All varieties of potbellied pigs are generally smaller than the farm hog. It is for this reason that they are usually called miniature potbellied pigs. While farm hogs can grow to more than 1,000 pounds upon reaching adulthood, potbellied pigs may weigh only 120 to 150 pounds. That being said, potbellied pigs are usually built much more solidly than farm hogs, and a pig that is about the same size as a 40 pound dog can weigh as much as a hundred pounds! A full grown potbellied pig usually stands 16 to 26 inches tall at the shoulders.
As with all other types of animals, proper nutrition and exercise is important in ensuring the continued good health of miniature potbellied pigs. You could adversely affect the health of your pet by either overfeeding or underfeeding it, or neglecting to provide it with adequate exercise.
You may on occasion run into people who will tell you that you can keep your potbellied pigs from growing too big by limiting the amount of food that you give it. This is a largely a myth however, and restricting your pet’s diet in order to keep it small and cute can have a seriously negative effect on its health. Pets subjected to such cruel treatment are also are risk for developing deformities.
Most potbellied pigs today live to about 12 to 15 years, although many people originally placed the figure much higher, at up to 20 years. There have been reports of potbellied pigs living up to 19 years old, although such cases are quite rare.
There are certain varieties of potbellied pigs that have a plumper appearance than usual. Such pigs may also have more rounded jowls, a rounder body and an even more pronounced potbelly than typical potbellied pigs. Other varieties can be a bit more slender and muscular. Regardless of the variety however, you would not normally be able to see the pig’s ribs, hips or other bones easily. If you do see these bones, your pig is probably underweight.
On the other hand, a potbellied pig that has a noticeably pronounced bulge in the abdomen (especially when viewed from the top) is probably overweight. Another common sign that your pig is overweight is the presence of folds of fat around the eyes.
As many different varieties of potbellied pigs as there are, the one that you are most likely to come across is the Vietnamese Potbellied Pig. This variety is also called the Miniature Pot Belly Pig or the Chinese Potbellied Pig.
There is another smaller type of pig called the KuneKune, which many people often mistake for the potbellied pig. The difference is that this breed is quite a bit larger and heavier–with 400 pounds being the typical weight–and it also more closely resembles the typical farm hog.