier.