Talk:Miniature pig

Can we use metric values as default?

as per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Units_of_measurement — Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.226.44.5 (talk) 17:49, 24 November 2016 (UTC)

Juliana pig adverts

There's so much wrong with this article, it's so full of crap from minipig breeders. The photo currently is captioned as "full grown juliana pig", in reality the photo is not a juliana (which isn't even a thing, it's just what one breeder advertises his pigs as) and are 2 years old (ie, not at all fully grown. 88.105.213.16 (talk) 04:44, 17 November 2017 (UTC)

I’m pretty sure the Juliana is an actual breed. They are NOT potbellied-pigs. A healthy specimen of a purebred Vietnamese potbellied-pig is always black, has a more pronounced potbelly, has pointy erect ears, has a snout that slightly curves upwards, and has heavily-wrinkled skin, even with flaps hanging over its eyes. There’s no other known breed of pig that comes close to looking like those pigs. I know there’s no Wikipedia article for it, but neither is there for the Yucatan or Hanford (other supposed breeds of mini pig).

I trust the American Mini Pig Association. They have lots of info regarding mini pigs, and it seems like they’re dedicated to them. On their website, they have multiple pictures of the Juliana. I have seen some other pictures online of pigs which were homogeneous in appearance to those, some of which were called “pot belly pigs” or just “mini pigs”.

The AMPA has gathered background info from multiple sources, including biomedical research documentation and breeder knowledge. They have a general understanding of the different build features of many breeds of swine.

According to them, several breeds went into the development of the Juliana, including the Vietnamese potbellied. Shickorbob (talk) 00:25, 16 January 2018 (UTC)

I just visited AMPA's website. There is a large, changing image on the home screen: The motifs include 6 piglets and one adult pig with headphones. Please note that the life expectancy of a pig is approximately 14 years. It only looks like a piglet for a few months. Minoo (talk) 00:23, 18 February 2024 (UTC)

References

So, I'm thinking of trying to do a bit of work on this page, perhaps addressing some of the many points raised above. This would include adding several independent reliable sources and weeding out those that are not, expanding the text and editing it for neutral encyclopaedic tone and scope, and so on. If I were to do so I would change the reference format to the list-defined system – references defined in the reference section, not in the text – and to plain-text refs (without cite templates). I'll probably do that in a day or two if no-one minds, but will of course leave well alone if there's any objection. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 18:58, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

Request for comment: Should the article include sourced material on the marketing use of “micro pig” and “teacup pig”?

Several reliable secondary sources (e.g. The Guardian, 2019, National Geographic, 2014, American Mini Pig Association, Best Friends Animal Society) have reported that the labels “micro pig” and “teacup pig” are commonly used in pet marketing and described by veterinarians and animal welfare organisations as misleading, since pigs sold under those names usually grow much larger than buyers expect.

At the same time, it is recognised that micropig is also a valid scientific term for certain research breeds (e.g. the Yucatan micropig, Göttingen minipig).

Question: Should this article on Miniature pig include a short, neutrally worded section (or a brief note in the lead) summarising the controversy over marketing uses of “micro pig” and “teacup pig,” alongside the existing information on recognised miniature breeds?

This proposal aims to follow:

• WP:DUE — giving weight to significant reliable coverage
• WP:NPOV — presenting both scientific and marketing uses
• WP:VERIFY — relying only on mainstream, reliable sources

Please comment below. Gsmuts (talk) 03:37, 31 August 2025 (UTC)

Well, no. Those sources are riddled with inaccuracies (the Guardian writes "...Micropigs 'are a fallacy' ...", for example). The American association and bestfriends.org can hardly be considered reliable, the Grauniad is a reliable source for left-wing political views but not – that I know of – for animal husbandry, the National Geographic is renowned world-wide for its outstanding photography and appalling text. What solid peer-reviewed academic sources discuss this matter, and is that discussion relevant to this page? Discussion of marketing scams probably belongs in our page on that topic, not here. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 20:02, 5 September 2025 (UTC)

Thanks for the reply. The point here is that several reliable secondary sources — for example The Guardian (2019) and National Geographic (2014) — have covered how the terms “micro pig” and “teacup pig” are used in pet marketing in ways that mislead buyers about adult size. Under WP:RS, mainstream news outlets are acceptable for documenting public perception and marketing controversies; peer-reviewed journals are not required unless the claim is a scientific one.

Wikipedia routinely includes this kind of coverage when reliable sources discuss how marketing shapes understanding of a real subject — see for example Diamond (gemstone)’s treatment of advertising campaigns alongside geology. A short, neutrally worded note here would reflect WP:DUE weight, since reliable sources have already made the connection, without displacing the scientific material.

To give a concrete idea of scale, the proposed addition would be limited to one sentence such as:

Veterinary and animal-welfare sources have noted that in pet marketing the labels ''"micro pig"'' and ''"teacup pig"'' are often used in misleading ways, since pigs sold under those names typically grow much larger than buyers expect.<ref name="Guardian2019" /><ref name="AMPA" /><ref name="NatGeo" /> Gsmuts (talk) 22:01, 9 September 2025 (UTC)

Keeping pigs at home is promoted by organisations such as AMPA

The article mentions the possibility of keeping miniature pigs as pets twice. Yet it does not discuss the feasibility of keeping pigs at home. Organisations such as AMPA present the idea of keeping pigs indoors with occasional access to the garden, as well as keeping them alone with limited contact with other pets, as a feasible option. Mini pigs are presented as being very different from normal domestic pigs and therefore able to be kept in apartments, provided they are entertained with clicker training, taken for walks and allowed into the front yard (at night, so the neighbors don't see) and television entertainment.

However, there are numerous issues with keeping Miniature pigs indoors that need to be addressed.

• The joy of owning a pet pig often ends when the cute piglet grows into a fully-grown sow or boar. The 'mini pigs' advertised by pet shops are usually piglets. A Google image search for 'mini pigs' only shows piglets on the first page. Adult miniature pigs are no cuter than regular pigs.
• Baby animals given as Christmas gifts often end up in shelters within a year. At least people know what adult dogs and cats look like. Miniature pigs are often portrayed as cute piglets wearing pink bows in American films. This is an honest portrayal, as older miniature pigs kept as pets must be disposed of in good time.
• The strong smell that miniature pigs always have is not mentioned. Frequent shampooing can irritate the skin. The wallowing for skin care is not mentioned.
• Manure: Is it disposed of by walking the pigs in public areas of New York, as is done with dogs?NY They are supposed to use litter trays, but the smell of manure in the apartment must be overwhelming.
• Indoor pigs can act out their urge to root by destroying the apartment.
• Pigs are intelligent animals that can develop significant behavioural disorders if they are not kept appropriate. They can become aggressive. Combined with their powerful jaws and weight of up to 65 kg, this can be dangerous. This is twice the weight of a German Shepherd. They must be trained like dogs. Humans must take on the role of pack leader.
• It is dangerous to leave small children alone with miniature pigs, as they often view children as rivals.
• It is also necessary to train the pig to accept a dog or other pets as a companion.
• Feeding: Animal shelters report finding malnourished miniature pigs that were kept as pets and starved by their owners in order to keep them small ("Tea cup pigs"). They also find obese pigs with joint problems whose owners could not resist their begging. As omnivores, pigs require a varied diet. The basis of their feed is barley, corn, wheat, or oat meal, which must be mixed with water to form a thick mash before being fed. Cooked potatoes and species-appropriate mixed feed are also suitable. Pigs need hay as roughage for digestion. They graze on grass for green fodder, and beets and vegetables are suitable as succulent feed. Apples and other fruits should be given in small quantities due to their high sugar content. A daily feed amount of one to two percent of body weight is appropriate. Since mini pigs are always hungry, their feed must be rationed.
• Pathogens: Because pets are considered a reservoir of pathogens that can be dangerous to farm animals, no products or by-products from pets may enter the feed chain for farm animals.
• Health: Regular vaccinations and parasite treatment. Only medication expressly approved for pigs may be administered.

The appropriate husbandry is more important than dead links about miniature pig breeds or their size. Best Minoo (talk) 20:48, 14 September 2025 (UTC)