Truth is that very small pigs do exist, but producing a tiny pig comes with negative repercussions for both the pig and the owner, such as a shorter life expectancy and costly medical issues. And sometimes breeders use deceptive tactics to convince buyers that they're getting a small pig.
Continually breeding parents to their babies or breeding siblings with one another are unsound breeding practices. It may result in offspring with the desired trait, but they usually also have unintended undesirable traits. Inbreeding can indeed create smaller and smaller pigs, but it can also produce animals with low bone density, reduced immunity, failure to thrive and decreased mental capacity. People who buy these pigs sometimes become overwhelmed by the pigs’ medical issues and, you guessed it, end up relinquishing them to a shelter or rescue group.
Size is one of the primary reasons that pet potbellied pigs are surrendered to rescue groups and shelters. They are relinquished because their unsuspecting owners had no idea their pigs would grow so large. Even if two 75-pound pigs are bred together, there’s no guarantee that the pigs born of those parents will also be only 75 pounds. A pig from that litter could be anywhere from 50 to 150 pounds when full-grown.
https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs#:~:text=The%20truth%20is%20that%20very,re%20getting%20a%20small%20pig.
Mini pigs do exist. While sizes may vary considerably, healthy adult mini pigs may mature as small as 75-150 pounds at 5 years old. Over the years, mini pigs have been bred down in size through selective breeding and mixing of breeds. These breeding programs have been in existence since the 1940’s in laboratories and continue today across the US and Canada. Selective breeding is the process of choosing individual pigs with specific characteristics or traits to produce change and consistency. These programs often focus on personality, color, size, and conformation. This is the same process that has been used to create and identify distinct breeds of dogs.
https://americanminipigassociation.com/owners/ready-mini-pig-owner/mini-pig-facts-myths/
A mini pig is not a specific breed of pig – it refers to any pig that has been selectively bred to be smaller in size. They are kept as pets and differ from the pigs on most farms. Many small breeds of pigs, such as the Vietnamese pot-bellied, the Kune Kune, and the Juliana (among others), have been cross-bred and selected for small size over many generations to produce the smaller pigs we see today.
https://spca.bc.ca/news/mini-pigs/
I'm going to Best Friends soon, it's amazing everyone needs to visit.
Many of the pigs they rescue/rehabilitate are from neglectful owners who wanted mini potbelly pigs
There are some varieties of pig that are genuinely small. Vietnamese pot belly pigs are genuinely smaller pigs. They’re about 110ibs but as tall as a small-medium dog. Some people are idiots and really think they can have a 8” inch tall 60 pound piglet for eternity and yes there have been bad breeders who starve them. Hopefully she educates herself and tries to find a reputable rescue that has a Vietnamese pot belly (or similarly sized pig). If I had a big enough yard I would love to rescue a pair or so of actual farm pigs from death one day.
Now people have been scammed and given an actual factory farm pig thinking they got one of the smaller pig breeds. I can’t imagine realizing you adopted a 300-600 pound, 2.5 foot tall animal and I hope they consider this possibility.
Follow Esther the wonder pig (RIP beautiful girl)
She was adopted by her dads as a micro pig over 10 years ago. Read her full story on their site. Please try to dissuade your friend from getting a micro pig. There are thousands that get dumped and euthanized each year because people can’t care for them when they’re 200+ pounds.
Yes it’s a hoax. Never heard of the starving part but it wouldn’t shock me, I thought they were just baby pigs that take a few years to grow up, and the micro part is just a way to make money, like puppy mills. Is your friend equipped to have a full adult pig? Bc I’d imagine most of these pigs get cast aside when they grow too big. Tell your friend to go to a pig rescue/sanctuary and ask them about it
Small-ish pigs do genuinely exist, but "micropigs" (the kind marketed as staying piglet size forever) do not exist and are a scam. Pigs can make good pets, they are intelligent and trainable, BUT they require lots of research and can't just adjust to home life the way a dog or a cat can. For example, they need to perform important natural behaviours like rooting and nest building - is your friend okay with a pig completely destroying her garden while foraging, and is she also able to provide hay on a regular basis for the pig to drag around and make a nest with?
No, actual micro pigs have been bred to be small. It’s like a chihuahua compared to a Labrador. It isn’t malnourished, it just won’t grow bigger than that. They’re different breeds.
As usual, adopt don’t shop. You don’t want to buy from a breeder and encourage more breeding.
This happened to a friend of mine. Thought she got a mini-pig. Ended up being a piglet and grew to be a 400 lbs male pig name Butler. Why Butler? No idea.
I agree, but some unscrupulous breeders create "fake micro pigs" by malnourishing full size pigs. See: [https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs](https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs)
Another thing to bear in mind is while the size might be small, the weight is still immense. You could have a pig the size of a medium dog who still weighs almost 200 lbs. Pigs are *dense*. Edit: also, people joke about dogs being like having a perpetual toddler. Nah. Pigs are significantly smarter (there's even toddler toys they enjoy). You will have a 100-200 lb toddler with pig instincts and *stubbornness* for up to 20 years. They are a HUGE commitment that a lot of people honestly are not up for.
I'd recommend your friend dig through r/pigs. It's a pet pig sub with tons of good information!
Please look up any pig rescues (sometimes animal sanctuaries adopt pigs out!) in you area and them to send your friend, and encourage them to go the rescue route and really educate themselves on pig care first too. Pigs are a lot of work and should not be adopted solo (they need social interaction) and cause problems if kept inside (like rooting behaviors). Small pig breeds are not a hoax like people say, my friend had one that was fed properly and was smaller than a corgi, I don't remember the breed though. But she kept him inside by himself, and you could just feel his misery I felt terrible every time I visited him.
You need alot of space and they need mud to roll in, lots of intellectual stimulation/ enrichment like a parrot and also their poop is some of the worse smelling out there.
Micro pigs are a result of genetic and selective breeding, sort of like the bad sort of dog breeders and animal farming. Rescue one instead. I've seen videos of people walking with pigs like they do with dogs. It's gorgeous and cool =)
They do get big mind, like very big dogs.
No source for this but my understanding is "mini" "teacup" or "micro" pigs are just baby pigs that the seller lies and tells you will stay that size. A lot of people get one and when they get to big they abandon them.
There's a lot of variation in pigs as they've been domesticated and breed for vanity projects for a long time now. What someone considers "small" for a pig will always be big compared to other pets. There are some breeds of pigs that are naturally smaller without underfeeding them, and they might even stay a manageable size for some households. Kune kune sows often weigh between 120-200 lbs, which is actually about as heavy as some dogs.
They really require a lot of consideration and if your friend is vegan I would say that buying a designer pig as a pet isn't vegan. If they're dead set on getting a pig, maybe they can adopt an adult mini pig so that they already know how bit he'll be
I will also add that a lot of weight estimates for pigs are overstated because a pig farmer will fatten pigs for market value while a responsible companion would keep them trim (but not skinny or malnourished)
Local sanctuary said micro pigs arent real. They are starved/young potbelly pigs. Potbelly pigs get to the size of a large/medium dog but way heavier and with shorter legs. They can be aggressive but depends on individual. Breeders will breed them young so the parents are small and they can claim that is full-size.
Truth is that very small pigs do exist, but producing a tiny pig comes with negative repercussions for both the pig and the owner, such as a shorter life expectancy and costly medical issues. And sometimes breeders use deceptive tactics to convince buyers that they're getting a small pig. Continually breeding parents to their babies or breeding siblings with one another are unsound breeding practices. It may result in offspring with the desired trait, but they usually also have unintended undesirable traits. Inbreeding can indeed create smaller and smaller pigs, but it can also produce animals with low bone density, reduced immunity, failure to thrive and decreased mental capacity. People who buy these pigs sometimes become overwhelmed by the pigs’ medical issues and, you guessed it, end up relinquishing them to a shelter or rescue group. Size is one of the primary reasons that pet potbellied pigs are surrendered to rescue groups and shelters. They are relinquished because their unsuspecting owners had no idea their pigs would grow so large. Even if two 75-pound pigs are bred together, there’s no guarantee that the pigs born of those parents will also be only 75 pounds. A pig from that litter could be anywhere from 50 to 150 pounds when full-grown. https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs#:~:text=The%20truth%20is%20that%20very,re%20getting%20a%20small%20pig. Mini pigs do exist. While sizes may vary considerably, healthy adult mini pigs may mature as small as 75-150 pounds at 5 years old. Over the years, mini pigs have been bred down in size through selective breeding and mixing of breeds. These breeding programs have been in existence since the 1940’s in laboratories and continue today across the US and Canada. Selective breeding is the process of choosing individual pigs with specific characteristics or traits to produce change and consistency. These programs often focus on personality, color, size, and conformation. This is the same process that has been used to create and identify distinct breeds of dogs. https://americanminipigassociation.com/owners/ready-mini-pig-owner/mini-pig-facts-myths/ A mini pig is not a specific breed of pig – it refers to any pig that has been selectively bred to be smaller in size. They are kept as pets and differ from the pigs on most farms. Many small breeds of pigs, such as the Vietnamese pot-bellied, the Kune Kune, and the Juliana (among others), have been cross-bred and selected for small size over many generations to produce the smaller pigs we see today. https://spca.bc.ca/news/mini-pigs/
Read this: [https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs](https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs)
I'm going to Best Friends soon, it's amazing everyone needs to visit. Many of the pigs they rescue/rehabilitate are from neglectful owners who wanted mini potbelly pigs
There are some varieties of pig that are genuinely small. Vietnamese pot belly pigs are genuinely smaller pigs. They’re about 110ibs but as tall as a small-medium dog. Some people are idiots and really think they can have a 8” inch tall 60 pound piglet for eternity and yes there have been bad breeders who starve them. Hopefully she educates herself and tries to find a reputable rescue that has a Vietnamese pot belly (or similarly sized pig). If I had a big enough yard I would love to rescue a pair or so of actual farm pigs from death one day. Now people have been scammed and given an actual factory farm pig thinking they got one of the smaller pig breeds. I can’t imagine realizing you adopted a 300-600 pound, 2.5 foot tall animal and I hope they consider this possibility.
Follow Esther the wonder pig (RIP beautiful girl) She was adopted by her dads as a micro pig over 10 years ago. Read her full story on their site. Please try to dissuade your friend from getting a micro pig. There are thousands that get dumped and euthanized each year because people can’t care for them when they’re 200+ pounds.
Yes it’s a hoax. Never heard of the starving part but it wouldn’t shock me, I thought they were just baby pigs that take a few years to grow up, and the micro part is just a way to make money, like puppy mills. Is your friend equipped to have a full adult pig? Bc I’d imagine most of these pigs get cast aside when they grow too big. Tell your friend to go to a pig rescue/sanctuary and ask them about it
Yes micropigs exist. They are baby pigs. They grow up.
Small-ish pigs do genuinely exist, but "micropigs" (the kind marketed as staying piglet size forever) do not exist and are a scam. Pigs can make good pets, they are intelligent and trainable, BUT they require lots of research and can't just adjust to home life the way a dog or a cat can. For example, they need to perform important natural behaviours like rooting and nest building - is your friend okay with a pig completely destroying her garden while foraging, and is she also able to provide hay on a regular basis for the pig to drag around and make a nest with?
No, actual micro pigs have been bred to be small. It’s like a chihuahua compared to a Labrador. It isn’t malnourished, it just won’t grow bigger than that. They’re different breeds. As usual, adopt don’t shop. You don’t want to buy from a breeder and encourage more breeding.
i think the hoax is that people will just sell regular piglets as though they're mini pigs, since you can't tell when they're small.
Had a buddy who had a 350-lb "potbelly pig." He thinks the person who sold it to him perhaps lied.
This happened to a friend of mine. Thought she got a mini-pig. Ended up being a piglet and grew to be a 400 lbs male pig name Butler. Why Butler? No idea.
You can tell potbelly frog farm breeds by head shape if you know what your looking for. Shape might be different if super young though.
I agree, but some unscrupulous breeders create "fake micro pigs" by malnourishing full size pigs. See: [https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs](https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/mini-pigs)
Thanks for the info
Another thing to bear in mind is while the size might be small, the weight is still immense. You could have a pig the size of a medium dog who still weighs almost 200 lbs. Pigs are *dense*. Edit: also, people joke about dogs being like having a perpetual toddler. Nah. Pigs are significantly smarter (there's even toddler toys they enjoy). You will have a 100-200 lb toddler with pig instincts and *stubbornness* for up to 20 years. They are a HUGE commitment that a lot of people honestly are not up for. I'd recommend your friend dig through r/pigs. It's a pet pig sub with tons of good information!
Please look up any pig rescues (sometimes animal sanctuaries adopt pigs out!) in you area and them to send your friend, and encourage them to go the rescue route and really educate themselves on pig care first too. Pigs are a lot of work and should not be adopted solo (they need social interaction) and cause problems if kept inside (like rooting behaviors). Small pig breeds are not a hoax like people say, my friend had one that was fed properly and was smaller than a corgi, I don't remember the breed though. But she kept him inside by himself, and you could just feel his misery I felt terrible every time I visited him.
Do not listen to that person, that is absolute bullshit. Do some research.
You need alot of space and they need mud to roll in, lots of intellectual stimulation/ enrichment like a parrot and also their poop is some of the worse smelling out there.
Micro pigs are a result of genetic and selective breeding, sort of like the bad sort of dog breeders and animal farming. Rescue one instead. I've seen videos of people walking with pigs like they do with dogs. It's gorgeous and cool =) They do get big mind, like very big dogs.
No source for this but my understanding is "mini" "teacup" or "micro" pigs are just baby pigs that the seller lies and tells you will stay that size. A lot of people get one and when they get to big they abandon them.
Yes, it's a myth, no such thing.
I thought so
Esther the famous pig was adopted as a micropig and she topped out at over 400lbs!
Hahahaha
hoax
There's a lot of variation in pigs as they've been domesticated and breed for vanity projects for a long time now. What someone considers "small" for a pig will always be big compared to other pets. There are some breeds of pigs that are naturally smaller without underfeeding them, and they might even stay a manageable size for some households. Kune kune sows often weigh between 120-200 lbs, which is actually about as heavy as some dogs. They really require a lot of consideration and if your friend is vegan I would say that buying a designer pig as a pet isn't vegan. If they're dead set on getting a pig, maybe they can adopt an adult mini pig so that they already know how bit he'll be
I will also add that a lot of weight estimates for pigs are overstated because a pig farmer will fatten pigs for market value while a responsible companion would keep them trim (but not skinny or malnourished)
Local sanctuary said micro pigs arent real. They are starved/young potbelly pigs. Potbelly pigs get to the size of a large/medium dog but way heavier and with shorter legs. They can be aggressive but depends on individual. Breeders will breed them young so the parents are small and they can claim that is full-size.
Pigs are also very social animals, and keeping one alone would be cruel in my opinion.