|
Below: Me with Belarus at 9 months old
Above: Bela at 9 months of age.
 
Above: Bela as a piglet. She LOVES the cats.
The Juliana Pig - also known as the Miniature Painted pig or
mini Juliani is a very rare breed of tiny pig. They are an old breed of pig originating in Europe and were imported to
the USA years ago. They have been endangered several times but thanks to good
breeders you can still find them today. They are always
spotted but come in a variety of colors: white with black spots, silver with
black spots, rust or red with black spots, white with rust spots, etc. Juliana
pigs are supposed to have a very outgoing and friendly personality like a dog.
They are highly intelligent and make great pets. The Juliana is one of the
smallest breeds of pigs so make great house pets.
There is plenty of controversy over the 'teacup' sized pigs
right now. Some people who have smaller potbellies (90-120) pounds will claim
the piglets they have for sale will only be 40 or 50 pounds. Other people will
claim there is not such thing as a healthy pig under 60 pounds. Still others
will claim there is no such thing as a purebred Juliana in this country. I guess
my answer to all of this is go and see for yourself. When I bought my piglet I
was able to see several adult Juliana pigs as well as two other small breeds of
pigs. I was able to see a distinct difference between the three varieties - and
yes the Julianas really are small pigs! They are certainly healthy too if they
are producing 6 - 8 piglets when they are over 10 years of age.
Now that I have my Juliana pig and she is 9 months old I am
able to track her growth and see for myself how healthy and active she is. This
is one athletic little breed of pig! She goes hiking, runs up and down the
stairs, and can sit up like a dog. She has not had a sick or off day in her life
and does great on a mixed diet including fresh grazing and acorns. As if this
was not enough she is very small and her growth has actually slowed drastically
in the past 3 months. Even if she doubled her size she would still be smaller
then a tiny potbelly pig. At this point I am still planning to breed my girl,
but would not do so if I felt she was not a quality enough animal to be
reproduced.
A few words of caution when buying a pet
pig. Never buy a piglet without looking at the parents/relatives and
knowing there may be a possibility the pig will get quite large. Never buy from
a breeder who does not agree to take back the pig at any point in it's life if
you cannot keep it - there are too many abandoned pigs out there for breeders
not to be willing to take back any animal they have produced. Talk in person or
on the phone to the breeder and make sure you have confidence that they know
what they are producing and can help match you up with a good piglet. RESEARCH
RESEARCH RESEARCH!!!! Do not buy a pet pig on the spur of
the moment, they need attention, leadership, discipline and above all loving
commitment.
|