I am very passionate about this subject because I feel that if more people understood the problems with bringing home an underaged piglet, they wouldn’t do it. So today we are going to talk about why breeders sell underaged piglets, why they are wrong, and how it sets families and pigs up for failure for the rest of that pig’s life.

So first, why do breeders sell underaged piglets? 

An underaged piglet is a piglet that should still be with its mother. In my opinion between 7- 8 weeks old is a good time to wean a piglet from its mother. Anything under 6 weeks old is technically an underage piglet.So why would a breeder sell an underage piglet?

• Its easy money
• Its less work
• Its less cleaning
• Less vet bills so less cost
• People continue to buy from them.

What lie do these breeders use to sell their underage pigs? They say a hand raised or bottle fed piglet bonds better with the family. 

What facts come with an underage piglet?

• Piglets can not regulate their own body temperature for the first 2 weeks of life, so they need an outside source to keep that at 90 degrees consistently. 
• I pig is born with no immune system. They get that from their mothers milk.
• Bottle feeding a piglet is dangerous because they easily aspirate and that can result in death.
• For the first 2 weeks of life pigs eat a lot. For the first 48 hours they eat every 15 minutes to get the exact amount of milk they need. 

What are some consequences of taking a piglet from its mother?

• Poor nutrition
• Piglets grow up to have behavioral issues and think they are in charge.
• Rooting can become aggressive 
• The mother teaches a piglet how to be a pig
• The mother teaches the piglets where they need to use the bathroom

If you find a breeder that you like, check out their social media page to be able to see a timeline of proof of the piglet’s age. If they don’t have a social media account I tend to feel like that is a red flag.

Everyone wants a pig that is going to stay tiny and I get that because they are adorable but chances are if they do stay tiny they will not be healthy and they will probably die young. 

Key takeaway: Do not buy underage piglets. It’s not good for them. You life is going to be rough for several months and there is not even a guarantee that your piglet will live. 

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