The

Göttingen Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the capital of the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, the population was 118,911. General information The ori ...

minipig (also known as the ''Göttinger'' or "Goettingen" minipig) is a breed of small swine. The Göttingen minipig is the smallest

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

breed known in the world; as an adult, they weigh around . Beside being known for their exceptionally small size, the Göttingen minipigs are known for their docile nature and very clean and well-characterized health status. Raising 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 The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, by crossbreeding the Minnesota mini-pig, the Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig, and the German Landrace pig.Bollen, PJA & Ellegaard, L.(1996). Developments in Breeding Göttingen Minipigs. In Tumbleson & Schook (eds.) Advances in Swine in Biomedical Research. New York: Plenum Press Göttingen minipigs are highly favored as pets, however, the breed was specifically developed for biomedical research. Today, they are extensively bred at four separate locations globally.

History

The Göttingen minipig was raised 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.McAnulty, PA, Dayan, AD, Ganderup, NC, & Hastings, KL. (2012). The Minipig in Biomedical Research. Boca Raton: CRC Press The Göttingen minipig was the first

miniature pig Miniature Pigs, also called mini pig, or Pygmy pig, are small breeds of domestic pig, such as the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pig, Göttingen minipig, Juliana pig, Choctaw hog, or Kunekune (and specimens derived by crossbreeding these breeds). Mi ...

breed to be developed in Europe. They were 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. In 1992, the first colony of barrier-bred, microbiologically defined Göttingen minipigs were derived in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. 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 were established in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Since 2010, the breed has also been available in Japan. 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

pet A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...

s, in multiple locations. They are now a popular breed of pet

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

, renowned for their small size.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gottingen minipig Pig breeds