Talk about pigheaded... this one's got two: Piglet fights for survival after being born with rare deformity

By SARA MALM

Seeing double: According to this little piglet there is-nout wrong with having two heads

Talk about being pig-headed! This newborn piglet may prove to be twice as stubborn as its siblings as it has not one, but two heads.
The little pig saw the light of day in a village in Jiujiang, east China's Jiangxi province and has two snouts, two ears and a shared eye.

Unfortunately a local vet who examined the rare pig said the deformity would make it difficult for it to survive to adulthood. The condition is believed to be axial bifurcation, also known as polycephaly, which occurs when an embryo begins to split into twins but the process is haltered in its early stages.

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Meet the pigs who really can fly (well, nosedive): Farmer claims pond acrobatics makes their bacon taste better

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Triple back-bacon somersault: Huang says he can charge three times as much for his meat as a result of their fitness regime

Olympic diver Tom Daley won't be too worried about the competition, but these thrill-seeking pigs are having a splashing time nonetheless.
Their acrobatics attract visitors from far and wide for their daily plunge into a pond in south China's Ningxiang county.
Huang Demin, who runs the farm in Guanshan village, claims the diving make the pigs healthier and their pork taste better.

Tom Daley, eat your heart out: These pigs show off their diving skills on a farm in China, which, their owner says, makes their meat healthier and tastier

It also makes him happier as he says he can charge three times as much for his meat as a result. He admits some of his animals don't seem to enjoy the experience and he has to push them hard to jump from the 3m platform, according to China Daily.
But at least it brings home the bacon.

Done for the day: Huang Demin herds his animals in their pen after their watery acrobatics

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Adorable litter of wrinkly-faced piglets make history after becoming the first of their kind to be born in the UK for 30 years

By SARAH JOHNSON

One of a kind: The first litter of rare Meishan piglets in the UK for 30 years was born at Whauphill Farm in Dumfries and Galloway

They are less than two weeks old, but these piglets already have wrinkles and are making history.
The litter of eight Meishan piglets are the first of their kind to be born in the UK for thirty years.
The breed, with their long floppy ears and wrinkly faces, is popular in China but has never been properly introduced in this country.

Proud mother: Miep gave birth to her new brood two weeks ago

Owner Linda McDonald-Brown, 51, brought the litter’s year-old mother Miep and nine-month-old father Wrinkles over from northern Holland with husband Graham, 47, last year.
And two weeks ago Miep gave birth to seven girls and one boy.

Hello! Four of the piglets peek out from their sty. Meishans are a popular breed in China because of their unusually large ears and wrinkly faces

The couple plan to start the UK’s first pedigree line of the species and have already sold two of the litter to a smallholder in Essex.
Linda, from Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, now intends to bring other boars in from Eastern Europe to create a foundation Meishan family from which every pig in the UK will descend.
She said: ‘We are really pleased with the birth. They are the first to be born in this country for about 30 years so it’s very exciting to be involved.

Owner Linda McDonald-Brown with mother and piglets. She has been breeding pigs for 15 years

‘We went across to Holland to stay with a friend who also breeds pigs. We didn’t set out with the intention of buying anything but when I saw them I just fell in love with them and bought two sows then and there and later a boar.
‘I have never seen anything like them in my life.
‘They are really prolific breeders in China and are very popular because of their unusual appearance and fatty meat but for some reason they have never taken off here and I want to change that.’

Hot to trot: Two of the piglets frolick around in the grass outsie the sty

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You must have been told a porky: 'Micro' pig grows to 25 stone and takes over its owners' home

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Pork flop: Babe the 'micro' pig has grown to a whopping 25 stone and has taken over the home of owners Colin and Susie Webb

A couple who bought a trendy micro pig as a pet have been left stunned after the supposedly pint-sized porker grew to a whopping 25 stone and took over their terraced home.
Just 19 months ago 'Babe' was irresistibly cute and so small all four of her tiny trotters would fit in a tea cup.
Colin Webb took one look at the nine ounce pink bundle he’d found for sale on the internet and cheerfully handed over £250 to buy her as a gift for his wife Susie.

Feet up: Colin Webb thought a micro pig would make an ideal household pet and bought Babe on the internet for £250 as a gift for his wife Susie

But while the miniature pigs owned by the likes of Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham grew to around four and a half stone and 14 inches tall - then stopped - the Webbs’ pet had other ideas.
Babe's already a three foot, 25 stone monster and is getting bigger every week on a diet of pig pellets, bananas, strawberries and a daily dose of cod liver oil to keep her joints supple.

Bacon sandwich: Babe's owner's Colin and Susie Webb are slowly being muscled out of their own home by the giant porker

She is now so large she cannot even fit into the kitchen in the Webbs’ three-bedroom terraced home. She used to snooze at the bottom of their bed each night, but can no longer make it up the stairs.
So now she sleeps in the living room on their sofa - which Colin has had to have specially re-enforced with chipboard to take her weight.

Table manners: Babe, a cross between a miniature Pot Bellied pig and a Gloucester Old Spot, was only supposed to grow to around four and a half stone

And any hope the Webbs once had of getting Babe to trim down a touch with a bit of exercise have long gone.
'She just won’t leave the house any longer,' said Colin.
'I used to take her for walks on a lead, I got a special licence from Defra to do that, but she’s not having that anymore. She flatly refuses to put a trotter past the front step.
'There’s nothing I can do. You can’t pull a 25 stone pig somewhere it doesn’t want to go. She spends all day in the living room now in front of the telly. I used to be able to hold her in the palm of my hand.'

Pint-sized: Susie with Babe shortly after they got her before her incredible growth spurt

But bizarrely, the Webbs are delighted to share their small home with their ever larger pet pig.
'She’s easier to look after than any man,' said Susie, 53, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
'She never makes a mess when she goes to the toilet, she never complains about her food and she doesn’t snore when she’s asleep.'
Former maintenance engineer Colin, 57, added: 'When she started growing I got in touch with the farmer down in Lincolnshire I bought her off. I thought maybe there had been a mistake and ‘Babe’ wasn’t a micro pig.

Part of the family: Despite her size, the Webbs say they are delighted to share their home with Babe

'But I’ve contacted other people who got pigs from the same litter and they all stayed small.
'I don’t know what’s happened with ours, maybe we overfed her a bit, but she’s one heck of a size now.

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Our 35-strong piggy posse: Kind-hearted rescuer took in two pint-sized sows... Now she has giant herd of micro-pets

By JOHN STEVENS

Strength in numbers: Lisa Walker now has 35 piglets after two sows she adopted, along with two of her original animals, gave birth

They may be pint-sized but, for one breeder, these micro pigs have become a big problem. Lisa Walker took in two sows to play alongside her four pigs after learning that they were destined for the chop.
But the 37-year-old has now been left with a herd of 35 pigs after both adopted sows and two of her original pets became pregnant.
To add to her worries, demand for the once must-have pets, which sell for up to £1,000 and should grow no more than 18in tall, have slumped amid tales of buyers being duped into taking normal piglets that turn into 10st porkers.

Mrs Walker, who used to breed micro pigs as a hobby at her home in Bridlington, Yorkshire, has been forced to give up her job at a bakery to care for them full-time.


Hands full: Mrs Walker will have to care for all the pigs as they are difficult to sell nowadays

‘If I tell people we have micro pigs, they say, “But they get really big – I’ve seen it on the news”.
‘People have seen the horror stories of people buying pigs that they were wrongly told were micro pigs and them ending up as great big pot-bellied pigs.
‘But they’re not all giants – the genuine micro pigs only grow up to about knee height.’

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Bet they like P.I.G. Tips! The pocket piglets who can fit inside a teacup

By JOHN HUTCHINSON

Rock pig: This little fellow is the envy of his mates

Meet the petite piglets of Pennywell Farm.
This little piggy played the guitar, this little did someballet and this little piggy sprouted wings and flew.
They might be mini porkers but this collection of micro pigssure are mighty cute.
The squeally tiny youngsters have all been born and raisedover the years at Pennywell Farm in Buckfastleigh, Devon.
Fuzzy, friendly, and small enough to hold in the palm ofyour hand, these teacup pigs are also naturals at posing for the camera.

Time for a break: This pig looks to be getting a bit too tired as he rolls a strawberry

And they have now been immortalised in a new 2013 wallcalendar by photographer Richard Austin.
Richard has been a professional newspaper photpgrapher for more than a quarter-of-a-century and has won numerous awards for both sport and news.

Thirsty work: There's no tea left after these two get stuck in

Sweet: This pig seems to have found a new friend

However it is his love of wildlife that prompted him into shots such as these, and he went on to have his own TV show, 'Richard Austin's Animal Magic, which won Royal Television Society’s Regional family entertainment programme of the year in 2007.
However, so popular are the creative shots, the calendars have sold out from the photographer's own website.
But fear not, they are still available to buy on Amazon.com

True love: These two better be careful not to get trapped though!

Eager: This bunch are looking forward to opening December's presents

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Hamstand: 'Gymnast' piglet born without hind legs learns to walk on two front trotters

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Hogging the limelight: The piglet carefully balances itself while walking on its two front legs

A two-legged pig born without its hind legs has amazingly been taught to walk on its own.
The handicapped beast was born in July in eastern China's Anhui Province and could have struggled to make it through its first few weeks as a piglet, according to its owner.
But farmer Ge Xinping said he managed to nurse the piglet through its early life before helping it stand on its own (and only) two feet.

Farmer Ge Xinping gives the piglet a helping hand at the farm in China's Anhui Province

He has now managed to coax the unnamed young creature outside more often and has helped it get about.
The young pig can carefully balance itself on its front two trotters and can walk around unaided.
The pig now also weighs a healthy 30kg, accoring to its owner.

The young pig had struggled in early life but has grown up and learned to walk on its own

Farmer Ge Xinping said: 'Villagers all love it as it walks like an upside down gymnast.'
The amazing sight is not the first time a Chinese farmer has managed to train a young pig with no hind legs to walk on its own.
Last year a 10-month-old animal, known by villagers in Henan Province, China as Zhu Jianqiang, which means Strong-Willed Pig, was born with only two front legs, which it now uses to walk on.

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Life's a beach for Babe the pig who lives on his own private island in the Bahamas

By LUCY LAING


Chilling out: Babe the pig is the ultimate beach bum, spending his days sunbathing and taking cooling dips in the Caribbean Sea

Not many people would be envious of a pig’s life.

Penned into a dirty pigsty, just waiting to be turned into bacon is no one’s idea of fun.

But Babe the pig has got it just right - for him it’s more of a charmed life.


A walk on the wild boar side: babe takes a stroll with his neighbours, Luke Abbott and Mona Wiethuchter - the only other inhabitants on the island

Babe lives on his own private island in the Bahamas and even the most dedicated beach bum would be envious of his hedonistic lifestyle.

The 12-year-old tamed boar spends his days strolling on the beach and taking a swim in the waves - although he has to be careful not to get in the way of predatory sharks which also cruise the island.


Pork scratchings: After a cooling swim, Babe enjoys being rubbed down with a special broom

Babe shares the island with just two other inhabitants, videographer Luke Abbott and his partner Mona Wiethuchter.

It is a remote island, measuring three and a half miles long and half a mile wide, 40 miles from the busier capital island of Nassau.

Babe came from a small group of wild boars which have inhabited the island since the 1930s when a breeding pair were brought to the island by travellers.


Thirsty work: As if he isn't pampered enough, Babe received a daily treat - one can of the local beer


Island paradise: Mona began taking Babe for regular strolls along the beach after the boar started piling on the pounds

When he was a day old, Mr Abbott, 27, started hand-feeding the piglet. Since then, Babe has been tame and although he lives in the island’s dense vegetation with a handful of other boar, each morning he leaves them and trots out of the bush alone ready for his daily ritual of laidback beach life.


Rash decision: Although he loves the water, Babe has to be careful to avoid predatory sharks that sometimes patrol the waters around his home

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The real-life Lion King: Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the micro pig form unlikeliest of friendships

By JESSICA SATHERLEY

Best of friends: The cute meerkat and micro pig - named Timon and Pumbaa after the cartoon characters in The Lion King

It could be straight out of Disney's classic The Lion King - but this adorable couple are the real-life Timon and Pumbaa.

The cute meerkat and micro pig - named Timon and Pumbaa after the cartoon characters - have struck up the most unlikely of friendships.

Having been born within weeks of each other in Worcestershire, the black micro pig and fuzzy haired meerkat became best pals after seeing each other through a chicken wire fence dividing their pens.


Give me a kiss: Timon and Pumbaa play around with each other after becoming close pals at Tropical Inc, an education animal display company based in Dunhampton, Worcestershire

"They are both newborns and haven't settled into their roles within the litter yet so they are just running around enjoying themselves much like the mantra of the film.

"They showed great interest in each other from the start, almost like they were meant to be friends.

"At the time they still hadn't been named, but we soon realised we couldn't call them anything else once somebody pointed out they were just like the pair from the film."


Miniature rascals: Kelly Shambly, 24, an animal career at Tropical Inc poses with Timon and Pumbaa

In an incredible real-life parallel to the cartoon characters, Timon is an outgoing and self-absorbed meerkat.

Kelly added: "There was a little chicken wire fence between them and Timon was desperately trying to find a way through to get to Pumbaa.


The real Timon (left) and Pumbaa (right): Pictured in the 1994 film The Lion King

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Something to snout about: The little pig born with two noses

By Oliver Pickup

Seeing double: Babe was born with the odd double snout two months ago in China

Meet Babe, the pig who was born with not one but two snouts. And while it might sound like a joke, it's no laughing matter.

The two-month-old - part of a litter born on a farm in Deshengtang, Jilin province, northern China - can use both his mouths to eat and appears otherwise normal, say his owners.

Farmer Li Zhenjun and his wife Yu Wanfen named the piglet Xiaobao - or 'Babe' in English - after the movie about an extraordinary talking pig.

Struggle: Yu Wanfen says the piglet has trouble eating as his head is so heavy


Li explained: 'The mouths aren't much of an advantage because his head is very heavy and he gets pushed around by the others.

'I'm feeding him with a bottle now and he's doing very well.'

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Micro pigs couldn't save my bacon: Britain's first mini breeder goes bankrupt after 'jealous rivals launched Facebook hate campaign'

By ANNA EDWARDS

No longer taking home the bacon: Ms Croft, with one of her micro pigs, has now been declared bankrupt after 'industrial espionage'

The UK's first micro pig breeder has been declared bankrupt after she claims a Facebook hate campaign by other breeders destroyed her business.

Jane Croft, 43, set up Little Pig Farm two years ago, selling her pint-sized porkers all over the world for up to £1,200 each, as animal lovers rushed to have one of the petite pets.

But after buying some full-size pigs mistakenly thinking they were micro breeds, and having to offer refunds to furious customers left with a huge animal, she became the victim of a vicious online campaign.


Pretty porkers: Some of the adorable oinking pigs turned into full-sized animals, and Ms Croft had to offer refunds to furious customers


She says her Little Pig Farm business in Christchurch, Cambridgeshire, was destroyed by the poisonous comments and was declared personally bankrupt at King's Lynn County Court in Norfolk on Friday.

The former investment banker initially enjoyed phenomenal success, appearing on numerous TV shows and rubbing shoulders with celebrities as many A-listers snapped up the adorable oinking animals.

Ms Croft's success was so great that published a best-selling book, This Little Piggy, and her website shows her with pop star Robbie Williams, TV stars Vanessa Feltz and Ricky Tomlinson and sporting heroes Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp.

Ms Croft said today her successful business had been destroyed by a hate campaign by other pig breeders on Facebook.


Pint-sized pets: After mistakenly buying the wrong breeds and selling them as micro pigs, many customers found themselves with massive animals instead of the tiny ones, pictured


Micro pigs, which weigh just 9oz when they are born, have become so popular over the last two years they are almost impossible to get hold of.

Victoria Beckham is said to have two pint-sized pigs and Paris Hilton, Katie Price and Charlotte Church are also fans.

Dannii Minogue and David Tenant were also recently photographed with micro pigs.
At two years old micro pigs are fully grown and weigh in around 40-65 pounds and are around knee height at 12-16 inches tall.

The pigs can live for up to 18 years, but make popular pets as they are low maintenance, quiet and surprisingly clean.


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Pigs can't fly... but they can swim: Homesick Scottish boars paddle a mile across the sea

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

They took to it like a pig to mud: A hen welcomes the pair home after they decided island life wasn't for them

Pigs can't fly - but this pair of homesick Tamworth boar crosses can certainly swim.
They took to the water like pigs to mud after they were put out to pasture on the uninhabited island of Longa off the North West Scottish coast.

Named Mary and Truffle by their owner, James Cameron was startled to discover they had returned home the day after he left them and their swim across the sea was caught on camera.

Holidaymaker Jay Goss, 31, watched in amazement from his parents' seaside cottage at Big Sands in Wester Ros.


In the drink: At first Jay Goss thought they were otters until he spotted their snouts


At first he thought they were otters but soon realised they had snouts. He said: 'The sea was a mill pond and the two wee chaps swam 1.5km to the mainland. It was incredible. They reached the shore and were shivering and nervous.'

He called Mr Cameron to tell him he had the two pigs but he thought it was a joke at first.

He said: 'We have six piglets, or weaners, at the moment and we decided to put two of them out to Longa.

'We normally put sheep over to the island and we thought the pigs would like it. There is plenty of rooting material and fresh water.

'We put them out at 6pm on the Thursday evening and on Friday about 8pm I got a call to say "Your piglets have just swam back home".

'I thought it was a joke at first and that somebody was pulling my leg because people had been thinking it was quite a story that the pigs were going to Longa. My initial reaction was 'Aye, right'. But it was true.'


Sparking interest: It wasn't just people on the shore that were fascinated by the piglets, these two birds took a bit of a shining to them too

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What a porker! Cesira weighs 14 stone and loves pigging out on biscuits and ice cream...but is the perfect pet

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Home is where the hog is: Family pet Cesira loves ice cream, pictured here with owners Marina Squicciarini, husband Ali and son Joel

When it came to choosing a pet, one family went the whole hog.

The Squicciarini family from Lecco, Italy adopted piglet Cesira she was just two months old and the smallest piglet of the litter.

But after a diet of pigging out on biscuits, ice cream and sweets Cesira has ballooned to just over 14 stone.

Father Ali, wife Marina and their children, Joel, 13 and Rebecca, 17, saved Cesira from the chop.

She was one of 20 pigs bred for meat, but the family fell in love with the little piglet and bought her home.

But the pet porker has now grown into a 14-stone hog, she sleeps in her own kennel of the balcony of the family's flat.


Piglet: Cesira was the smallest of the litter when she was born


She enjoys daily walks, pigs out on around 3kg of fruit and vegetables a day and enjoys treats of biscuits, sweets and ice-cream.

Cesira is even house trained, uses a litter tray, has learnt to wake Marina and Ali each morning by pulling at their duvet and enjoys watching TV with the family in the evening.

The Squicciarini family even take Cesira on holiday with them and said she enjoys nothing more than to roll around in the sand, while the family relax on the beach


One of the family: Cesira is house trained and sleeps in her own kennel



Piggy in the middle: Cesira even gets on with the family's rabbit

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Pass the oinkment: Meet the wonder pigs

Piggie in the middle: Felix, on of two theraputic pigs works his magic in a senior care facility


A Dutch physiotherapist who uses two miniature pigs to help treat his patients, claims the animals are amazingly effective for both physical and emotional problems.

Daan Vermeulen brings porkers Felix and Rudi to meetings with his older patients and they also trot along to the children's ward to meet kids who suffer from emotional or behavioural problems.

Daan explained that the pigs encourage pensioners to move about and also foster greater social interaction among patients.


Stretch those hamstrings: Medical pig Felix has proved a big hit with seniors as well as kids.


Doing his rounds: Felix knows his way around the hospital wards


He claims they stimulate curiosity, activity and even alertness which helps them shrug off some of the negative effects aspects of growing older.

Daan said: 'This generation associates pigs strongly with their youth.

'It's a reunion with an animal one once knew well but hasn't thought of in many years.'

'Dogs certainly have good qualities but if I'm walking along one side of the street with my pig and you're walking along the other side with your dog, then everyone will look at me. That's the advantage of a pig.'


Bacon and legs: Physiotherapist Dan says the pigs encourage pensioners to get about


Walky porky: Physiotherapist Daan Vermeulen takes Felix for a walk


Home time: With his duties done Felix heads off to enjoy a well earned rest


source: dailymail

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