[lachlanandmarcus]

Also with pigs unlike pet sheep for eg you are completely at the mercy of the cost of bought in feed unless you have the land and machinery to grow and harvest and store grain crops. So they are especially likely to see costs just heading up, wheras sheep and to an extent some breeds of cattle can be mostly supported by the home grown produce of a smallholding ( grass in summer, hay in winter).

I understand these pigs getting too big to keep, but I believe it is unreasonable to take on an livestock animal as a 'pet' (as opposed to livestock) and then to not offer it a pet home for life when it gets inconveniently large but insist that others do that for you and not allow them to treat it as livestock (which it is).

Fully grown pigs are too expensive and too hard to manage to be kept as pets. I suspect someone might take them from her (for the free shelter!) and then on her next visit she might find that they have mysteriously passed away and the new owner is looking very full and fat and has trouble keeping the freezer shut with trotters poking out of it......

[robert waddell]

lachlanandmarcus    you have just said what i have been wanting to say   but you have made me smile well laugh realy     the trotters hanging out the freezer            now the two with no conditions bigchickens computer will crash with the traffic

[HappyHippy]

Also with pigs unlike pet sheep for eg you are completely at the mercy of the cost of bought in feed unless you have the land and machinery to grow and harvest and store grain crops. So they are especially likely to see costs just heading up, wheras sheep and to an extent some breeds of cattle can be mostly supported by the home grown produce of a smallholding ( grass in summer, hay in winter).

Aha L&M, but not to the same extent with a Kune Kune pig which will only need a little hard feed and grazing to flourish. And, with Kunes you have a long standing pedigree and evidence of smaller size and easier managability factor (I know  I keep hammering on about how good they are, but it's true  ) 
I've taken pigs from people who no longer want them (or can't keep them for other reasons) and I make it clear that they'll get a great home with me - until the point comes when they might get a new home (which would be vetted to ensure they're not going to be moved on again) or go on to slaughter if that's the best option (in the case of unregistered/badly conformed or aggressive pigs) and I've not had anyone say no.
But then, it's not 'micro pets' I'm talking about and I completely understand the bond between pet & owner - regardless of the species - and can see where Chickenfeed's friend is coming from in wanting to make sure they don't end up in someone's freezer.

Chickenfeed - you could try posting on facebook. There's a micro/mini pig help page which helps match pigs with prospective pet owners UK wide, or failing that there is a lady near Hamilton who is/was taking in micro pigs to her sanctuary. If you phone the animal health officer at North Lanarkshire council, he should be able to give you her number. Good luck in finding them 'forever' homes.
HTH
Karen 

[princesspiggy]

but yet they're not livestock either, in that they can't be bred from, sold, or eaten.

why cant u eat them, havent they grown too big? i would guess they are kune size, and they are eaten.

[HappyHippy]

but yet they're not livestock either, in that they can't be bred from, sold, or eaten.

why cant u eat them, havent they grown too big? i would guess they are kune size, and they are eaten.

PP their current owner doesn't want any new owner to eat them - so it's not to say they can't, just not these ones.
A pig (regardless of the size/name/cuteness factor) is a pig
'Pet' owners have exactly the same laws and regulations to follow as farm based owners, in the eyes of the law there is absolutely no difference. A pig is, and will always be, considered a 'farm animal' or 'livestock' and not a pet species.

£700 or whatever a year, for (how long do pigs live for anyway?) years with no return, is sadly more than I suspect any of us would be able to offer at the moment

I think 'micros' eat the same, if not less, than Kune Kunes - so feed wise, you're looking at less than £200 per pig for a year - obviously if they grow to a massive size and need more feeding it's gonna go up a bit. But a lot of folks keep 'pets' for nothing more than pleasure and dog food costs more than pig food
Pigs can live til they are 12+ depending on the breed & health of the pig. Sadly, most of these 'micros' probably won't live past 5 or 6  But that's another story for another day 

[TheCaptain]

Sound tasty to me.  Alas, too far away for me to offer a 'home'.