Göttingen minipig

A young Göttingen minipig

The Göttingen minipig (also known as the Göttinger or Goettingen minipig) is a breed of miniature swine. The Göttingen minipig is best known for its exceptionally small size, docile nature, and very clean and well-characterized health status. Development of this breed began in the late 1960s at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics (Institut für Tierzucht und Haustiergenetik) at the University of Göttingen, Germany, by crossbreeding the Minnesota minipig, the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, and the German Landrace pig.[1] Göttingen minipigs are highly favored as pets,[2] however, the breed was specifically developed for biomedical research. Today, it is extensively bred at four separate locations globally.[3] The Göttingen minipig is the smallest domestic pig breed known in the world; as an adult, it weighs around 26 kg (57 lb).[4]

History

The Göttingen minipig was created for use in biomedical research. Smaller pigs required less space and feed, were easier to handle, and required a lesser amount of the compound being tested.[5]

The Göttingen minipig was the first miniature pig breed to be developed in Europe. It was available to the German biomedical research community from the late 1960s. Breeding began by crossing the Minnesota minipig, obtained from the Hormel Institute in the United States, and the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, obtained from a German zoo. Subsequent cross breeding with the German Landrace produced the white/pink skin pigmentation which characterizes modern Göttingen minipigs. Breeding goals included a low body weight, good ear veins, and low inbreeding coefficients.[1]

In 1992, the first colony of barrier-bred, microbiologically defined Göttingen minipigs was derived in Denmark. From this colony, Göttingen minipigs were provided for biomedical research performed throughout Europe and to a limited extent in North America. Beginning in 2003, a colony of Göttingen minipigs was established in the United States. Since 2010, the breed has also been available in Japan.[3] Global use of Göttingen minipigs for biomedical research has been increasing over the past two decades.

In the United States in the 2010s, Göttingen minipigs were soon purchased and bred locally to be sold as pets, in multiple locations. They are now a popular breed of pet pig, renowned for their small size.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Bollen, PJA & Ellegaard, L.(1996). Developments in Breeding Göttingen Minipigs. In Tumbleson & Schook (eds.) Advances in Swine in Biomedical Research. New York: Plenum Press
  2. 1 2 "Legalize Mini Pigs As Pets -". Americanminipigassociation.com. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs: Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs". Minipigs.dk. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Taking good care of Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs®" (PDF). Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. ↑ McAnulty, PA, Dayan, AD, Ganderup, NC, & Hastings, KL. (2012). The Minipig in Biomedical Research. Boca Raton: CRC Press
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.