Potbellied pigs usually have 6 to 8 piglets in a litter. If you are considering breeding your pet pig, it is wise to make sure that at least 3 or 4 babies are placed into good pet homes, prior to breeding. This means you should have deposits and signed contracts in hand. Sometimes people say they want a pig, but when the time comes, they do not get it. It is the experience of many breeders and pet owners who breed that they really cannot completely depend on someone who says, "If your pig ever has babies, then I would like one of them." In many areas of the country, City Councils require that potbellies living within the city limits be registered. Be sure and keep this in mind when choosing a boar. Both parents will need to be registered for you to be able to obtain proper registrations papers for your litter.
Piglets are hard to place into proper pet homes and they demand a great deal of care and support by their breeder. The mother pig requires shots prior to and after farrowing. The babies require shots from the time they are a few days old. In addition, all of the male pigs must be neutered before they are placed into pet homes. It is virtually impossible for someone to have an un-neutered male as a pet. They are just too amorous and excrete a musk smell as they become sexually active. Sometimes by the time they are approximately six weeks old. It is also advisable to have the females spayed. During their 21-day heat cycle, some females experience terrible cases of PMS. They cry waiting for the boar to arrive, or think the family dog might make a good substitute. Families find it hard to live with this type of female pig. To avoid having a bad result from having a pig spayed, it is always best to have this done by a Veterinarian who is very familiar with this type of procedure.
The potbellied pig as a pet is quite different from a cat or dog. It is your responsibility to screen the prospective family carefully, just to make sure that the pig is going to the right kind of home. The new pet owner needs to be fully aware of how to care for the piglet so that it is not given up to a shelter because of lack of knowledge regarding the proper care and nature of potbellied pigs. Not everyone should have a pet pig.
Most female potbellied pigs reach puberty between the ages of 3 to 4 months of age. Female potbellies come into heat and are sexually receptive every 21 days. Heat can last 6 days, during which time your pig will have a swollen, reddened vulva. Some pet pig owners notice changes in their female pigs when they come into season. Their pigs may have accidents in the house and carry household items back to their bed. This will pass at the end of heat, but spaying is the only way to eliminate this behavior. The males usually are sexually mature by 90 days. Some pigs can breed even earlier than 3 months, depending their on genetics, housing, weight, and growth rate.
When you breed your pet pig, this is what you can expect. Your female pig will need to travel to the boar and be with him for two to three months. Even though your female has been having her monthly heat cycles, it usually takes a boar in close proximity to bring your female into ovulation. Thus, she will more than likely not be bred the first month. In the beginning of her stay, she will fight with the boar because he is not part of her herd. You can expect her to be bitten, scratched and possibly have her ear torn while they are fighting. It is important that both the female and the boar are up to date on all their vaccinations. It is also wise that the pigs be blood tested for the primary swine diseases prior to being placed together. There certainly have been occasions when the visiting pig has become ill and even died from being exposed to new bacteria and viruses that it did not have in its own environment.
The intact male potbellied pig makes a very poor pet unless neutered. The boar is sexually mature by 90 days. The intact boar will chomp his jaws and produce foamy saliva with a disagreeable odor. This same musk smell also emanates from the area of his penis. The intact boar is known to exhibit behavior, which makes it almost impossible to keep him anywhere but an outdoor pen. He will try to mount anything at his level, he will paw the ground with his front feet, head swipe or push the pet owner. His main job in life is procreation, and he takes his job very seriously. Without an in heat female, he looks for another alternative to meet his sexual desires.
It is important to note that line breeding is not an option with pigs. The rule of thumb for breeding potbellied pigs is no closer than five generations. The more closely related, the more likely the litter will have birth defects. For every generation “in” the breeder can expect a 10% increase in birth defects. Therefore, with the breeding of a very closely related pair, such as father to daughter, mother to son the breeder can expect at least 50% of the babies to be deformed or dead. Some deformities in pigs are not readily seen, such as those of the heart and urinary tract. Sometimes piglets produced through line breeding die prematurely due to this unseen birth defects.
Three weeks prior to breeding a vaccination is given to the female and to the male pig to aid in the prevention of reproductive disease. Another vaccination is given to the female two weeks before she has her litter. She should also be wormed at this time. The gestation or pregnancy period is 114 days.
At least five days prior to her due date the female should be moved to a farrowing, birthing area. This farrowing area should be totally disinfected before the mother pig moves in. The surface of this area needs to be either earth or be covered with non-skid, washable rubber mat, so that the new babies are less likely to skin their knees or have leg problems as they nurse. Bedding for the mother and babies can be small amounts of clean hay, shredded paper or wood chips. The amount used of each type of material should never be so much that the baby piglet can become tangled in it. Household items such as rugs or blankets should not be used. This area needs a heat source, such as a heat lamp. Baby piglets have no control over their body temperature for about 3 days. They need to be kept in an environment of at least 90 degrees during this time; therefore, a heat source may be required even in the summer. The mother pig will move away from the heat, should be become too hot. The farrowing area needs to be big enough for her to do this comfortably. Size of the farrowing area also helps prevent the accidental crushing of the babies by their mother. Most farrowing areas have 2X4 boards attached to the sides of the area. These boards are placed about 6 inches from the floor. This allows the babies to escape under or on top of the board, should their mother suddenly begin plop down in their direction.
Usually, a few days to a few hours prior to delivery of the litter, colostrums, a thin, yellow fluid containing up to 20% protein, may be secreted by the mammary gland of the mother. The average litter size for a potbellied pig is 6 – 8 piglets, but up to 10 – 12 may be born. An uncomplicated delivery may take up to 1 -2 hours, with about 15 to 30 minutes between the births of individual pigs. Baby pigs weigh somewhere between 6 and 12 ounces at birth. Veterinary assistance should be sought if the birth of the litter is prolonged, the female strains without producing pigs, few piglets are delivered and labor stops, if a foul discharge or decaying placenta is detected at the vulva, or, close to due date, the female has labored breathing, weakness and inability to rise.
After the births of the entire litter and after the babies have had their first colostrums, they are removed temporarily from their mother so that the breeder can give them a complete examination. The breeder looks for any sign of birth defect. It is my observation that if the breeder can see a birth defect, there is another internal defect looming that the breeder cannot see. The breeder also clips the babies needle teeth, clips the umbilical cord and dips it in iodine. In some locations, a shot or oral administration of iron may be necessary for the piglets. As soon as the litter examination is complete, the litter is returned to its mother. The breeder also checks to make sure that the mother has expelled all the afterbirth. A shot of oxytocin during or after the birth of the litter helps to ensure this.
The piglets are weaned at about 6 weeks and no earlier than 5 weeks. All of the piglets should be vigorously eating solid food prior to weaning. This is a very stressful time for the babies and their mother. It is best to move the mother away from her litter so that she cannot see or hear them.
With all the expense and time involved in breeding potbellies, it is highly unlikely the novice breeder can recoup her investment, much less profit by breeding pigs. Once the stud fees have been paid, mandatory veterinary care has been provided, housing the piglets and their mother has been done and the enormous investment of time with the piglets and their new owners has been accounted for, very few people come out ahead by selling potbellies. Today, only breeders who have spent years developing their reputation and a market for their piglets can hope to make a profit.
Breeding pigs has its emotional costs, as well. Ask any breeder what it is like to see a sow through a difficult birth or Cesarean section, or to witness the death of a beloved pet sow or her piglets. It is not unusual for some member of the litter to have a medical emergency before the litter goes home. Death plays as large a role as life when it comes to breeding pigs.
Should the pet owner decide to move forward and become a breeder, she should strive to produce each new litter as an improvement over the last. Good breeders consider carefully with whom their pig breeds, as she tries to find a good-tempered boar that is not closely related, whose bloodlines will strengthen her own pig's weaknesses and will emphasize her pig’s good qualities. Since most boars are owned by breeders and are not kept as pets, the experienced breeder is a valuable resource to the novice and can help her make the appropriate choice of a mate for her pig.
If after considering the personal, financial and time investment you will need to give your pig, the piglets and the new family, you still think that breeding is appropriate for you, seek the advice and guidance of a good potbellied pig breeder.
Remember there are already too many unwanted pigs. As a pig lover, it is better to try to help rather than hinder this unfortunate situation. You must make certain that you have a home for the majority of the expected litter, before it is even conceived.
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