Finding a pet pig is about to make my head explode...

[Otis7]

My boyfriend and I are purchasing our first home. It's on an acre, half wooded half grass and house. We'd love to add a pet farm animal to our crew (two dogs, 3 cats, 5 chickens, 4 pigeons). I've worked with cows for awhile, though 4h as a kid, working on a diary farm, and currently working with a herd of grass fed angus with spare time at my job. I have a good establishment with farm animals and realistic expectations of them as a pet. (pet and pet only, I'm a vegan despite my work). We were torn between a pig and a goat (boyfriend wants a sheep but grass is just short hand at the new place). We decided a pig would fit the bill. I like their antics, and we would like a good source of manure for the garden and uneaten food. Were planning on a pen that is half wooded half grass.

Now...for the breed. I'm avid in animal rescue, but was actually considering going to a breeder for this one. We want a small pig (me and an army apparently). I feel like I cannot find any good information on pigs online. I don't want a micro mini tea cup piglet (mostly because it seems like a crap shoot, they display no photo graphs of pigs over four years old, and they come at a price tag of over $800) But I would like a pig I could financially afford to feed for it's whole life. I don't give up pets, ever. I'm not looking for a pig to carry under my arm and live in the house. I really like the juliana. They look healthy, real, athletic. Well, the juveniles do. I can't seem to find any info or pictures of pigs over three years. I can barely find a website outlining the healthy weight for a pet pig. I hate to say it, but I really don't think pot bellies are attractive at all. Though, as stated, can't find a photo of one at a healthy weight. They look obese to me. I know pigs are curvy, but that amount of fat on a pet cannot be healthy! I've struggled to find a rescue near me to even look (websites don't work, only a handful on pet finder, or two far to go for a visit) and they seem to only have pot bellies.

Basically, I'd like to have a pig. A small pig (but not unrealistically small), an attractive, healthy animal (more wild looking then big bellied and fat rolled). I'd love to rescue, but haven't rolled out a breeder. I just can't seem to find any substantial information on long lived pet pigs. I like to do my research, but the lack of info on realistic breed standards and photos of true adult pigs at a healthy weight is astounding to me. I couldn't even find a forum on just pet pigs.

 

[secuono]

My boar is nearly 2yrs old and still 40#. Got him as a regular pot belly. Mom is the same, slightly smaller.
Most people over feed their pot bellies, but many teacup w/e you wanna call them pigs, those people underfeed them. They will go nuts on you for feeding them 'hog feed'.

Note, there are short, medium and long nosed PBs. Medium nosed ones have a less obese and wrinkled face.

There's some breeds of pig that are 'small' and aren't pot bellied, kunes are one, but don't know how nice they are.

 

[Otis7]

I guess this should be moved to the breed section, I hadn't noticed that.

Very nice looking pigs! But from what I've read, they may not stop growing until four years? I looked up kunekunes, they are pretty cool but still seem to get fairly big in their old age. Maybe we just won't find the perfect pig, and it will have to come later in life!

 

[secuono]

They stopped growing in height and length back around 9mo old. I think I just got lucky with some good, small pigs. But we'll see if anything changes, lol.
I haven't seen any real 150-200# pot bellies, only obese PBs and I'm sure that is what made them 150+ pounds...

 

[Otis7]

Do you have any pictures of older potbellies at a healthy weight? 5+ years? Maybe you got lucky or maybe their just healthy!

 

[secuono]

He's my first PB. I saw the parent's of the black sow and they were very fat. The fat on their backs made them about 2-3in taller, everything was round on them except their little feet. Never saw the boar's family as he was a pet for some girl and she ended up not wanting him anymore.

Porker, pink boar was 3mo when I got him. Two black bigs were 2mo, brother/sister pair. Last picture is porker and his babies.
I think I just lucked out, but I'll update if he decides to keep growing in 2yrs.

 

[Otis7]

Hmmm, maybe I'll just have to get you to mail me one! Very cute piglets

 

[MDres]

I have seen one 200+ pot belly pig who was not obese/overfed. He was huge and mean. And he lived 100% IN THE HOUSE - crapped wherever he wanted, ate the walls, ate the furniture.

And in the heat of the summer, every summer, his owner would call the vet clinic I worked at, and have us come out and trim his hooves. Dear Lord.... I still have nightmares... The owner always felt bad for us coming in his "stinky" house, so he would always shampoo the carpets the day before, and they were never dry when we got there. So we got to roll around on wet nasty pig-poo scented carpet, in a house with about 90% humidity because of all the wet carpet, and wrestle "Hammy". We'd have to get him sedated, wait for it to kick in, and them one of us would restrain a leg while the other Dremeled the hoof.

By the time we left, we smelled like burnt hair and pig feces/urine. Not a good combo. Thankfully the clinic had a shower, just for house/farm calls like this!

Thankfully, I have not seen any other PB's as large (or as grumpy!) as Hammy.

I do have a friend who raises some micro-mini pigs. Hers are tiny, and not for lack of food... They actually free-range her property in addition to having commercial pig chow available. Pretty sure she uses a Purina product, as the feed mill was telling me she special orders it through them.

 

[Otis7]

That sounds horrible, but kudos to the owner for at least not giving in when the guy grew more than cute (even though the living situation sounds incredibly unhealthy, pig should have been given access outside).

I'm located in Maryland, on the eastern shore if anyone has a good resource.

 

[MDres]

Sent you a PM, Otis7. My friend with the micro-mini teacups is in Southern MD.

Yeah, Hammy's owner was definitely commited, though a bit skewed in his "husbandry" practices. He kept Hammy his entire life, which turned out to be about 10 years longer than anyone at the clinic expected it to be. He finally succumbed to issues with his heart, or at least that is what we tentatively diagnosed via visible symptoms and behavior. You couldn't touch him without sedation, and we wouldn't sedate him anymore with the conditions he was displaying.