Clara was a pink piggie when she was born, with black spots. Her little legs still get quite pink, as do her ears and nose. She is bred and due soon, but I sure hope the weather warms up so the babies are not cold. She will bury them to keep them warm.
Curious Wilbur! In a pig's eye.
Wilbur came with his name and it suits him quite well. He is thin and wrinkly and I am not sure why. I have been giving them minerals and salt to help with his coat, but I think he will always have a thin hair coat.
The piggie's shelter is filled with straw and hay. They bury themselves completely under the hay and come out steaming when it is cold.
The potbelly pigs are quite small, not tea cup size, but smaller than other potbelly pigs I have seen and previously had. Clara is half the size of the last female potbelly and she is almost full grown. It is easy to overfeed the pigs and then they become too fat and unhealthy, so they are given enough food daily so they are not hungry, but not so they 'pig' out.
The pigs are here to provide pork for the farm. Big pigs are wonderful and grow quickly, but they grow to a large animal and provide 200 pounds of meat. This is far too much for us, so as much as I love the pigs, I decided to give pot belly pigs a try again. They were bred to provide meat for families that were poor because they would suvive on table scraps without much input and produce young so the family could have meat. In North America, they are often regarded as pets rather than livestock and many people seem to view them as they would if one ate a dog. I do not. They are still livestock and though I did not set out to raise animals for meat, they are here for that express purpose. It is not easy to sell potbelly piglets in this area and there are lots of rescues with unwanted pigs. People have them indoors and they do housetrain well, but they are still pigs and tend to root up carpets and get into cupboards when they are bored. They are not house pets.
Clara is pregnant and due in a week or so. The weather is extremely cold tonight but over the weekend it is supposed to get quite warm for a spell. I can also introduce a heat lamp in a barrel for the little piglets once they are mobile, which is quickly after they are born. Clara will be a first time mother. My last potbelly mother laid on her babies every time and was not a good mother so I did not keep her. Hopefully, Clara will be an awesome mother. Little piglets are very adorable too. WAit and see.
The pigs are here to provide pork for the farm. Big pigs are wonderful and grow quickly, but they grow to a large animal and provide 200 pounds of meat. This is far too much for us, so as much as I love the pigs, I decided to give pot belly pigs a try again. They were bred to provide meat for families that were poor because they would suvive on table scraps without much input and produce young so the family could have meat. In North America, they are often regarded as pets rather than livestock and many people seem to view them as they would if one ate a dog. I do not. They are still livestock and though I did not set out to raise animals for meat, they are here for that express purpose. It is not easy to sell potbelly piglets in this area and there are lots of rescues with unwanted pigs. People have them indoors and they do housetrain well, but they are still pigs and tend to root up carpets and get into cupboards when they are bored. They are not house pets.
Clara is pregnant and due in a week or so. The weather is extremely cold tonight but over the weekend it is supposed to get quite warm for a spell. I can also introduce a heat lamp in a barrel for the little piglets once they are mobile, which is quickly after they are born. Clara will be a first time mother. My last potbelly mother laid on her babies every time and was not a good mother so I did not keep her. Hopefully, Clara will be an awesome mother. Little piglets are very adorable too. WAit and see.
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