Potbelly Pigs Passed Off As Pocket Pigs Going Feral In Delaware

Nov 21, 2022

By Rachel Sawicki

Potbelly pigs passed off as teacup, mini or pocket pigs are going feral in Delaware.

Owners of these pigs are releasing them into the wild once realizing their mini-pig isn’t so mini anymore.

Since 2016, there has been an increase in potbellied pigs running at large in the state, but the Department of Agriculture is raising awareness now as the population is becoming more destructive.

State veterinarian Karen Lopez says Magnolia and Hartly in Kent County and most of Western Sussex County are hotspots for the pigs. She says livestock farmers are frequently reporting them on their properties, and suspects pig owners may be dropping them off, expecting farmers to care for them.

“And I’m not talking about a commercial hog that’s going for meat production, I’m talking about a pot belly pig," Lopez says. "People will call and complain that ‘there’s a pig in my backyard.’ They may not be able to identify that it is a potbelly pig, and it is just destroying their backyard. Rooting up the ground, destroying the grass, eating their garden, and it may stick around in one person's backyard or it may just roam between several houses.”

The wild potbelly pig population is the new feral cat problem in Delaware, and the pigs’ swift ability to reproduce could pose risks for disease for other animals and humans.

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Video: Managing Severe PRRS Outbreaks - Dr. Claire Mtezankuni

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Claire Mtezankuni, Swine Veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service, discusses the growing severity of PRRS outbreaks in sow farms. She explains how respiratory disease and sow mortality are changing outbreak response, why necropsies and bacterial cultures can guide treatment, and how vaccination, biosecurity, pain management, and clear team communication support recovery and elimination. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Emerging PRRS strains can produce severe reproductive and respiratory disease simultaneously, creating substantial health challenges across sow farms during acute outbreaks.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Claire Mtezankuni / claire-mtezankuni-2529b1b3 is a Swine Veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service in Illinois, where her work includes commercial farm veterinary leadership, herd health, disease elimination, and veterinary internship coordination. She holds a DVM from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Veterinary Science in Livestock Systems Health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Learn more from Dr. Claire Mtezankuni on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.