Are Micro Pigs Really Miniature Piglets?
You are holding a baby piglet in your hands, silently wishing they could stay little forever. Well what if they could? For a long time, swine breeders have looked for a way to make them small, knowing they were a desired animal. The Pot Bellied Pigs were the first micro pigs and everyone had to have them in the 1990’s.
Most people didn’t know much about these little rolly polly swine but they still had to have one. However, ignorance got the best of them. What they didn’t know is that they could get as big as regular swine if fed the right food.
Many fed them swine feed from their local feed store. This became a real problem as their small pot bellied piglet began to grow. It wasn’t long before their small pet had the size and disposition of a regular butcher hog. This was because of the growth ingredients in regular swine feed.
If you unknowingly fed your pig growth feed, you soon thought differently about your little swine. These pigs are genetically changed, they are not naturally small like the exotic South East Asian hog.
They are actually pigs that have been bred for their small size. You’ll usually find them a mix of different breeds of pigs, including the SE Asian Pot Bellied Pig. Just as with miniature or toy dogs, the breeders of these swine carefully choose the parents from genetically small stock.
Most offspring only reach to about 40-60 lbs which is rather small for swine considering a normal piglet reaches up to and over 400 lbs. There is a substantial difference between the two. Like the larger breed, the smaller breed are intelligent and easy to train. Many owners consider them smarter than most dogs.
Keeping this small breed in the house is the standard procedure for most owners. They are a very clean animal and also love human interaction. This animal is intelligent enough to be house trained and can even learn tricks. However their eating habits are a little messy. Like a young child, make sure they have their own eating area that is easy to clean up. One other option is to find a type of food that doesn’t make a mess and fulfills all their nutritional needs.
One of the only things to realize with your new pet is that exercise requirements are small. While taking your piglet for a walk is fun, too much of a good thing can be damaging to their joints and tendons creating rheumatism problems down the road. Other than that, these small pets are relatively free of problems.
Make sure that when your choosing your piglet from a breeder, that the breeder is caring for the breed, and doesn’t just want money. You want your breeder to be breeding healthy little pigs, not making it a swine mill. These pigs can be a lot of fun. They are intelligent, fun, engaging, and loving. Better yet, they are hypoallergenic.
Ask questions from experienced breederand keepers. Supplement their pellets with fruit and vegetables (not kitchen waste). According to Croft, the micro pig was produced over time by cross breeding three distinctly different pigs. how much are micro pigs
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