So, what exactly is a mini pig? Genetically speaking, the bloodlines are pretty muddled, and the documenting poor. Most of the mini pigs are a combination of several different breeds. The three “breeds” widely accepted as “mini” are the Potbelly, the American Mini, and Juliana. There is some difference between the mini’s characteristics. For example, potbellies tend to have a more swayed back, whereas an American Mini tends to be petite, with a long snout, straight back, and a bit of a wild look. In contrast, Juliana’s has a description much like an American Mini. However, they have stricter colouring requirements (light-coloured with spots in no particular pattern over the body).
People commonly state that our pigs are “big for a mini.” So, let’s talk about overall size. Typically to refer to a pig as a “mini,” they should be less than 21 inches at the shoulder when full-grown. Their weight is typically between 70-150 pounds, but technically, most sites would say a pig 350 pounds and under are miniature pigs. At Hogs & Horns Homestead, we classify miniature as under 200 pounds with a goal weight of under 100 pounds.
Additionally, we categorize breeds such as the Ossabaw island Hog, Meishan and Kunekune as midsized pigs weighing 250-450 pounds full grown. However, basing overall size on weight is only sometimes the best practice when picking out your pig, as they may be overweight or underweight. The best measurement to gauge overall size is their shoulder height and body length. If you are purchasing a full-grown pig, then the height of its shoulder should stay the same. If you are buying a piglet, look at the parents’ shoulder heights and confirm that the parents are a minimum of 2 years old. Fun fact: pigs grow until they are 5, most of their skeletal growth happens in the first two years, but they are not fully mature until five.
Unfortunately, mini pigs have got a bad rap due to poor advertising techniques and scammers. As a result, many believe they do not exist, while others think they’re very tiny. Mini is “a thing that is much smaller than normal, especially a small replica or model.” Miniature pigs may not fit in a teacup or be 8 pounds like a mini dog. Still, they exist and are small compared to their “normal” counterparts. Using dogs as an example, Miniature dogs are approximately 1/10 the size of “normal” dogs. I.e. a mini poodle may weigh around 8 pounds, whereas a standard poodle could weigh in at 70-80 pounds. A meat-breed pig can easily weigh between 700-1000 pounds full-grown. With this in mind, 150 pounds is small for a pig!
Keep learning! Check out these resources for descriptions and examples of mini pig sizes.
