pig weight

Question
Hi I got a minature pig about 2 weeks ago. I am learning that they are not at all like dogs, so you could say we are learning together. Anyways, I was wondering what weight Hamilton should be at. I don't want him getting too fat. His parents were about 45lbs. He is 7mos and they call him minature pig, I guess smaller than a pot belly. Can you help? Also when looking at him from the back you can see his belly alittle bit, and from the side he kinda has like that mule posture. I fed him his pig food in the a.m. & p.m. and he grazes on grass(can't change that) and i give him oats, cheerios, veggies and/or some fruit cuz i know that it can be fattening, and lots of water.

Answer
The general rule of thumb is that a piglet should gain 1 lb per week until they are 6 months old or so. After that point, it all depends on the pig.

Pigs grow fairly quickly until they are about two years old. Most pigs will continue to grow, but very slowly, until they are 4 or 5 years old.

But, pigs can reproduce as young as 3 months old. So while the weight of the parents is important, their age at the time your piglet was born is just as important. A one year old pig isn't finished growing yet.

Most pigs weigh a lot more than people realize. A pig and a beagle may be the same size, but the pig will weigh twice as much. So it's much better to look at the pig and his condition.

The pig should not have any ribs or hip bones sticking out. His rump should be rounded not bony. His tummy should be in proportion to the rest of the body - not hanging low.

It sounds like your pig is getting a good diet. The best thing to do is just keep an eye on his figure, increasing his rations gradually as he grows, following the guidelines on  the mini-pig food bag.

It's a good idea to get a scale that he can stand on and teach him to stand on it now, while he's little. When he grows to be an adult weighing him will be easy. Otherwise, you can guestimate a pigs weight using the formula here: http://www.pigpalssanctuary.com/health/size_weight.htm

For training, and great advice for living with a pig, I strongly suggest Priscilla Valentine's book Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior & Training, available from Amazon.com or directly from Priscilla at http://www.valentinesperformingpigs.com/trainingbook.html