I just wanted to write some thoughts about our trip to lil orphan Hammies a few weeks back. I thought Susan was great. Its evident that she really cares for the pigs and is passionate about promoting responsible pig care. There is a huge misconception out there that there is a breed of miniature pigs that will stay small and cute like a baby pig throughout their adult years. The truth of the matter is that this is not the case and the pigs that are being sold as miniature pigs are actually regular pot belly pigs that are babies. The people who market these pigs as being small cute miniature pigs for life are actually just trying to scam people at the expense of the poor pigs' well being. What ends up happening is that people will happily buy their little pigs expecting them to stay small, and let them live with them as pets in places like apartments or houses with little outdoor space for the pigs. These pigs grow bigger and can be destructive. They no longer have the "cute" face of a baby pig and their owners give them up, often to places like lil orphan hammies. Often times, people will tell them that to keep their pigs small, they should underfeed them. Obviously this is a bad idea, and results in malnourished pigs. I saw one pig at the farm with visible ribs poking through. It must have been rescued from a bad situation. I took several pictures while on the trip. I enjoyed interacting with all of the pigs. Judge was my favorite pig, who was very well trained in giving high fives. There were several other pigs on the farm that aren't so fond of human contact. I went out to those pigs with a handful of animal crackers to give to them. They were unsure of me so I just through some crackers to the ground near them hoping they'd eat them. Sure enough, they went straight for it. They inched closer and closer to me over the next few minutes until they were just less than a foot away from me. It was a very cool experience to be near the less friendly of the pigs.
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