Dwarf domestic pig , or mini-pig, is used in laboratory and medical research and as a decorative pet. Adults up to 70 cm at the withers, weight up to 150 kg.
Content
Appearance history
These miniature pigs began to breed in Germany in the 1950s, using small wild boars and a Vietnamese live-pig . There is no clear standard for the breed, breeders from many countries, including Russia, are working on breeding smaller individuals, the so-called micro-pigs.
Development Features
The color of mini-pigs is various: black, red, sand, marble, brindle, mixed. Life expectancy of 10-15 years. In the decorative quality contained in the apartment as well as dogs and cats , without space restrictions. They are considered intelligent animals, easy to train, trained to commands, accustomed to the tray, almost no smell. In childhood they are playful, but they are prone to obesity, in connection with which diet and walking are recommended.
Mini-pigs grow to 2 years, after which they begin to boar (gain weight) and they gain weight throughout their lives. The average weight of an adult standard mini-pig - 40-80 kg, small (micro-pigs) - 10-30 kg, large - 80-120 kg. There are single exceptions - 5-10 kg, but they are not a breed trait, so the weight and height of the mini-pie also determines the diet and diet. Mini-pigs molt and can cause allergies. Mini-pigs are brought up as a host and need to be trained, otherwise they will be capricious and may not get along with children and the elderly, may show aggression. Mini-pigs require a lot of attention in the first months of the family, they need to be explained what is possible and what is not. An ill-mannered mini-pig will spoil furniture and furnishings, but with the help of zoopsychologists, behavior can be easily corrected.
Mini-pigs are omnivores, the menu depends on the conditions in which a pig will live: an apartment or a country house, a cold room or a warm one, and also how you want to see your mini-pig: small or large, with a large layer of fat or slender.
To maintain a good physical form of pigs, a diet is necessary (not in the sense of a scant amount of food, which often leads to dystrophy, baldness, and vitamin deficiencies in order to maintain the small size of the mumps, but in terms of the quality and composition of food). Fatty, spicy, sweet and salty foods, fried and baked are contraindicated. Nutrition mini-pigov should be similar to the nutrition of young children - healthy wholesome food without salt, sugar, animal fats and frying in butter.
In recent years, there have been frequent cases of fraud with mini-pigs. Since there are a lot of false and contradictory information on the Internet about their weight in adulthood, simplicity of content, as well as many photographs in which new-born pigs are depicted under the guise of dwarf breeds, breeders do not tell the true situation to potential buyers.
Breeds
Since mini-pigs have no clear standards, the following breeds can be conventionally distinguished:
- Vietnamese vislobryuhaya pig. The progenitor of dwarf domestic pigs. From this breed began breeding to reduce body size. Weight 45–100 kg. Breed popular mainly in America. It is best to keep in a country house with a plot;
- Göttingen minipig. German selection. Quite a young breed that looks similar to the Vietnamese. Weight 70-90 kg;
- Wiesenau Compact with a square case, muzzle without folds, weight up to 60 kg;
- Bergshtresser Knirt (karapuzik). Small breed, popular in Europe. Weight 20-30 kg;
- Minayyalino Refers to micropigam. Breeding breed. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most miniature. Adults weigh about 12 kg. In Russia, this breed is not represented. Most likely, it was a single successful case of breeding such a dwarf animal in Italy, which was not further disseminated. Since such tiny mini-pigs are quite painful and practically unsuitable for reproduction.
Notes
Literature
- Striovski E. Mini-pigs (decorative pigs). - M .: Aquarium-Print, 2008. - 98 p. - (Pets). - ISBN 978-5-98435-836-1 .
Links
- Elena Semenova. Hotel for dwarf boars // Nezavisimaya Gazeta. - 26.10.2005.
- Doctor of Biological Sciences VN Tikhonov. Mini-pigs - the hope of mankind // Chemistry and Life. - Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 2011. - Vol. №9 . (inaccessible link)
- Kopaladze R.A. MINIATURE PIGS AS AN OBJECT OF MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCHES // Successes of Physiological Sciences. - 2006. - Vol. №2 . - pp . 71-83 .
- Gorelov I.G. Siberian mini-pigs - a new type of laboratory pigs // Chemistry and Life - XXI century: Journal. - Novosibirsk, Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS.
- Alexander Belkin. Man pig not a friend? SB RAS (August 26, 2010). The appeal date is March 12, 2013. Archived March 16, 2013.