Diamond, the mini pot-bellied pig and mascot at Furr and Finns Small Animal Pet Store in Falcon, was on maternity leave for part of July and most of August. Diamond delivered five healthy piglets July 24.The pot bellied pigís gestation period is three months, three weeks and three days, and Diamond was right on target with her brood. Two of the new piglets were black and three were white with dark spots. Four were males.Kathy Mische, owner of the pet store, said Diamond has been a good mother. Mische said she and her family chose to breed Diamond because several people expressed interest in owning a pot-bellied big. ìPeople come from all over the state to see her,î she said. ìI had a list of 13 (interested in the piglets), so I thought Iíd give it a try and see how she did.îThree of the piglets were sold by the time they were 3 weeks old, but they stayed with their mother until they were weaned. Mische said that mini pot-bellied pigs will wean their babies between 4 and 6 six weeks old, at which point they will eat specialized pig pellets and be ready to go home with their new families. Mische said Diamond seems tired of nursing and is eager to get back to her routine of spending time with her family and going to the pet store.ìOut of the 13, four wanted girls,î Mische said. Although the city of Colorado Springs allows pigs, homeownersí associations often exclude pigs in their regulations.Mische and her husband, Ted, opened their home to the families who have purchased the piglets so they could visit them before taking them home. The socialization is helpful when it is time for the little piggy to go home.ìWhen we got Diamond, they hadnít worked with her at all,î Mische said. ìWhen weíd pick her up, she would just squeal, so we decided we would really handle them (piglets) a lot.î Mische said they also wanted to make sure the piglets were going to really good homes.April and Paul Creighton purchased the female piglet ó Gem. They have visited Gem, and said when April held her, she stopped squealing. Paul Creighton, who has experience farming pigs, said pigs are generally clean animals, and use just one corner of their pen for waste. Mische said veterinary care is easy with pigs. Her veterinarian, Dr. Shayna Warner with Colorado Equine Veterinary Services, said the pigs need to be wormed but they normally do not get rabies. Owners can also choose to have the ìneedle teethî trimmed.Mische said that veterinary care and research is important. ìVery few vets do pot bellied pigs,î she said. Warner keeps an eye on Diamondís overall health, ensuring she has a good diet and is at an ideal weight, Mische said.The father of Diamondís piglets is a Juliana mini pig, one of several varieties of mini pigs.It is best for people interested in purchasing a mini pig to investigate parentage because of scams. ìPeople need to see the parents to know if they are truly getting a mini pig,î Mische said.ìWe hope to breed her again at some point, but weíre not sure when. We did it more because people were interested.î
