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Festus at School

Having a pet pig (even in a farming town) is quite an anomaly, so people are always interested in hearing about Festus and meeting him.
Loves the attention

School Trip #1

In January, Festus visited 1st grade with Bah. We brought him at the end of the day to help the teacher avoid chaos. Right when I got there, the kids were so adorable making sure to be very calm and quiet. Bah and I had everyone sit in a circle on the floor. She then gave each of her classmates a Cheerio. I put Festus down and let him get acclimated which took about two seconds. 😀 He walked around the circle politely taking a Cheerio from each student. He did that one more time, and then the kids took turns holding him. They all (Festus included) did great; he didn't even squeal at all. I tried to get him to perform a trick, but he was more interested in investigating instead. It was a fun experience, and the best part was seeing Bah beam with joy over her sweet piggy.
Passing around Festus

Bah, her best friend, and her piggy

School Trip #2

Festus' second adventure at school occurred in February. Each year, the FFA Chapter (Future Farmers of America) at our school hosts a Barnyard Day. Members bring in their animals, and the elementary students come over for a field trip. Last year, there was a cow, horse, duck, rabbit, goats, and baby pigs. On top of seeing the animals, the kids also get to climb in a tractor and learn about electricity. I love that it is a way for younger children to get exposed to agriculture, animals, and science.
Boo in with the pigs last year

When the FFA kids heard we had a mini-pig, they asked if he could be used in Barnyard Day. Since he is fairly familiar with kids and used to being in his pen, I figured he would be fine. We made it as much like home as we could. I printed out some Fun Pig Facts for the FFA members to read to the kids to help educate them about mini-pigs:

Fun Facts About Pigs as Pets

  1. A minipig is classified as any pig under 300 pounds.
    1. An average mini-pig will be 12-16 inches tall.
    2. Festus is a mini-pig. He is part pot-bellied pig and part Juliana pig.
    3. He will grow to be about the size of a standard bulldog.
    4. Right now, he weighs about 8 pounds, but he will grow until he is five years old.
  2. Pigs have a long life span. They can live between 12-20 years.
    1. Festus is just a baby. He is only 4 months old!
    2. He was born on October 30th.
  3. Potbellied pigs and minipigs look a little different than the standard farm pig.
    1. They have straight tails, smaller ears, and longer snouts.
  4. Minipigs have their own special type of food that provides them the needed nutrients without making them gain weight.
  5. Pigs are the 3rd smartest animal alongside dolphins and chimpanzees.
  6. Pigs are hypoallergenic.
    1. Even though pigs do not shed like a dog, they do lose their hair once a year. This is called “blowing their coat.”
  7. Pigs don't sweat, so they need to wallow and bathe in water or mud to cool them down.
    1. This also helps protect them from getting sunburned because potbellied pigs have sensitive skin and little hair.
    2. Pigs like heat, too. At home, Festus will stand on the heater vent in the floor when he gets cold.
  8. Pigs are smart and with a little food encouragement they can learn many tricks.
    1. Festus can spin, sit, and jump.
  9. Pigs can walk on a leash like a dog.
  10. Pigs can be trained to use a dog door.
    1. Festus has a dog door in the garage so he can go outside of his pen when we are home.
  11. Pigs have the ability to solve complex problems.
  12. Pigs have been tested and found to be smarter than an average 3-5 year-old child.
  13. Pigs root or dig in the ground with their noses.
    1. In the wild, they do this to help them find bugs to eat, but even Festus like to root in the yard or on someone’s hand or leg.
  14. Pigs have very poor eyesight, but they have exceptional hearing and smelling.
  15. Pigs can swim.
  16. Pigs are very social and enjoy the company of each other.
    1. They have many different grunts, squeals, and squeaks they use to communicate.
  17. Pigs can dream.
  18. Pigs feel emotions and know the feelings of love, hate and forgiveness.
  19. Pigs are actually very clean animals, they will not go to the bathroom where they eat/sleep.
  20. Pigs are a prey animal, but they learn trust from humans.
    1. This is why Festus sometimes screams when he is picked up.

They had so many fun animals this year: a mama goat and babies, a mama sheep and babies, a pony, a cow, a horse, ducks, a rabbit, and chickens. There was also a wonderful presentation on electricity. The weather was cold with snow on the ground so the entire "barnyard" was enclosed in the ag shop.
One of the FFA members teaching the kids about mini pigs

Bah holding Festus for her classmates

Another group learning about minipigs

Festus played in his pen some but mostly wanted to be held. The few times I was able to peek in, he was snuggled in his blanket sleeping. He sure seemed to love all of the attention!


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