how to determine/estimate age

Question
I live and work on an educational farm in Nebraska. We just adopted a pot bellied Boar from the Humane Society and they had no info on it's age. Is there any way as to determine/estimate it's age. I know the condition of horses teeth can help to determine it's age. Does this hold true for my little pig as well?  Thanks

Answer
It can be difficult to determine the age of a mature pot-bellied pig. There is no one clear age indicator, instead, it's a matter of looking at all the characteristics and behaviors and making an educated guess.

The tusk teeth can sometimes give a clue to the age of a female pot-bellied pig. Their tusks are not as thick or large as male tusks and grow at a slow, steady pace their entire lives.

But male pig tusks aren't as helpful in determining age. Intact males, or boars, will have tusks protruding from the lips at age 6 months. Neutered males also have tusks, they just grow much more slowly, beginning to protrude past the lip at around 2 or 3 years of age.

Younger boars grow armor, or tough, thick skin around their shoulders, to protect them in fights. Older neutered males will also get heavier, thicker skin, but not like intact males.

Fully adult males, roughly age 2 for boars and 5 or 6 for neutered males, may (but may not) grow very long nose hairs. Some also have extremely long mohawks, which is the long heavy bristles along the back of the neck and shoulders, and very long tufts on the end of the tail.

Older pigs, both male and female, are less active than younger ones. But, intact males tend to be very active, even at older ages.

Yahoo groups has several groups devoted to pot-bellied pigs. PotSpot and PigInfoAndChat are two of the best. Both of these groups have quite a few pigtures of pigs of all ages, it might help to look at those and compare to your little boar. Or, join one and post a pigture of your boy, and ask what the group thinks. There's quite a few very experienced people on both lists, including sanctuary owners and veterinarians, so you'll get some reliable opinions.