An apple a day!
Doink. I wish I could say I came up with that name. But no, his first parents named him.
He is a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. He is black – from head to toe. There are no “whites of his eyes”. All black, all the time.
We adopted Doink with his life partner, Brandy the goat, almost a year ago.
I got tired of bacon jokes almost immediately.
There’s a lot of mis-information about pet pigs out there. The truth is those teeny-tiny pigs that are marketed as “micro-mini” or “teacup” pigs are not a breed and are almost always not fully grown in the photos. We think Doink weighs around 150 pounds, which is perfectly normal for a two-year old pot-bellied pig. Unscrupulous breeders will breed pigs at a very early age, resulting in the first litter being born when the parents are only 9-10 months old and weigh in at about 30-40 pounds. They will then sell the babies, proclaiming the babies will not get any bigger than the parents. True, those babies won’t be any bigger than the parents – when they are also less than a year old. But check back when they’re three years old, and they’ll be over 100 pounds guaranteed.
One pig at a time in the pool, please!
The waterline after cooling off in the pool!
Pigs are said to be crazy-smart, the fourth smartest animal group on the planet (behind humans, apes and chimps, whales and dolphins). I’ll be honest, I’ve not been able to tap into whatever upper-level intelligence Doink possesses. He does not seem to be desirous of higher learning. I can’t imagine him wanting to do tricks.
However, if strong will is a sign of intelligence, then that pig’s a genius! He seems to know exactly what he wants – food (first and foremost), fresh water, snuffling in the grass, napping in the sun, a daily brush to keep his hair clean and skin shiny, and a good belly rub will make his little tiny eyes roll back in his big ole head.
Every single feeding at least one chicken works Doink’s bowl, stealing food while he slurps some water.
The chickens pick at him frequently. He takes it in stride.
Doink loves attention. He has a growing fan club of people who walk their dogs or hike in the field behind our house. I’ve introduced myself to some of them – they are all totally smitten with him. He returns the love by bolting to the back fence when he hears someone approach. Nothing more endearing than a pig running full tilt to greet you!
While I don’t think of Doink as a “pet pig”, he is an animal I love dearly. He makes everyone smile. He seems to genuinely enjoy the company of Brandy and the chickens and loves it when humans come to visit. He is smart and he lives a fully emotional life.
Aaahhhh…
And bacon jokes aside, I’m not going to eat him anymore than I’m going to eat my dog. You’re safe with us, Doink.
Sweet dreams, Doinkers.
About my favorite photo ever.
(Shared at Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Down Home Blog Hop, The HomeAcre Hop, Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest, Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop, Farm Fun Friday and TALU Tuesday!)
Most wonderful post, chickenmama!…perhaps its now bias to be called chickenmama?? Must be fun in your farm with all the hilarious animals keeping you well entertained:)
Annie recently posted…Our First Barn-house
I don’t know Annie – Pig Mama doesn’t roll off my tongue the way Chicken Mama does! I don’t think Doink is offended 🙂
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Doink – A Pig With Personality
I seem to recall a story several years back about a woman who had a heart attack or something, and while her dog stood over her barking, her pig took action – squeezed himself out the doggy door, through the fence (getting torn up in the process) and into the street trying to flag down a car. When that didn’t work, he played dead in the middle of the road! When someone finally stopped and tried to wrangle him back to the owner, they found the woman and were able to call 911. That’s a smart pig. Not sure what breed of dog it was LOL.
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe recently posted…Chocolate-Almond Imrig Halva
Great story! I’d like to think Doink would come to my rescue, too!
I love Doink! Feeling thankful for peeps like us who take in animals and give them love and kindness. Though we help them i think the gift is how much they truly help us. I super love the tail pic, so darn cute.
A View From A Brown Dog recently posted…slowly moving forward…
Hey Jen – thanks for stopping by. You guys doing ok?
Yeah, Doink can steal your heart with a look and a squeal. Something about that huge head and those teeny tiny feet… 🙂
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Doink – A Pig With Personality
Pigs are as loyal and as smart and fun as dogs! I know you already know this!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Linda recently posted…April 16, 2013 — The Perils of the Head Gate
And funny – he makes me laugh all the time!
Doink is just the cutest! I love how he doesn’t mind the chickens being around or pecking at him. I’m glad he will never be bacon 🙂
Tammy/Our Neck of the Woods recently posted…Seed Starting Giveaway!
He is pig with patience!
Joan, those are some lucky animals! Though I think Brandy really needs a corgi, someone to chase her around, and around, and around. Your blog is beautiful, in all respects. Love it! Hi to the VEH!
Reenie
Hey Reenie – thanks for stopping by! I’ll pass the word along to my VEH!
He is adorable. I’m in love. ♥
Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chick recently posted…Clever Chicks Blog Hop #30, Beef Stew Recipe AND TWO Giveaways!
Yeah. Me too!
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Osprey Update
What a cutie 🙂 Thanks for sharing your post on The HomeAcre Hop! Hope to see you again this week!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/04/the-homeacre-hop-16.html
Lisa Lynn recently posted…Perennial Fruits for Self Sufficiency
I did not know that about pot-belly pig breeders. Can’t say I’m surprised people would deceive others like that, but I didn’t know the teacup pigs weren’t “real”.
We have pigs, too, but ours are for the bacon. No cute names for them. No pools either, but they love their mud puddle we make for them. I can’t say our pigs have ever tapped into their brain potential either, but they have proven to be smarter than the chickens!
christine recently posted…Interviews With the Pig Wranglers
Shoot, I always forget to put the TALU. Have a lovely day!
christine recently posted…Interviews With the Pig Wranglers