Maude, one of the adoptable adults at Hog Haven Farm
When I was asked to join the HHF family by becoming an Adoption Coordinator, I was overjoyed to be a part of helping many of the pigs I’ve grown to know and love, find their forever homes. Over the past year, I have learned that a big part of this role is educating prospective pig adopters on the ins and outs of pig parenting. We tend to get a lot of requests for baby pigs, and we don’t see many babies because that’s the age they are the smallest. Usually, it’s not until pigs start to grow that people try to rehome their family pet. Not only is this very difficult on the pig, but it’s hard for us to watch, as well, knowing it only gets better! I’d love to share some of the benefits of adopting an adult pig and the joys that go along with being a pig parent.
Hanging out with my almost 10 year old pig, Lucy
Size. Along with people often wanting to adopt a piglet, they also want a small pig. Those 2 requests cannot definitively be fulfilled together. Pigs grow until they are about 5 years old; while a baby may be small initially, there is no guarantee what their actual size will be once they reach adulthood. Even when you see the parents, that is not always a great indicator of the adult size of their offspring. When breeders show their breeding pigs off, they aren’t always truthful about age, or have inhumanely stunted their growth by not feeding them correctly. When you adopt an older pig, there won’t be the surprise of having a much larger pig than anticipated. This is especially important in certain areas due to some ordinances having a weight limit on pet pigs. It’s important to note that mini pigs grow anywhere from 70 lbs at the low end, to 300 lbs at the high end, with most falling between 100-180 lbs at adulthood.
Grogu and Mando are bonded half-brothers on the smaller side, who are looking for their forever homes
Personalities. Pigs are very intelligent and have big personalities to match. Just like with a human baby, we learn what type of personality they have as they mature. Adopting an older pig allows us to match you up with the type of pig that works best with your family! Some are shy, some are sassy, but they all have their little quirks. We know you’ll love getting to know them, just like you would with a baby!
Wilbur is one of our more timid pigs, who we know will blossom in the right home
Training. Adopting an older pig often allows you to sidestep some difficult piggy phases. Most of our grown pigs are already well-mannered and trained. While you can always teach an old pig new tricks, it’s kind of nice to bypass some of the piglet moments that lead to new pig parents surrendering their younger pig to a new home.
Companionship. Pigs make excellent companion animals. When they are young, they can be very needy or demanding, which can sometimes feel like more work than what you’re getting from the relationship. That’s why we usually will only adopt babies to experienced pig owners. If you are new to pig ownership, an older pig is likely going to give you more of that companion feeling that we often associate with dogs or cats. Mature pigs just want to Netflix and chill!
Lucy
No matter the age, pigs do not make good gifts. During our adoption process, we like to have the entire family out to meet any potential adoptees, as we firmly believe that the pig picks their people. There is always an adjustment period for any new pet, but I’m confident that if you allow yourself the opportunity, you will fall in love with your pre-loved piggy. If you have any questions about pig adoptions, feel free to email me at [email protected]. If you think you’re ready to start the adoption process, I invite you to fill out an application on our website. –Chelsea
Rescue often involves heartbreak and heart aches. Some pigs arrive happy and healthy, but others arrive broken, neglected, and abused. At Hog Haven Farm, most of the pigs surrendered to our care come from that second category—so we can be a safe landing space, a source of comfort and healing, an option for those with nowhere else to go, and a voice for the voiceless.
Our newest rescue may not have purposely been neglected, but her physical condition desperately hurts our hearts. There are many breeders out in the world who claim “teacup” as a breed of pig, and their advice is to essentially starve the pig to keep it small. Unsuspecting owners take this poor nutritional advice with no question, feeding a diet of only ¼ cup pig pellets twice a day; but like any other species, as we grow and mature, our diet must also increase. ¼ cup of feed per meal (twice a day) for the duration of a pig’s life is not enough nutrition, and some folks do not realize the harm this diet causes.
A pig’s organs will continue to grow as they mature, and if their body does not keep up with internal growth, they will live a short life, stunted, starving, unhappy. A healthy diet is based on 1-2% of body weight, and the feed you select should be formulated specifically for potbellied pigs (some brands are labeled for mini pigs, but the protein content of a pig-specific food should range between 12 and 16%, or closer to 20% for piglets. Most hog feeds, and specifically grower feeds, should not be used). Hog Haven Farm chooses to feed Manna Pro, but other brands are widely available. It should also be noted that mini pigs are not a breed, but a size reference: healthy adult weights can be as low as 70lbs, or as large as 300lbs, and they are not considered adults until 4 years of age. In Hog Haven Farm’s experience, average adult weight is typically between 100 and 180lbs.
A variety of shapes and sizes, all of these pigs have healthy body scores.
On April 18, 2019, executive director Erin Brinkley-Burgardt presented to Colorado legislators the plight of pet pigs. Learn more about Hog Haven Farm began, why there is an overwhelming need for rescue, and how you can help.
Founded in August 2014, Hog Haven Farm was conceived from my childhood love of pigs, and from an incredible bond I formed with my first pet pig, Pipsqueak. After bringing Pippy home in 2013, and becoming active in Facebook communities for pet pigs, my husband Andrew and I became aware of the national plight of pet pigs, and decided to take action. Thinking our rescue goals would take 5 years to take off, we were blown away when Hog Haven Farm grew within 6 months. In the last 3 years, we have moved twice to accommodate the growing demand of rescue, and are now located on 40 beautiful acres east of Denver. We rescue pigs from situations of abandonment, abuse, neglect, and from slaughter.
Hog Haven Farm is currently home to 98 pigs, 7 equine, 1 dog and 4 cats. Of these 98, 80 are potbellied and 18 are standard or mixed breeds. In the 4.5 years we’ve operated, we have rescued nearly 190 pigs, with our intake doubling in 2017 when we were able to expand. Since founding, we have been able to adopt more than 80 potbellies to forever homes, and network other pigs in need to find sanctuary or permanent homes.
Sadly, only 2-5% of all pet pigs remain in one home during the course of their long lives, a 20-year average. One primary factor contributing to abandoned pigs relates to breeding practices. Because pig breeding is not regulated by the USDA or PACFA, false claims can be made to sell more piglets without consequence. Additionally, there are an estimated 500,000 pet pigs in the United States, so you can imagine why the retention rate of pet pigs is so alarming.
The terms “teacup, “micro-mini,” and others were coined by breeders to sell more piglets. No matter the breed, all piglets are typically less than a pound at birth, and the overwhelming cuteness of these babies draws a lot of attention. The myths about these tiny pigs include many alarming details; breeders will claim that teacup pigs reach a mere 25-40lbs at maturity. Additionally, many breeders suggest highly restrictive diets to keep these pigs small, or essentially advising their clients to starve the pig. Many breeders also welcome clients to meet the breeding parents, suggesting that the piglet will only grow as large as mom or dad.
The truth behind these myths is widely available to anyone performing a simple Google search. “Teacup” and other such breeds are merely potbellied pigs, who grow anywhere from 70 to 250lbs. The term “mini pig” is also misleading, as it refers to any breed of pig 300lbs or less. Compared to standard breeds, 300lbs is quite small! Females come of breeding age at 4 months old, and often, the breeding parents at breeders are just babies themselves. Because pigs don’t complete their growth for 4-5 years, meeting breeding pairs who are younger than that do not give an accurate size reference. Additionally, not all pigs will be the same size as their parents; just like human children, there is no guarantee that they will fit in a certain growth percentage!
Another contributing factor to unwanted pet pigs is zoning regulations and restrictions. In Colorado, some of the current cities with bans on pet pigs are Aurora, Loveland and Castle Rock. When people are caught illegally keeping a pig, the animal is either seized or the owner is given up to 30 days to remove it. Hog Haven Farm has received many calls from Aurora and Castle Rock, from both animal control and private owners, asking that we remove the pig.
In addition to bans on pigs, other jurisdictions have unrealistic weight restrictions for pet pigs. While potbellies can be as small as 70lbs, the more common range, in our experience, is 100 to 180lbs at adulthood. It is our opinion that, if potbellies are permitted as pets, the weight restriction should be removed all together, or should be at the high end of the range—250lbs.
Most jurisdictions that allow pigs as pets do not have licensing or neuter/spay policies in place. This contributes to backyard breeding, which is banned for other types of domesticated animals. Because of the lack of licensing and altering policies, about 50% of the incoming pigs at Hog Haven Farm are intact, and are rarely up to date on necessary vaccines, such as dewormer.
While pigs do make wonderful companion animals, they often do not do well in homes with other pets—primarily dogs. Because pigs and dogs have different methods of communication, they can become a danger to one another. Inherently, pigs are prey and dogs are predators; due to no fault of either animal, the result of their inability to communicate can lead to traumatic, and often lethal, results for the pig. That being said, pigs do coexist well with other species, including cats, goats, and other “farmed” animals.
One of the reasons I am so drawn to pigs is their sentience. Pigs are social animals with a herd mentality, and form strong bonds with their companions—they crave affection and attention. Ranked the fourth smartest mammal, pigs reach the intelligence of a 4year old human. Like elephants, pigs’ emotional intelligence is comparable to our own human experience—they understand joy, love, and happiness, but also deeply feel sadness, loss, grief, pain, and fear. When pigs lose their companions, they can, and often will, cry real tears and suffer from depression, just as we humans do.
Pigs use more than 20 sounds to communicate; when they are happy to see their companions, they hot pant to express affection. As intelligent animals, pigs are natural problem solvers—they are curious and food motivated, so learning to bust out of their pen or break into the refrigerator inside the house are mild inconveniences. More so than other domesticated animals, pigs appreciate human companionship, and love to cuddle or be around their people. As such, we advocate for a compassionate, plant-based diet.
Operating a pig rescue has its limitations. Pigs are dominant creatures, and will physically fight one another when meeting for the first time, so there is a process to integrate new pigs. As many of our intakes have not been vaccinated, and parasites can affect our entire herd, we have a quarantine procedure that lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 days. Many of the inbound females are not spayed, and the procedure, while necessary, is quite expensive. Current demand averages eight surrender requests for every one pig we adopt out. In 2019, we have rescued 12 pigs and adopted 8, but have a current waitlist of 5. We have had to say ‘no’ to more than 40 unwanted pets as well. Our average annual adoption rate is only about 20%, and that further limits the number of new pigs we can rescue.
To combat the overwhelming plight of unwanted pigs, we have several ongoing objectives. The first objective is to work directly with animal control units across the Denver-metro, for training purposes or to place abandoned, abused and neglected pigs. We also work directly with many animal shelters that are not equipped to handle pigs; some of the shelters we work with are partnered with animal control units, and we have been able to save many pigs from hoarding and neglect cases because of this relationship.
Hog Haven Farm also strives to educate the general public about pigs as creatures and as pets, to break the myths breeders have created and allow people a chance to interact with our rescued pigs. We are very active on social media, with the goal of teaching people about these amazing creatures. We currently have 7 pigs trained as therapy pets, and will bring them to fundraising events, as well as to schools, assisted living and nursing homes.
Our last objective is where we need your help! We are seeking change for breeding regulations and zoning restrictions across Colorado and ultimately nationwide. Without your help, and without our ability to educate the general public, the epidemic of unwanted pet pigs will only worsen.
You can become involved by sharing this truth, reaching out to your local lawmakers and demanding change, and by choosing to adopt your companions, rather than supporting breeders. Only through education can we demand change! To watch the full video of Erin’s presentation, please visit our Facebook page.
Miniature pigs–the exotic, amazingly adorable novelty pet–are often classified with such names as teacup, micro, nano, pixie, and micro-mini. What does this mean, though, and what exactly is a mini pig?
At Hog Haven Farm, we get asked a lot of questions. Sure, it isn’t every day you meet people who are determined to do everything they can to support, rescue, educate and service the community with potbellied pigs. Many of the questions we are asked are centered around the bathroom habits of pigs–and the rest comparing pigs to dogs. People need a reference point to understand the connection of pigs as pets–and here is the answer to our most frequently asked question: Why Pigs?
Let’s talk first about the concept of keeping domesticated animals as companions–i.e. pets–in our homes. Psychological studies over the last decade have agreed that there are both physical and psychological benefits of maintaining a human-animal relationship. Research suggests that keeping a pet can reduce stress, lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce depression, loneliness and isolation, and increase social interactions and connections with those who have similar pets. Whether it be a typical household pet–such as a dog, cat, or bird–or an exotic pet, the bond between humans and companion animals is undeniable.
There’s no question about–potbellied pigs, especially as young piglets, are one of the cutest creatures on the planet. There’s a lot of craze going around with people wanting these amazing animals as pets, yet the rate of abandonment and rehoming is growing across the country.
If you are thinking of getting a pig as a pet, please do your homework and keep the following in mind:
