What I've Learned About Mini Pigs (Juliana Pigs)

As of today, I've had my Lil' Pig for 24 days. He is 6 weeks old. He is litter box trained and completely weaned off milk. So today, I'm going to post some things I've learned about mini pigs.

• First: Pigs make noise all day! I didn't know this, and I was thinking that he was hungry all the time. I did some reading and it's normal... thank goodness! My pig makes all different kinds of noises. It's hard to describe them. He makes happy noises. Hungry noises. Playing noises. Little short barking type noise when running. When I get better at understanding his noises, I'll post more about them. 

• Second: My pig LOVES attention. You can't give him too much attention. He'd let you scratch his belly literally all day long if you'd let him. 

• Third: Pigs don't naturally love to take a bath. I thought my pig would love taking a bath. He didn't. Giving a mini-pig a bath is just like giving a new puppy a bath. They don't like it at first. Hopefully, my pig will get used to it.

• Fourth: Pigs can run fast. Most people don't think of pigs as runners, but they can book it on them stubby, little legs! My Lil' Pig can run fast, and he loves to run! I walk my pig around the yard daily and he runs and plays. He has our walking path memorized. I haven't started working on leash training. My yard is big enough to let him walk freely while supervised. I plan on leash training soon so that I can take him to parks and on nature walks with me.

Hanging With the Bunnies

• Fifth: Pigs are stubborn and sassy. I decided to start some basic training with my pig. I want to teach him to sit. I got him to do it one time so far. When he decides he doesn't want to do it, he'll give me this sassy look and just walk off shaky his booty! Pigs listen when they want to unlike a dog. 

• Sixth: Pigs are smart. I litter box trained my pig in under two weeks. He memorized our walking path. He knows his name. He'll come inside when I tell him to after play time. 

• Seventh: Pigs are playful. My Lil' Pig reminds me of a puppy in many ways. Like a puppy, my pig will try to play and bite gently. And like you'd stop a puppy from biting, you tell the pig no. He will push toys around. He even bit the nose off of a cheap toy I got him just like a puppy. Unlike a puppy, a pig tends to push or drag his toys around with his nose. I got a cat tent for my pig and he likes to shove a stuffed rabbit into the cat tent for some reason. 

Soaking Up Some Sun

 Well, that's all I'm going to post for now. Enjoy your weekend!

Lil' Pig's Adventure Outside

Lil' Pig Strutting his stuff

     Yesterday, we took Lil' Pig outside. We put a board at my backdoor so he'd be able to get over the step to walk outside. He wouldn't walk outside, so I picked him up and put him out there. He loves rooting in the dirt. And, this Lil' pig can run! We walked him around to get exercise and he can really book it with them little legs! He follows us everywhere. He never ran off, and he'd never let us get too far out of his site. He also walked back into the house by himself! Yay!!

     We took him to meet the chickens. The chickens were like, "What in the world is that thing?" They kept their distance and crackled when he was near. The rooster gave him the side eye. This is gross, but apparently, Lil' Pig likes to poop at the coop. I was thankful it was outside and not inside!

Lil' Pig Meeting the Chickens

Here is my lil' fellow following my husband. He loves running with my honey! Don't he look so tiny!

Tony Walking Lil' Pig

Taking a break for some luvin'. Pigs love to be scratched!

Luvin' Time

Pigs love them some mud! And lucky for my pig, it has been raining like crazy here lately leaving the yard muddy so he can easily root in the mud!

Litter Box Training Mini-Pig Day 1 continued....

It is now 1:10 pm. In my last post I told you that I took the wood chips out and put a pad in the litter box. Lil' Pig used the litter box several times before he started peeing outside the box again.

He eventually ended up like this.....

So, I decided to put just wood chips back in the box and watch him like a hawk. If he wakes up, I coax him in the box. If he moves trying to pee outside of box, I move the box towards him. If I catch him peeing in the floor, I pick him up and put in the box. I also started giving him a spoonful of his Manna Pro NurseAll Non-Medicated Milk Replacer when he uses the box. My plan for the rest of the day is to keep him close and try to make sure he uses the box.

My New Juliana Pig

     I have been asking my husband for years if I could get a pig. After we discovered the Juliana pig, he finally said yes. So, I started a search for a Juliana pig. There we several people selling Juliana pigs on Craigslist, but they were all sold out. I was about to give up, when a lady called me back because someone had changed their mind and didn't get her last pig. I jumped on the opportunity and told her I'd be there the next morning to pick him up.
    
     We pull up to this nice house out in the country and the lady invites us in. She takes me to the kitchen to show me how to make the pig's milk! Yes, milk! I was assuming the pig would be weaned, and I'd be going to Tractor Supply to get pig food. I hadn't asked how old the pig was and just assumed he'd be 8 weeks like a puppy or baby bunny. Nope. She said he was 3 weeks old! Then I thought, maybe, that's normal. I hadn't researched the age pigs are sold. I go ahead and get him because it's love at first sight for me.
   
     When we get home, I go to pick the pig up to bring him inside, and he starts squealing! I was scared. I was thinking no wonder the last lady didn't get him. He must be a defective pig! I put him down in the house in his little bed and he was fine. I decided to do some more research about the squealing when picked up, and I come to find out that it's completely normal. Thank you Lord!
    
     We have had him for two days now. He still squeals when picked up, but it's getting better. I plan on potty training him to pee outside, so I'm going to keep working on picking him up. Right now, he is using puppy pads to pee on. He does pretty good, but sometimes he'll pee off the pad. I also pan on getting a litter box, because that's easier and cheaper than pads to me.
    
     I bought his milk Manna Pro NurseAll Non-Medicated Milk Replacer, 3.5 lb at Tractor Supply. He was on a schedule of eating 2-4 oz. every 3-4 hours. I am currently started to wean him. He was lid fed, so he drinks his milk out of a butter lid. I bought some Mazuri Mini Pig Youth Food and I've started adding some to his milk. I always put a lid out with the pig pellets on it so he can start getting the taste of the pellets if he chooses. He nibbles and plays around with the pellets. He might have ate a few, but he is not that interested in the pellets. I'm going to keep mixing in milk. Right now, I'm mixing the pellets with milk and making sure it's still runny enough for him to drink. Next week, I'm going to make it thicker, and just keep making it thicker (paste like) until he is fully weaned.
    
     I read that I really have to watch his meals and eating schedule. He already sleeps through the night. I fed him last night at about 10:45pm, and he ate again at 6am. I want to get him to eating 3 times per day, plus snacks and rooting outside. I already got a fenced in area for him to play outside. We are going to build him a house outside as well. Until next time....

Did I mention my pig loves my bunny?