LOOK at my new spoiled rotton baby!New video, 12/6/11

[redhen]

no..you should never starve them!...thats just sick!....but you DO have to feed them what they recommend...or you will be sorry...i know 1 cup a day seems so small...but...its what they need....also, you must give them another cup or so of greens a day(besides the pig feed)....so....starving them will only kll them!..it wont make them stay small...BUT...overfeeding will kill them also....also..its comman sense..look at your pigs shape...they should be peanut (in the shell) shape....wide at the head/shoulders...in some at the waist..and wide again at the rump......if they are round ALL around...they are overweight...and it will catch up with them...very fast...i tried to up my hammies food once when i though he looked thin....i only up'd it by 1/4 a cup a day TOTAL....and he got fat, real fast!...also..some pigs DO need a bit more food a day....use your common sense...just like with any pet....

 

[Haviris]

Hilda is perfect right now (even though she tries to convience me she's starving every chance she gets). So we're good for now, we'll readjust if she doesn't seem to be getting enough, or starts looking pudgy again. I figure they're like other animals and different ones will need different amounts to mantain them, it's hard to say they need x amount of food each day, because some may need alittle more and others won't need that much! I'm not as worried about it right now because she's a growing baby, but as she becomes an adult I'll really have to watch myself w/ the treats.

Right now Hilda follows me every where I go, and gets the major zoomies to work off energy. I'm hoping when she's older and going outside that she will always like walks w/ me, and I'll be able to keep her plenty fit.

 

[redhen]

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yup..makes perfect sense!...some pigs get more excercise...they may need to eat more food....again...go by how your pig looks..all i know is..i listen to the people that have had these pigs for many years...they do pig rescues etc...so, they know what they are talking about... there is a reason for that food amount.....because..once they get extra weight on them it is very hard to get it off....very hard!...all i know is, i dont want my pigs to have trouble walking and to go blind....i have spoken to so many people who have had this happen and it is heartbreaking....the pig just lays there and cant move...and he cant see you because of the fat folds on the face..*it suffers like that for years, before it finally dies*...people dont let their dogs get like that..why their pigs? these are not meat hogs...and it gets me mad when people think its a joke...just because they are pigs...

 

[mainchick]

what a cutie pie piggy! Our pigs at the shelter (permanent residents) can have only very limited snacks because they have become very pudgy the past year. we have a volunteer that would come every day and feed them crackers and bread and all kinds of fruit. they put on weight so fast!! Now they are on a restricted diet with only plain rice cakes and airpopped popcorn and carrots for treats.

 

[chickenbottom]

oooooh so adorible little piggy lol

 

[Haviris]

I had a neighbor with a very obese PBP, she was quite sad to look at, she had the fat rolls over her eyes, I know she had to be miserable. They had a another pig at one point, but I don't remember him being overly fat. The woman works in the school cafateria and would bring the pigs the leftovers, I know that is why that female was so fat. I felt pretty bad for her.

I just go by the looks, she'd definately not be getting enough if I cut her food at all at this point, but it was definately time to stop the free feeding.

People will ask about bottle feeding baby goats, wanting to know exactly how much they should be feeding, but it varies alot, some just need more then others! I figure piglets are the same way, just have to go by how they look, alteast with the goat kids you can partially judge it by how they act (if they down their bottle and still act hungry, or are hungry again way to soon, you probably need to up the amount), but pigs/piglets always act hungry!

 

[Skyesrocket]

You can also give them hay. They do need some roughage in their diets to keep things moving along. Mine graze a lot in the spring and pick up again in the fall.
A fun thing to do is to make them a rooting box. Use a sturdy low sided box and you can cover the bottom in rocks or crumpled up newspaper balls, ball crawl balls are excellent. Anyway make an opening for them to get into the box and put cheerios or whatever in there. They will root around to get the treats. They seem to have a good time doing it and it helps curb their need to root.

 

[redhen]

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..i know! they act like you havent fed them in a week! they are smart!..TOO smart!...they know how to work us!

 

[redhen]

also, for me, the food amount can change with the season...because in the winter, they are just kinda stuck inside...but, as soon as it gets warm enough for them..they are OUTSIDE!...

.....and when they are outside, they run around all day long, rooting up all of mommy's new flowers

, trying to break in the chicken coop to eat all their food, in the goat barn and gorge on all their hay...

 

[chickorama]

Awwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!

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