Advice for my new pig

[cjelement]

I want to start off by saying that I love my new pig and I am very deeply committed to him for life. I wanted to get some advice from you guys since the research that I've done appears to be a LOT different from what I was told at the pet store. First of all, how big REALLY do these awesome guys get? I don't care if he grows to 1000 lbs, I love him forever. Second, he was orphaned and is now only 3 or 4 weeks old. I have been feeding him baby formula mixed in with Mazuri mini-pig food to make it mushy. He seems to love it, just thought I'd ask though. Also, the pet store owner told me that he would get along great with my dog and so far he is, just wondering about that as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

C

[PinkMouse]

lol, i know nothing about pigs, but he sounds adorable!
id like to see pics of him!

[Jennicat]

Guinea pigs typically weigh 2-3 lbs when grown. I wouldn't reccomend letting him play with your dog, though. Even though they may seem like friends, your dog could accidently hurt your piggy. :)

[whitmoregirl]

lol Jennicat it's a pig as in "oink oink" :D
And congrats - what's it like having a piggy as a pet?
I've always wondered ;)

[thorngirl]

So far it sounds like your'e doing things right. Make sure you keep to the pig feed and fruit/veggie treats and not dog/cat food unless you want a big ole piggy. I'm speaking from experience, all but one of my piggies are under 50 pounds. Lola is about 200 pounds because she was raised in the house and ate the cat/dog food and when outside ate acorns all day long. Size/weight is hard to say exactaly but my guess is up to 100-125 pounds maybe. How much does he weigh now?.Make sure you get him fixed asap as he'll start with a "funky" musky odor (it's a male thing) and he won't be so protective/aggressive when he gets a bit bigger. You can email me direct at thorngirl@sc.rr.com if you have any questions/problems you need help with.

[Jennicat]

I knew that... ;) (Oops, been hanging out with the guineas way too long, sorry!)

[gwildlifeguy05]

Thorngirl gave you some great advice...you will want to get this guy neutered as soon as he is old enough...it will not only help his temperament, but also his housebreaking and odor.

A healthy diet is the most important part of having a pig....they can balloon uncontrollably if fed improperly...when he is weaned, he should be weaned onto a good Potbellied Pig food like Champion (available online) or Mazuri. ONLY pot bellied pig food, not farm pig feed or anything like that and certainly not dog food!

Pet stores often give the wrong advice out, or are ill-informed, unfortunately. The average weight for an adult pot bellied pig is 125 lbs. or so. Picture a labrador retriever cut off at the knees. There are pot bellied pigs that are a healthy 70 lbs. and there are pot bellied pigs that are a healthy 200 lbs. Some are genetically meant to be smaller, some larger.

As far as pigs and dogs....use EXTREME caution here...while many animals of different species can form wonderful relationships, care must be taken with dogs....don't forget, dogs are carnivores, and pigs are prey species by nature....depending on the size of the dog, they could do some serious damage or even kill a pig. You will want to supervise all interactions.

Also, since he was orphaned, you will want to make sure that he is EXTRA trained. Piglets that lose Mom and siblings at an early age lose all the good lessons that they teach them...how to be respectful, who is in charge, etc.

Orphaned piglets can be bossy..while this may be cute while the piglet is only 10 lbs., think about a bossy 100 lb. pig that is pushy and snappy. You will want to set some ground rules and be firm, as you would with a child. Remember, pigs are smart and have a phenominal memory....whatever foundation you lay today, will be respected tomorrow....you will want to be seen as the "herd leader," a loving leader, but definitely a leader...not someone that he can nudge or nip and get extra treats.

Expose him to EVERYTHING...riding in cars, wearing a leash and harness, meeting new people, etc. Be sure to handle his hooves daily so that he is comfortable with that...while he is lying down, rub his legs and hooves. Gaining that confidence will allow you to trim your pig's hooves easily down the road.

For lots of information, do a net search on Pig Placement Network and Ross Mill Farm.

Enjoy!!

Greg

[juicyjuicee]

lol i thought i was in the guinea pig forum, oops- I was reading what thorngirl said and i thought she was just making everything up.