A little underweight?

[1stTimePiggieOwner]

Hi everyone,

I weighed my boys this morning for the first time since getting them 2 weeks ago, finally felt confindent enough to do it.

We think they are 12 weeks old,

Guinness weighs 13.2 ounces
Bailey weighs 13.7 ounces

BY using the average birth weight of 3 ounces and then a gain of 1 to 1.5 ounces per week formula (that I read on here yesterday, thank you!) this means my boys are underweight. Should I be worried or just weigh them again weekly from now on and as long as theres an increase presume their weight is ok?

Should I be trying to bulk them up a bit or just leave them to it?

They both eat well although this week seem to have been off their hay so today we've brought some "Burges Excel Fresh Forage" so will try them with that and hopefully they'll enjoy that more than their current boring normal hay.

Thanks in advance. x

 

[Laura-CCC4]

They sound fine, as long as they are eating well they may naturally be smaller pigs, or they may just take a while to catch up.

It is exactly as you said - weigh weekly and make sure their weight continues to increase for another few months. It is normal for them to not gain weight some weeks, so don't worry too much if that happens.

 

[1stTimePiggieOwner]

Thanks for that CC4, very reassuring. I'm also wondering if maybe they are actually a little bit younger than 12 weeks, I guess the pet shop could be wrong? I don't know.

Anyway, as I said, thanks and I'll monitor their weight closely over the coming months.

x

 

[Wiebke]

Monitor their weight, but don't obsess about it - your boys have a long way to go before they reach their adult weight at a multiple of of what they are weighing now. With a good, varied diet they will keep on growing until they have reached their ideal weight.

The only worry is when they lose weight.

 

[1stTimePiggieOwner]

Thank you! x