How to Breed Pot Bellied Pigs

Find a suitable mate for your pot bellied pig. Do a little research on pig genetics to foresee the possible traits the piglets will have according to the backgrounds of both parents. Breeding for specific qualities and looks can help sell them faster and for better prices.

• Most female potbellied pigs reach sexual maturity between the ages of 3 to 4 months of age. Female potbellies come into heat every 21 days. Heat can last 6 days, during which time your pig will have a swollen, reddened vulva. The males usually are sexually mature by 90 days. Some pigs can breed even earlier than 3 months, depending on their own genetics, housing, weight, and growth rate.^[1]

Know what to look for. Some pet pig owners notice changes in their female pigs when they come into season. Their pigs may have accidents in the house and carry household items back to their bed. This will pass at the end of heat, but spaying is the only way to eliminate this behavior.^[2]

Vaccinate. Three weeks prior to breeding a vaccination is given to the female and to the male pig to aid in the prevention of reproductive disease. Another vaccination is given to the female two weeks before she has her litter. She should also be wormed at this time.

Put your female with the male. Your female pig will need to go to the boar and be with him for two to three months. Even though your female has been having her monthly heat cycles, it usually takes a boar in close proximity to bring your female into ovulation. Thus, she will more than likely not be bred the first month. In the beginning of her stay, she will fight with the boar because he is not part of her herd. You can expect her to be bitten, scratched and possibly have her ear torn while they are fighting. It is important that both the female and the boar are up to date on all their vaccinations. It is also wise that the pigs be blood tested for the primary swine diseases prior to being placed together.

Know about line breeding when it pertains to pigs. It is important to note that line breeding is not an option with pigs. The rule of thumb for breeding potbellied pigs is no closer than five generations. The more closely related, the more likely the litter will have birth defects. For every generation “in” the breeder can expect a 10% increase in birth defects. Therefore, with the breeding of a very closely related pair, such as father to daughter, mother to son the breeder can expect at least 50% of the babies to be deformed or dead.

Wait for 3 and a half months. The gestation or pregnancy period is 114 days.

Take your female to a birthing area. At least five days prior to her due date the female should be moved to a farrowing, birthing area. This farrowing area should be totally disinfected before the mother pig moves in. The surface of this area needs to be either earth or be covered with non-skid, washable rubber mat, so that the new babies are less likely to skin their knees or have leg problems as they nurse.

Provide good bedding. Bedding for the mother and babies can be small amounts of clean hay, shredded paper or wood chips. The amount used of each type of material should never be so much that the baby piglet can become tangled in it. Household items such as rugs or blankets should not be used. This area needs a heat source, such as a heat lamp. Baby piglets have no control over their body temperature for about 3 days. They need to be kept in an environment of at least 90 degrees during this time; therefore, a heat source may be required even in the summer. The mother pig will move away from the heat, should be become too hot. The farrowing area needs to be big enough for her to do this comfortably. Size of the farrowing area also helps prevent the accidental crushing of the babies by their mother. Most farrowing areas have 2X4 boards attached to the sides of the area. These boards are placed about 6 inches (15.2 cm) from the floor. This allows the babies to escape under or on top of the board, should their mother suddenly begin plop down in their direction.

Usually, a few days to a few hours prior to delivery of the litter, colostrum, a thin, yellow fluid may be secreted by the mammary gland of the mother. The average litter size for a potbellied pig is 6 – 8 piglets, but up to 10 – 12 may be born.^[3] An uncomplicated delivery may take up to 1-2 hours, with about 15 to 30 minutes between the births of individual pigs. Baby pigs weigh somewhere between 6 and 12 ounces at birth.

Know when to call the vet. Veterinary assistance should be sought if the birth of the litter is prolonged, the female strains without producing pigs, few piglets are delivered and labor stops, if a foul discharge or decaying placenta is detected at the vulva, or, close to due date, the female has labored breathing, weakness and inability to rise.

Get a health exam. After the births of the entire litter and after the babies have had their first colostrum, they should be removed temporarily from their mother so that the breeder can give them a complete examination. You should look for any sign of birth defect. It is my observation that if you can see a birth defect, there is another internal defect looming that you cannot see.