Small pigs are mini or miniature pigs like the Juliana pig and Choctaw hog. They have a swaying back, potbelly, a pudgy figure, a round head, short legs, short nose, short neck, and dense hair at the end of their tails.
They are different from other pigs. These small pigs can weigh anywhere from 70 to 300 pounds.
Read on as we discuss the various mini pig breeds in existence.
About Mini Pigs
Chinese pigs were sent to Western cities, where they were used to study toxicology, pharmacology, lung, heart, aging, and organ transplantation.
They weighed between 150 and 200 pounds. It was more difficult for them to deal with bigger pig breeds, which usually weigh 300–500 lb.
Keith Conne brought Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pigs to Canada from the Bowmanville Zoo in Ontario in the 1980s. The pot-bellied pig was the foundation for the breed in North America. The breed has a small size and a potbelly.
Many people don’t know if pigs are perfect as pets. Pet miniature pigs are a lot of fun to have around. Pigs’ real sizes vary from pig to pig.
Genetics, as well as the right food and care, help them grow. Also, humans raised mini pigs can weigh as much as 75 to 150 pounds.
Because pigs can have babies for years before they’re fully grown, some breeders show off parent pigs who aren’t yet fully grown.
Mini Pig Breeds
1. American Mini Pig Breed Standard
The American Mini Pig is a type of pig that has evolved. This was possible by combining different breeds from all over the world.
The American Mini Pig is smaller than other breeds, with a compact, strong 15-20 inches. It is important that American Mini Pigs are healthy and happy. This is because people only bred them to be pets or companions.
It can live both inside and outside, and it is the right size for a pet pig. Also, it has a healthy and athletic build that allows it to move and run freely while keeping its eyes open.
Moreover, when you look at the American Mini Pig’s DNA, you can see a wide range of different breeds.
2. Meishan Breed
Meishan is among the mini pig breeds you should know. They are Taihu pigs, a type of pig that lives in China. In China, the prefecture of Meishan is famous for its valley and lakes.
They are small to medium in size, and they are one of the oldest breeds of swine in Asia. In the late 1980s, three different labs brought Meishan pigs to the United States.
They stopped having babies because of their slow growth and fat. However, they wanted to keep their genes in the US for future use and public viewing, but some people and zoos wanted to raise them.
All the Meishan in the United States is descended from these pigs left to die.
3. Ossabaw Island Hog
The Ossabaw Island Hog is a mini pig breed from feral pigs living on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. People who came to Ossabaw in the 16th century brought swine with them, and the original Hogs are descendants of those swine.
Even though a breeding population has been set up on American farms off the island’s coast, the pig is still very rare.
4. Mulefoot Hog
Mulefoot pigs are among the mini pig breeds in existence. They were named because they have hooves that look like mule ones.
These pigs are usually black, but sometimes they have white spots. They have erect, floppy ears and short, shiny hair, as well as long snouts that gradually get shorter.
They look like wild hogs on the outside. 400 to 600 pounds is the average weight for them. Males weigh about 250 kg and females about 450 pounds, and they’re about the same size.
The sows are popular for good mothers, with litters averaging five to six piglets.
5. Juliana Breed
The Juliana pig, which is said to be the smallest breed of pig, is also known as the miniature painted pig due to its small size and patterns.
By deliberately breeding with small breeds and little pigs, they bred Juliana to be small. It is not officially a breed, but they see it as a suitable pet because of its gentle and friendly temperament.
Because Juliana’s size results from careful breeding, there is no guarantee that a small Juliana piglet will retain its diminutive stature as it grows older.
6. Pot-Bellied Pigs
This is another breed among the mini pig breeds. This pig is called a pot-bellied pig because it was a pet in Southeast Asia.
They sometimes call it the Chinese, Asian, or Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Native breeds make up the Pot-bellied pig “breed.” We used to find them in the hills of Vietnam, China, and Thailand. Now, we can find this “local breed type” worldwide.
While these local varieties have some physical similarities, genetic analysis has shown that they aren’t all that close to each other at all.
7. American Guinea Hog
The American Guinea Hog is a true American farm pig that may have been around for more than 200 years.
They came from a breed that lived in the south of the United States for a long time. Some stories suggest that the pig has a European background, but other influences could play. Adult males and females of the American Guinea Hog are 22 to 27 inches tall.
Males are one or two inches taller than females. The size of older animals may get bigger. Because American Guinea Hogs can quickly get fat, it’s important not to overfeed them, especially with grain.
Fertility problems are more likely to happen if they’re too fat.
8. Yucatan Breed
The Yucatan mini pig is slate-gray in color, has no hair on its body, and has a calm and submissive demeanor. The tractable character of this pig reduced the dangers for both animal caregivers and researchers involved in the experiment.
These pigs became more open to handling and endured restraint due to regular human contact and interaction.
