Myth: “Mini pigs”, “pocket pigs” and “teacup pigs” do not grow very big and can be kept at home like kittens and puppies for a lifetime.
The truth: There may be some pigs that are a little smaller than the average pig, but most pigs will grow up to be too big for you to hold or fit in your home.
Pigs have many characteristics that have been misunderstood for a long time: they are very smart, and if they don’t listen to you, it’s not because they are stupid, but because you don’t care and train them enough; they love to clean, and they roll in the mud to remove parasites. And reduce mosquito bites; with a little training, they will know how to defecate at designated spots like dogs. The most important thing, and the one that is most easily overlooked, is that pigs have a cute and honest appearance, so a few people have always kept pigs as pets. However, pigs are too big, and there are many restrictions on raising them – not to mention having a super big stomach in the house, the house price can reach millions for the space occupied – so “miniature pigs” (Miniature pigs) This concept came into being.
What kind of pig is a mini pig?
The breeding of “mini pigs” began in the United States, Japan and other countries after World War II. They were initially used as experimental animals. Among common mammals, the tissue, organ structure and physiological characteristics of pigs are closest to those of the human body, and experiments with monkeys, dogs and other animals are too easy to cause controversy. Pigs seem to be a more ideal experimental animal. So for half a century, scientists have used breeding methods to develop experimental miniature pigs (EMP) with uniform quality and genetic stability . Their small size makes them easy to raise, reproduce and conduct experiments, such as Pitman-Moore pigs. Homeler pig, Göttingen pig, etc. Our country has also used local small pig breeds such as Xiang pig, Wuzhishan pig, and southern Yunnan small-eared pig to cultivate strains suitable for experimental use. These local mini pigs can still be used as excellent meat pigs and occupy a certain meat market.
The history of mini pigs as pets is much shorter. For example, in the United States, Vietnamese potbelly pigs were introduced to American zoos in 1988 and soon became expensive pets. They are the most common pet pigs raised abroad. In China, the most common so-called “miniature pigs” sold in the immature pet pig market are Bama pigs , whose hometown is Bama Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi. The so-called introduced pig breeds are a mixed bag and do not live up to their name. For example, the “Japanese fragrant pig” and “Thai fragrant pig” in the promotion are actually gimmicks played by merchants, because the term fragrant pig is unique to our country, and they may just be domestic fragrant pigs or pot-bellied pigs.
Is it true that he won’t grow up?
So do mini pigs “never grow up”, or how big can they get?
Due to the mixed breeds of mini pigs on the market, their sizes fluctuate greatly, but many mini pigs are indeed guaranteed to be only 5-10 kilograms (5-10 kilograms) when they are one year old. There is currently a popular pet pig nicknamed “Teacup pigs”. They originate from the United Kingdom and are a crossbreed of many meat pigs. They only weigh about 255 grams when they are born and can even fit into a teacup.
But don’t think they’re like Peter Pan and don’t have to worry about growing up. The movie “Little Piggy” (1995) tells the story of a smart farm pig who works hard to become a “shepherd pig”. However, because pigs grow so fast, the movie uses six piglets. It took turns to complete the shooting.
Even the slower-growing “mini pigs” are less reliable in their final size than advertised. A pot-bellied pig may grow to about 90-200 kilograms (45-100 kilograms) as an adult , while China’s Bama Xiang pig can weigh as little as 70-90 kilograms (35-45 kilograms) . But they can still be called mini pigs because they are only one-tenth to one-fifth the weight of meat pigs. It can be seen that the so-called “mini” is actually a relative concept, just because they grow very small when they are young, and they are much smaller than commercial pigs as adults – obviously this name is not a lie.
However, some businesses will use other means to make false propaganda. They took out pictures of the parents of the mini pigs, and they looked so tiny. In fact, that’s because mini pigs are often bred for farrowing when they are less than one year old. Sexual maturity does not mean physical maturity. It may take three to five years or even longer for a mini pig to stop growing. On Taobao, some sellers will claim that their “little fragrant pigs can be finalized in 7 months (note: stop growing), and the maximum weight is about 15-20 kilograms” – that is absolutely impossible, unless every day Hungry them .
It’s big, can it get bigger?
Many owners have found that their mini pigs can easily grow to three to four hundred kilograms (150-200 kilograms) after two or three years. This may be a breed problem. For example, they are actually “pseudo-mini pigs” that are crossbred with meat pigs. Pig,” may also be caused by overnutrition and lack of exercise. The following is a photo displayed by the “Southern California Miniature Pig Association” in the United States. This little pig named “Wilbur” looked like this when he was several weeks old:
And a few years later it grew into… well, this:
it is not uncommon for various “little pigs” to later become big fat pigs.
Since terms such as “teacup pig” and “pocket pig” are not strictly zoological terms, debates surrounding this semantic trap have always existed. If you search for information about buying pet pigs, you will find that on one side, the merchant uses cute pink fonts and exaggerated exclamation points to attract buyers, “Size is everything!!!” Some pet lovers and pet associations questioned, and even directly said, “No such thing as teacup pigs! (No such thing as teacup pigs)”, and the two parties were at loggerheads.
Childhood disappears, where to go?
Generally speaking, the younger an animal is, the more adorable it is. As pet pigs grow older, they become less attractive. Adult pigs can eat and sleep, and are also very destructive. There have been countless precedents of pet pigs destroying your sofa, network cables, etc. In the past, there were even tragedies of captive pigs killing and injuring human infants. Although pet pigs are highly domesticated, their tempers may become worse than before during adolescence and other periods. At this time, many owners will consider whether to keep them or not. There are reports that thousands of pot-bellied pigs were abandoned or killed by their owners after they grew up, and were even sold for as low as $2 because some people would use them to train fighting dogs.
For those pigs that maintain their body shape well, the situation is not necessarily better, because the small size is likely to be caused by malnutrition . Some owners are afraid that the pigs will grow up and feed too much vegetables and other low-energy things, causing the pigs to consume too little energy and protein. Some unscrupulous merchants will also persuade buyers to feed less piglets after they take them back. food.
If you are interested in keeping a pet pig, its diet, epidemic prevention, and entertainment activities all need to be considered. It needs the same care as cats and dogs. For example, piglets are prone to diarrhea and their immunity is also relatively poor. Physical exercise is also indispensable for piglets. You can usually take it for a walk, or you can set up some entertainment facilities at home, such as hanging teething toys for it to bite; of course, it is best to play games with it in person . .
Currently, some researchers are using genetically modified technology to transform piglets, trying to breed mini pigs that truly “do not grow big”, and some sample pigs have been released. However, this technology is still in the experimental stage, with high cost and low survival rate. It is estimated that it will take a long time to enter the pet market.
Conclusion: “Mini pigs that don’t grow big” do not exist . Although the existing mini pigs are much smaller than meat pigs, they are far less small than some false advertisements advertise.
PS: If you just want to keep a pig as a pet, treat it well all your life, and never abandon it no matter how big it grows, and you won’t kill it to eat, then keep it. At least it’s not illegal to raise pigs. If you really love a pig, don’t starve it to control its size (well, although many people do this to their girlfriends/boyfriends…)
…Although it is cruel, the truth is: the final ending of many “little fragrant pigs” is… Well, I don’t have the heart to say it. Recommend a subscription account, everyone can figure it out for themselves…
