Pet Pig Size, Lifespan, Price, How to Keep One, and Why Schools Ban Them

As people's living standards gradually improve, more and more people like to keep pets to pass the time, and even keeping pigs has become a favorite for many people, because pet pigs have no unpleasant body odor, eat little, and are very easy to keep. So how big do pet pigs grow? How long do they live? How much does one generally cost? How do you keep one? Why do schools not allow them?

How big can they grow?

Pigs that can be kept as pets are generally fairly small, such as the Guinea pig, the Xiang pig, the Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig, the Hulia Ni pig (painted piglet), the African pygmy or Guinea pig, and the Ossabaw Island pig. These pigs all do grow, and they generally reach basically their final size by four months old and reach maturity at about 5 months. Because gene control technology is used, their body weight does not exceed 5 kg.

It is worth noting that anyone who wants to keep a pet pig should be especially careful. There are many fake pet pigs on the market, and if you are not careful, as you keep it, it turns into pig farming and keeps getting bigger and bigger, and then the fun is really something else.

How long do they live?

The average lifespan of an ordinary pig is 20 years, while the lifespan of a pet pig is about 10 years. Pet pigs are omnivores, do not eat much, and also like to eat a little fruit and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes. If the owner takes care of them carefully, living 10 years is no problem.

People always think pigs are stupid, and naturally assume pet pigs are stupid too. This is a misunderstanding. In fact, pigs are very intelligent animals, and pet pigs are too. As long as you train them, it is very easy to get them to learn to relieve themselves in a fixed spot.

Pet pig prices:

It is understood that common prices are mostly in the range of three hundred yuan to six hundred yuan, but this statement is not 100 percent accurate, because buying and selling on the market is diverse, and buying at one shop versus another shop can lead to differences in price. Therefore, it is suggested that everyone go directly to a relevant pet shop to ask how much one pet pig costs in order to get a more exact answer.

In addition, as mentioned earlier, some impure pet pigs may grow into fat pigs, so when choosing one, do not judge whether it is a real mini pig based only on how much one pet pig costs. Instead, do more homework and gain a bit more understanding of mini pigs, so that the chance of buying a truly purebred pet pig will be a little higher.

Although price can sometimes help us filter out some unreliable choices, this factor is by no means the only standard for judging. If you want to avoid being cheated, then do not look only at the price, but weigh many aspects comprehensively. Moreover, merchants generally set the price of a pet pig by combining various aspects.

How to keep one:

1. Living conditions are very important

Pet pigs need to live in a quiet, dry environment, with a temperature of 18-29 degrees Celsius being suitable. You can let them live in a study, living room, or balcony. Pet pigs are afraid of the cold. When winter comes, remember to make them a warm nest and add some blankets or a quilt, and do not let them catch a cold or get diarrhea.

2. Diet

Piglets 0-4 weeks old can be fed whole milk powder. For each meal, brew about 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of milk powder into 100 c.c. of milk, and you can add 1 small spoonful of cream or 1 raw egg yolk to increase nutrition. Many people who sell pigs say piglets cannot have human milk, because the nutritional content is different from sow's milk, but many pig owners feed their pigs milk and have not found any adverse reactions, so you can let your pet pig eat it without worry.

After 4 weeks, you can feed the piglet dry whole milk powder, about 2 large spoonfuls of milk powder per meal, and reduce the amount of liquid milk fed. This action is called "creep feeding", and its purpose is to train the digestive ability of the stomach and intestines for solid food.

After 6 weeks, you can feed the piglet a small amount of solid food or solid food soaked in water, and it can also begin to try foods such as fruit and green vegetables. When feeding piglets new food, piglets may have nutritional diarrhea. Once the owner finds that the piglet's stool is incompletely formed and rather loose, please send it to the vet as soon as possible.

After 1 month, piglets can eat solid food completely. Because pigs are omnivores, the food must include vegetables, fruit, and animal protein, such as chicken, beef, and cucumber, in order to have balanced nutrition and let the piglet grow up healthily.

3. They do not need frequent bathing

Pigs love cleanliness. Unless the piglet gets completely dirty playing outside, it only needs a bath then. On ordinary days, simply fill a basin with water and wipe the piglet's mouth and nose with a towel. If you bathe the pig too often, it will cause dry, itchy skin in the piglet and problems such as red rashes from scratching.

4. Take careful care of the piglet and prevent it from getting lost.

It is very hard to gain a piglet's trust, and that is a precious trust you cannot get from any other pet. So treasure it especially!

Raising notes:

1. The growth period of a pet pig totals 3 years, but it stops growing at about one and a half years (depending on the diet), and generally it can stay at about 20-35 jin. Although it has this weight, because the pig's meat is fairly dense and it grows round and plump, it does not look that big, and it looks much smaller than a dog of the same weight.

2. If you are not prepared to keep a pig, including the space and time for keeping a pet pig, and you are not sure whether you can really like it, please do not keep one lightly. There is a saying that goes well: your world has friends, family, work, and entertainment. But its world has only you.

Introduction to common types:

1. Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig

The Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig may be the most popular breed today. They have an attractive appearance and a tame temperament. Their exaggerated back and big belly (a sign of overfeeding in other animals) are completely normal and healthy. Their average height is about 35 cm, and their average weight is about 45 jin.

When the Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig was first bred in 1980, it was not used as a family pet, but was bred for zoos as breeding stock. However, mini pigs became very popular with people, and afterward a pet trade boom around these mini pigs arose. Later a Canadian zoo worker named Keith Connell introduced mini pigs, and then Keith Leavitt introduced mini pigs to Texas. Although they acted separately, they laid the foundation for the popularity of mini pigs in the United States today and provided more choices for those preparing to choose mini pigs as pets.

2. Hulia Ni pig

The Hulia Ni pig is also called the painted piglet. These little guys are really small, with an average height of 25-40 cm and a weight of 13.5-45 jin. Like the pot-bellied pig, they have a gentle temperament and also like to play with toys.

3. African pygmy or Guinea pig

Truly small pigs, these pigs weigh about 18-36 jin and have an average height of 35-56 cm. They are lively and active, highly alert, and very smart. Compared with pot-bellied pigs, African pygmy pigs have very straight backs. They like to be close to the people they like.

4. Yucatan pig

The Yucatan is also called the Mexican hairless pig. This kind of pig can be small or not small. Larger breeds can grow to more than 180 jin, while the small ones average only 45-90 jin. Their average height is 40-61 cm.

5. Ossabaw Island pig

The Ossabaw Island pig has an average height of 35-50 cm and a weight of 22.5-81 jin. They have a dreamlike temperament, get along well with people, and are very smart. This kind of pig can live 25 years, so keeping this kind of pig means you can keep it from when your child is very young until university graduation.

Why do schools not allow them?

According to the school student dormitory management regulations, it is explicitly stated that animals are not allowed to be brought into student dormitories.