What are 'Teacup' pigs?

Teacup pigs, tea cup pigs (south african spelling!), micro pigs, nano pigs, pocket pigs, miniature pigs, miniature potbellied pigs, Juliana pigs, Royal Dandy pigs, and other exotic names, are all just brand names given by breeders to market their pigs. They're all just miniature potbellied pigs that have been selected for small size, and are not specific breeds.

So Teacup Pig = miniature pig of mixed breeds

The Vietnamese Miniature Potbellied Pig is a true breed of miniature pig. 

Photo above: Orff, our very first mini pig, was a pure miniature vietnamese potbellied pig. 

The Kunekune Pig from New Zealand is another. See photo below.

Are Teacup pigs good pets?

Me giving my beloved pig Pumpkin a tummy rub.

Yes teacup pigs are great pets! They are loving, peaceful, happy souls who give off a wonderful energy that is very enjoyable for humans. You just need to know how to interact with them so that you don't make them unhappy and even aggressive. (Which is why I wrote the 6 e-ooks about them it's IMPORTANT to know pig talk!)

They are clean in the house, highly intelligent and eat very little to stay fat and healthy!

Pumpkin and I saying "hello" in pig talk!


What Size do Teacup pigsget?

Photo above: Julie with Cuckoo, our first pure female miniature vietnamese potbellied pig visiting some young farm pigs.

Miniature pigs are classified by some societies as 50cm and less when fully grown at 4 - 5 years old. 40 to 50cm is realistic.

IF THIS IS TOO BIG FOR YOU THEN DO NOT GET A TEACUP PIG!

You do not get smaller than this anywhere in the world. (No not even in dandy America!)

Pennywell Farm UK describe their pigs as the size of small labradors. It's their spotty piglets who we saw next to teacups who started the term 'teacup' pigs. Other U.K breeders of 'micro pigs' describe their pigs as the size of labradors. 

 

One of Pennywell's older pigs that does not look like a piglet. (Photo courtesy of Pennywell.)

What do fully grown Teacup pigs look like?

 Like humans, adult teacup pigs do not look like babies. They have big rough faces instead of the round soft features of babies.

The pigs in the photo above are adults (fully grown at 4 years).

The sow below (Morag) is 3 years old and so just about fully grown.

Roger the dad of many of our piglets. See the photo below of him and some of his sons to see the size difference and difference in looks at different ages.

The front boy is about 4 months, the two behind about 9 months and Roger 5 years old.

One of our sows with babies a few years ago. You can see the difference in their looks - especially faces.

Fraud!

This little girl is 6 mths old. In a month she could have her first babies. Her babies would be born premature (to save her life) and so mum and kids would be 'tiny'. Unscrupulous breeders would allow buyers to think that mum was fully grown and the piglets will also be that size. Meanwhile she will still double her size at least. These breeders would then get rid of their older pigs so that all their parents are small. 

I know quite a few breeders in South Africa who do this. They then claim that they have 'fully grown' pigs that are the size of cocker spaniels, jack russels and even half the size of house cats. 

ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE FULLY GROWN PIGS MUCH UNDER 40CM HIGH WHEN 5 YEARS OLD IS A FRAUDSTER.

Are Teacup Pigs good with Other Animals?

Yes they get on with all animals, you just have to socialize dogs well with a new piglet to make sure that the dogs don't hurt her.

Below is even one of our mums the day that she had her piglets with one of our cats close to her.