AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Micro pig11/12/2023 ![]() ![]() Tamara started using food to train Oscar when he was just 8-weeks-old, and the possibility of getting delicious treats like Cheerios and freeze-dried peas made him a fast learner. On the upside, that laser focus on all things edible means that pigs are easy to train. "He can’t think about anything but that food." “If Oscar thinks he’s going to be fed, he’d jump off the side of a bridge," Tamara says. When Oscar starts to get hungry, he’ll stand by his food bowl and oink loudly until he gets his meal. Pigs live to eat, which can be both good and bad. "So they might head butt, nip, or bite if they think you’re lower on the totem pole." 5. "Being the pack leader with a pig is important," Tamara says. But because pigs are hierarchical, they can get aggressive - especially if they sense that you aren’t willing to take charge. At night, he’ll even cuddle with them on the couch. They might even try to push you around.Īfter nearly a year, Oscar has gotten closer to Tamara and Casey. "He corralled himself up in the garage, and it was probably two hours before we caught him," Tamara says. (That's Oscar in all of these pictures!) When Tamara and her husband Casey first introduced their little pink bundle to their house, Oscar was scared and didn’t want to be touched. "It’s not like bringing a dog home,” says Tamara W., who adopted a mini pig named Oscar in 2015. ![]() Have dreams of bringing your little piggy home and snuggling on the couch or playing fetch together? Pigs and their human parents bond eventually - but the process is slow. But if it doesn’t, unlike a breeder, they’ll normally take the pig back," Hoyle says. Plus, since the pigs tend to be older, they’re more likely to have reached their full (or nearly full) size.Īnd because shelters are invested in finding forever homes for their pigs, they’ll take the time to educate you about your new companion’s needs. ![]() Shelters will only adopt out pigs that are healthy and well-socialized, so you’re less likely to have to deal with huge vet bills or behavior issues. There are other benefits to adopting, too. "There’s no need to spend thousands of dollars at a breeder when shelters and sanctuaries are already begging people to take their pigs," Hoyle says. But sadly, many owners put them up for adoption after just a year or two once they realize they can't care for them. Mini pigs can live for more than 20 years. A rescue is a much better bet than a breeder. If mom and dad are larger than what you could realistically care for, their piglet probably isn’t the right one for you. Your best bet is to visit your pig’s parents in person so you can see how big they are, according to American Mini Pig Association. (That sounds huge, but compared to full-size farm pigs, which hover around 600 pounds, they are mini.) “A breed of very tiny pigs doesn’t exist in nature," he adds.Īnd because pigs can take up to five years to reach their full size, it’s tough to tell how large your new pet eventually become. “There are 15 to 20 breeds of mini pig, and all of them are 150 to 180 pounds at full size,” says Hoyle. Problem is, none of them are regulated - so it’s pretty tough to know exactly how big your little pig will get. Mini, micro, teacup, pixie: There are lots of different names that breeders use to describe their pigs. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |