Micro pigs are truly one of the most common and popular breeds of pet pigs these days and it’s only natural to be curious if the tale of micro pigs is true.
So how big do micro pigs get? A micro pig could become 14 inches to 20 inches tall at most and gain 23 kilos (50 pounds) to 91 kilos (200 pounds) worth of weight according to breeders.
But the real question is… do they really stay that small?
To give you a realistic answer, there is really NO GUARANTEE that a micro pig will stay as small as it is. In fact, they can grow twice larger than their current sizes.
So why are they called “micro pigs” if they are not guaranteed to stay small?
The truth is… the breed “micro” or “miniature pigs” is just a term used by breeders to refer to small pigs intentionally produced by using a process called “selective breeding”.
For potential owners, we want to properly address the “miniature pig” trend and directly state that mini pigs are not considered as an actual breed by science because they are products of genetic manipulation.
Pigs have a diverse genetics and can go beyond their breed’s standard colors, sizes and even the behavior can go different. They can be unpredictable at times.
There is really no way to accurately predict a pig’s height and weight because they often grow larger than expected while some stay surprisingly small.
Now, this revelation might be a shock for you and may discourage you from getting your own micro pig.
We are not saying this to down breeders and miniature pigs because not all breeders are bad and there are successfully bred miniature pigs.
Before buying a micro pig, always look for a reputable breeder in order to have a safe and secured transaction. This way, you can be more at ease that your micro pig is truly “micro sized”.
Once again, it is only “not guaranteed” but it can still be possible.
Anyway, we all should be aware that regardless of the size, small or big, pigs have BIG personalities waiting to surprise us and capture our hearts.
For additional details, there are actually a few factors or elements that can affect a pig’s growth.
What factors affect a micro pig’s growth
There are only a few things that affect a pig’s growth and we must keep in mind that some of these things are truly beyond our control.
- Original genetics
- Diet or Food consumption
- Environment
- Health
- Manipulated genetics
A. Original genetics — this is about the true genes related to a pig that can go all the way back to their ancestors.
For some rare cases, an example is a now black breed of pig used to be red in the past but managed to produce a completely red offspring without being crossbred.
There are breeds that have stronger genetics than the other which can impact a pig’s size or growth.
B. Diet or Food consumption — there are breeders who either overfeed or underfeed a pig in order to control their growth or the offspring’s possible size.
This method is discouraged if it can be cruel to the animal and may also result in several health complications to both the pig and offspring.
For natural instances, a pig following their normal diet and consuming their natural source of food will possibly stay close to their breed’s standard sizes.
C. Environment — there are rare times when certain breeds tend to intentionally hold back their growth using methods that may or may not be familiar to our studies.
Depending on their environment, animals will adjust to fulfill nature’s demands and for the sake of survivability.
This element is still a bit unclear for us and continues to be observed and studied by our researchers or scientists.
D. Health — this might depend on the parents or how the offspring will be raised. If the parents are healthy the higher chance of having a healthy piglet that will have the average / standard size of the breed.
Diseases or physical injuries can stunt the growth of pigs and even permanently halt their growth which can be carried by their offspring.
Health plays a big part in growing.
E. Manipulated genetics — the opposite of the first element which is “original genetics” is manipulated genetics. This is about selective breeding and can either turn out great, normal or just plain bad.
Selective breeding is not always popular in all places as it can potentially be harmful to the participating animals as there are also cases of abusive breeders.
This is not the same for all and there are still reputable breeders out there that are why we advise buyers to be careful and look for a trustworthy deal.
How selective breeding affects a mini pig’s growth
Selective breeding is somewhat no different from “Genetic manipulation”. It is the process of carefully pairing up specific breeds with each other in hopes of producing a better, stronger and desired breed as a result.
There are advantages and disadvantages for selective breeding. If you have heard of teacup puppies or munchkin cats, they are also products of selective breeding.
Those “breeds” or the “results” of selective breeding are said to be often born with medical complications, deformed body parts, weaker bone structures, disabilities or other sicknesses.
Pigs are not exempted from this and can also suffer from the negative sides of selective breeding.
Many people are against selective breeding but despite that, there are some breeders that claim their procedures are different from others and that it is safe and healthy for the animal.
Negative cases of selective breeding are underfeeding the animals and force pairing the two animals.
This section is very important to shed some light on those who are not aware of the process of selective breeding and what it can possibly do to animals.
The advantage is the possibility of creating a stronger breed by combining two different breeds. Other than that, there are more possible disadvantages rather than advantages as of the moment.
When do micro pigs stop growing
Pigs stop growing around 2 to 3 years of age. Their growth will slow down as soon as they reach their sexually matured age of six months old.
While a micro pig’s average life expectancy is 15 years up to 20 years, they may still continue to grow more if they reach 5 years of age but it is uncommon.
This popular breed of miniature pigs which includes every other small breed are said to have shorter lifespan due to their complicated and selective breeding, many pig owners claim their pets lived up to 15 years and more.
This information brings us to the conclusion that there are times that they can live longer than their expected lifespan as long as they are healthy and loved.
What are other breeds of micro pigs that grow similarly
As time flew by, more breeds of small pigs continue to be discovered by the general community but here we have the top 3 most common breeds that we know so far.
- Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig
- Kunekune Pig
- Juliana Pig
Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig
According to research, an average “purebred” Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig could grow 13 to 26 inches for height and 60 to 175 pounds in weight.
As the name implies, the breed originated from Vietnam and is indeed a naturally small breed of pigs that have a fat hanging belly where they got the name “Pot Belly” from.
The Vietnamese Pot Bellied pigs are currently considered endangered and is being supported to recover from a threatened level of population.
Kunekune Pig
An average Kunekune can grow up to 24 inches tall. Kunekunes have very
short legs paired with short and round body and may have two wattles until its
chin.
This breed is believed to have originated from an Asian domestic breed. The
local Maori people of New Zealand adopted the Kunekune which means “fat and
round”
Juliana Pig
An average Juliana pig can grow up to 15-17 inches in height. The Juliana breed of pigs is said to originate from Europe through selective breeding just like most miniature pigs.
This breed is also known as the “miniature painted pig” because of its colorful, spotted appearance. This is part of their charm and makes them stand out from other pet pigs.
Related Questions
- Can you keep a micro pig indoors?
Yes, you can keep a micro pig indoors. They are naturally docile creatures and smart enough to be house trained.
They also get along very well with other animals such as cats.
Micro pigs are not as difficult to handle as other pets and in fact, a low maintenance animal so long as the owners are properly educated on what to avoid for their micro pigs.
Keeping a micro pig indoors may only need one specific adjustment and that is “Pig Proofing” your home.
Micro pigs are curious animals in general and would tend to lurk around your house, examining objects with their snouts (nose) by nudging or rooting them.
This behavior can be risky for both you and your micro pig as they might break objects that can potentially harm you and your pet.
Pig proofing focuses solely on covering unused electrical outlets and moving light and fragile objects that a micro pig can break.
It is more of a safety precaution but other than pig proofing your home, a micro pig indoors will give you little to no issues at all.
To learn more about keeping micro pigs indoor, you can click the blue link to read our article.
- Are micro pigs expensive?
On an average, mini pigs can cost around $800 to $4,000
Prices may differ depending on your breeder or your location.
There are some areas that offer micro pigs around $300 minimum.
Once again, be warned that there are tricky breeders and there are reputable breeders. There is no guarantee that your mini pig will stay small and we want to always set this expectation.
The number of abandoned pet pigs is increasing continuously and this is because they grew larger than expected.
We want to avoid this by advising you to seek reputable breeders which can secure a small breed of pig for you.
Taking care and raising a micro pig may have different costs depending on your preferred setup but here is an estimated computation as a total cost of raising a micro pig (excluding the price of purchase for the pig)
Indoor Pet Pigs — around $300 (excluding the price of pig purchase)
Outdoor Pet Pigs — around $800 (excluding the price of pig purchase)
Farm / Livestock Pigs — around $800 to $1200 (excluding the price of the pig purchase)
To learn more about the costs and its details, you can read “How Much Does it Cost to Raise a Pig?” by clicking the link.