POT BELLY PIG HELPPPP!!!! Age??

[crazyducklady23]

Hello,

I just purchased a baby pot belly pig at a local livestock auction. The only problem is that I am not sure how old it is. I put food and water in its pen and I can not tell if it is eating the feed or just knocking it over. I am thinking it is between 3-7 weeks old but i am having trouble figuring it out. (The internet is so misleading with pictures!) I can post a picture when i get home but i need to know what age it is so i can get it on milk if i need to ASAP. If anyone could post some pictures for me of piglets from that age i would appreciate it until i can get his picture up!

Thanks!

 

[GitaBooks]

Shape and behavior are a good way to tell the age of a piglet. Young pigs have large heads and eyes, little fat, and small, thin legs. As they age they will get thicker skin, more wiry hair and more fat on their body.
A picture would certainly help. Weighing it will also help determine the age.

Congratulations on the pot-belly pig. If you have any other questions about Pot Belly Pig care I'd be glad to help as much as possible. They are a lot of fun but require a lot of work, especially since they will grow to a large, heavy size (likely 90 lbs and up to 200 lbs). Care has to be taken that they don't become over-weight as it is painful on their joints.
Start at a young age encouraging them to enjoy handling and petting (piglets have a natural fear of being picked up unlike dogs or cats), teach them not to bite (they are very stubborn, they are group oriented but not pack oriented like a dog), and they love a large, outdoor area with a pool and a chance to root around and make a mess (they love to make a mess). They can also be house-trained or litter-box trained and are very, very intelligent and so love mental stimulation.

Best of luck with your new piglet!

 

[crazyducklady23]

Thank you so much for the response his hair right now is really soft. I got him on Saturday and have been trying to figure out his age the past two days. He keeps shaking though too which is worrying me i think he might be scared cause as soon as i pick him up he is warm and stops shaking and falls asleep in my arms. I am just worried with going those couple days without milk if that is what he needs right now. He has feed and water in there right now but like i said i am not sure if he is eating it or not....

 

[GitaBooks]

You could mix some milk replacer in with his food to soften it and make it more palatable to eat. It won't do him any harm.

He is likely chilly because he is so small and doesn't have a lot of hair yet. A nice warm nest (crate left open or something) with blankets to snuggle into that makes him feel secure will help keep him calm and happy and warm.

 

[cassie]

Baby pigs need to be kept warm. You can hang up a heat lamp if nothing else. If you don't see him eating he probably isn't. Food is the center of a pig's universe. Pigs are called pigs for a reason. Mix warm milk with his food to make a gruel. Dip his nose in it or put some on his tongue or both. He should scarf it down. If he doesn't there is a problem.

 

[crazyducklady23]

So when I got home lastnight I went to check on him and he was laying in his little pen area under the hay and blanket. I checked to see if he ate and he either ate some of the pellets I gave him or knocked over the dish. He has been drinking water willingly I did watch him do that lastnight. I tried a couple ideas lastnight on to get him to eat. I first put some warm milk in with the pellets to make it mushy for him...nothing. Then I tried to put a bowl of warm milk in there and put his nose in it...he licked his month then...nothing. Then I took a small needless syringe and put some warm milk in that and gently squeezed it in the side of his mouth and he put up a little bit of a fight but nothing crazy that I couldn't keep giving him the milk. On Saturday when I got him he ate a little bit of the pellets I gave him out of my hand. I haven't seen any poop yet either which it could be hiding under all the hay as well. All he seems to want to do is be held and loved and sleep. When I put him back in his pen he goes gets a drink of water and then goes right into his sleeping area. He does sleep in our basement right now in his pen and the basement is kept at at least 65 - 70 degrees. His pen is all sealed so there is no drafts and there is a lot of hay in there for him. Lastnight I also put in a small blanket and I warmed up a little heating pad for him to lay on which he loves. I attached some pictures for you all to see as well in hopes to figure out how old he is. If I can figure out the age I think I can address his eating situation better. Please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

 

[GitaBooks]

Don't worry, he looks old enough to be weaned (around 6-9 weeks of age) though he may still enjoy milk mixed into his food.
If you contact the breeder he/she may tell you what your piglet has previously been eating so you know what it is that he is use to. A good breeder will get a piglet use to a variety of foods and offer a sample to the new owner.
Your piglet is likely stressed from being separated from his mother. While getting another piglet for him would be a lot of money, it may encourage more activity and a happier piglet. New piglets tend to be shy, so lots of cuddle time will help bring him out of his shell. They love to spend time with people and young piglets can be frightened if spending a lot of time alone. Maybe a radio or quiet TV would help make him feel safer when you cannot be there.
If you can contact the breeder they may also tell you what the piglet was use to using the bathroom in. Perhaps it was learning to go outdoors or in a litter box and this may be confusing it. You can train your piglet to go outside or to use a cat litter box with the front cut down so they can easily get in. Avoid cedar chips or pellets, as this can be toxic, but puppy pads, pine bedding or newspaper can be used instead.

A young piglet only needs to eat 1/4 a cup of pig feed twice a day (so half a cup every day), once in the morning and once in the evening. You can also break this up into three meals a day. Piglets can more easily eat small food so make sure his diet is a piglet pellet instead of that made for adults.
It is suggested a safe multivitamin with iron in it be offered to piglets since living in doors they can't get naturally occuring iron in the soil. Since neutering/spaying an adult pig is difficult, other health care suggestions include getting them neutered or spayed and getting them vaccinated for tetanus toxoid, rabies and erysipelas. Worming is also suggested for them (twice a year).

Mini pigs can get constipated so offering a little olive or mineral oil in their food or a little canned pumpkin can help get things moving.


By the way, your piglet is VERY ADORABLE!

 

[crazyducklady23]

Awww thank you so much for the helpful response! I have been worrying the past couple days with him and knowing around what age he is is very helpful! He is a doll baby, LOVES to be held and cuddled and will fall asleep right in your arms! I also heard to get baby rice cereal for them. Have you heard or tried this before?

 

[cassie]

What else are you feeding him? Rice is not very high in protein. I used to get a baby pig starter from the feed store and mix it with milk for my little ones I was hand feeding. You might look around the internet and see if you can find a pot belly pig web site. There should be some information on feed and care to be found there.

 

[crazyducklady23]

I got him Mazuri Mini Pig feed for youth it says from mini pigs 0-16 weeks. I got it from Tractor Supply. I looked on this one website and emailed them they said to try the baby Gerber rice cereal that's why I figured I would bring it up on here but wasn't sure about it.