Engel's Herd

Cyril and Basil have been here a wheek now. They've settled in quite well if I'm honest. They're fine being pet in the cage, in fact they'll lean into your hand. Easier to pick up now too. They'll take food from my hand without much thought.

Today was their first lap time and it went really well. Basil just became a loaf with half closed eyes, Cyril decided to lay down, feet out to the side, very relaxed.

Now a few questions:
What does it mean when a guinea pig rumbles at you when you stroke them? Basil did it, only once admittedly, so I stopped but wondered why.

They're both excreting lots of calcium in their urine, normal I know, but it's powdery almost chalky when dry.

They're each having unlimited meadow hay, 1 cup veggies (celery, pepper, lettuce, cucumber, green bean) and 1tbsp pellets. They pellets are alfalfa based and I'm wondering if that could be what's causing it. Would it be worth moving them onto Timothy based pellets like the others or carry on with the alfalfa one.

The original plan was to switch them over to Timothy based when the alfalfa one was finished anyway.
 
If you're seeing calcium pees a lot, then Id switch then over. To be honest, there is no need for them to be having alfalfa pellets anyway
Dont forget though that any diet changes take a while to have any effect, so you will still see calcium pees for a while
 
Piggies&buns said:
If you're seeing calcium pees a lot, then Id switch then over. To be honest, there is no need for them to be having alfalfa pellets anyway
Dont forget though that any diet changes take a while to have any effect, so you will still see calcium pees for a while
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Yes I remember with Jupiter it was a while before it became noticeable. It's just what they were on before (p@h brand) so thought just finish of the bag. However the amount of calcium on the fleece is bothering me a bit. I've taken a photo although not very good and doesn't show all of it but this fleece hasn't been down 24hrs yet and this is just one side of the cage.
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For the past couple of days all pigs have been inside. The boys have been next-door neighbours. Babies loved Jupi and vice versa. Kissing each other through the bars while wheeking and pop-corning. Po on the other hand did not interact with them at all. He did plenty of squeaking with the rest of them but would much rather lay and eat hay than poke his nose through the bars.

Managed to grab a few quick photos:
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Hey guys a little update on Cyril and Basil. Both boys are doing absolutely fantastic. Gained weight and are trying new veggies. I've had them 2 weeks now.

They LOVE lap time. They get comfy and start drifting off! They are a little skittish when you're stood next to the cage looking over but will accept head scritches when they're under a hide. So easy to pick up now too.

They had their first pedicure yesterday and allowed me to file the points off a few nails.

They transferred onto science selective grain free a week ago now with no issues. There's already been a massive difference to the calcium output. Don't get me wrong, they're still there bit no where as much. Since being on 1tbsp of pellets (and finally understanding that no matter how much they protest and go on hay hunger strike I'm not refilling the bowl) the hay intake has increased massively. Refilling hay piles twice daily like I do with other pigs when they're indoors.

I've introduced them to forage a couple of times this week and they seem to enjoy diving into the hay pile finding all the yummies, I get a few quiet wheeks while they're finding it all.

Their relationship seems to be stable. Testes are very obvious now and rumble strutting has increased as well as bum dragging. (Amongst all the pop-corning, eating, pooping, sleeping, cuddling and zoomies of course!)

Currently tucking into some 'treat' hay (Timothy) and loving it. 😊
 
Dear Cyril,

I know that you love lap time, but why do you insist on lying on my chest while staring into my soul? Its unsettling especially when you pancake and don't move. I boop your nose because I can't tell if you're breathing. Also why is it that if I stop petting you, you bury your nose into my underarm? I can assure you that you will regret doing that one day as I don't always smell like roses. Also while I'm here,

Dear Basil,

While it was nice of you to join Cyril pancaking on my chest, why did you repeatedly put your bum in my face? As if that wasn't bad enough why did you then curl your body around my neck? While it was nice to see you so relaxed in a croissant shape but was there any need for you to lift ones leg resting your foot on my cheek and your plums on my neck?! Totally uncalled for! To top it off, releasing gas not once, but 3 times while in such a position. I feel totally violated.

From piggie slave
 
Cleaning out outdoor piggies and noticed Eris has a gash in her ear like she's been bitten by another pig. I'm out here several times a day and spend a lot of time with them so wondered how I missed it. It's all healed ect. So I've looked back at all the photo's and turns out she had it before she even came home. 🤦‍♀️ I was panicking for nothing
 
Everything is well with Basil and Cyril nothing to really say. Cyril has a tiny graze just below his bottom lip which may be from catching himself on the grids as he chews the correx (a naughty habit he's learnt from master Jupi). But it's so so small so not worried about it.

They love lap time. Basil has started stretching out (so you can see he actually has a neck) and putting him nose into my hand. I let him smell it and go back to stroking him but then he reaches like a giraffe to do it again. Any ideas on what he's trying to tell me? The rest of his body in relaxed while doing it and is casually mumbling to himself if that's of any help
 
So lovely to read your boys have settled so well and enjoying lap time, sounds like you have a pair of very loveable snuggly boys x
 
Bill & Ted said:
So lovely to read your boys have settled so well and enjoying lap time, sounds like you have a pair of very loveable snuggly boys x
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It's lovely to watch them grow everyday, you wouldn't think 3 weeks ago they were terrified of people. Its quite heartwarming if I'm honest.
 
What do you do when a piggie is choking? Cyril was just choking on a pellet and it occurred to me that I don't know what to do if it happens again and he can't dislodge it himself.
 
Aww it's going below 10°C in the hutch now and that's with covers and extra hay. Past couple of nights it's dropped to 7-8 in there. Any other ideas before I start putting in heat pads? When should I think about bringing them inside?
 
I'd be putting the heat pads in now it is below 15, definitely now its lower than 10. See how that works along with the extra hay and covers (how many extra covers are you using?) in keeping it warmer in there. If it doesnt significantly improve things, then Id bring them in.
 
Thermal cover, 13 tog duvet, several blankets, carpet and tarpaulin. 😐 I really thought my insulation efforts would have paid off but no.

Hutch is packed with hay too. Their little ears are like ice and that's after being snuggled in a cocoon of hay 😰 it's really cold here now and it's 12° in the shed as of 10 minutes ago with all those measures. I've even put thick curtains up against windows and the door to help with any drafts.

I feel so defeated as I was hoping they'd be out until December. But there's nothing I can do about that.
 
Engel said:
Thermal cover, 13 tog duvet, several blankets, carpet and tarpaulin. 😐 I really thought my insulation efforts would have paid off but no.

Hutch is packed with hay too. Their little ears are like ice and that's after being snuggled in a cocoon of hay 😰 it's really cold here now and it's 12° in the shed as of 10 minutes ago with all those measures. I've even put thick curtains up against windows and the door to help with any drafts.

I feel so defeated as I was hoping they'd be out until December. But there's nothing I can do about that.
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You’re doing well with your insulating. Perhaps you can glue polystyrene sheets to hutch - that works well.
You might find with the heatpads things improve. As I’ve said before, I have four heat pads on one level of their hutch along with all the blankets etc things are mostly ok
 
@Piggies&buns Basils coat feels very waxy/greasy. None of my other boys are like this. Is it because he's a rex do you think? Or do you think it's grease gland and the fact he's 3 1/2 month's old and testosterone levels are increasing?

The greasiness is up his back mainly not just around the gland. I had to do some boar cleaning the other day. My only question is, how'd hay get up there!? 😰
 
Ok if I do have to bring them in I've got to work out cage configuration. I can't have a triple stacked c&c as I like to have each section 2 grids high but I won't be able to reach the top :/

Can't have Jupi and Po next to the girls but when they were next to the boys last there was a lot kisses and grooming but also a lot of bar chewing as they couldn't get to each other (even when I seperated the 2 cages). Should having the boys next to each other be ok despite this? I'm kinda stuck what else to do otherwise. Ideas?
 
The two pairs of boys will be ok next to each other. The interactions through the bars are fine but you can always cover the bars so they can’t see each other if they have were to have issues.
 
I've got a sheet of perspex on the bars between my seperated boars, it means they can see each other but not bite the bars.
 
Just a quick question (I know I have asked a lot of questions lately 😅) veggies have been really poor here and I'm struggling to get decent veg for me let alone the pigs. I've been growing my own but we're at the end of the season now. Is readigrass ok as a substitute as it's closer in nutrients to fresh grass? It won't be fed everyday BUT when I can't get veg for them
 
A pinch of Ready Grass is okay as a treat but it's a bit high in calcium to feed in any quantity.
 
Cage configuration last time. Pink is the grids that both cages share. The blue is where they go when the pink grids were covered. I'm sure it's because they can see each other but can't get to each other (not in a nasty way. It's been all positive so far).
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Oh @piggieminder that's not good. I'm trying to reduce calcium pees in my younger boys as it was quite a lot.

Does anyone know of any winter pepper plant varieties that can survive in an unheated greenhouse?
 
Update on Everyone!
(I'll put it in one post as my other thread will get merged with this one).

Eileithyia-Eris
13 months old now and still a snuggle bug. I love our cuddles, I love cuddles off all my lot but there's something special with Eil. It probably stems back to when she was pregnant and me getting in as much love and cuddles just in case there were problems and didn't make it. So now as soon as I pick her up she pancakes and I can lie there with her on my chest (with her pancaked of course) so relaxed and I feel so lucky to have her. There's so much emotion. Anyways, she's doing well loving life. Enjoys nose scritches and chin rubs most days. If you said to me when I got her, 'hey we know she's a baby but she's going to have 2 huge babies, be a fantastic mother, bounce back quickly, be easy to handle, can hand feed her even tiny pellets and stroke her in the cage and have her respond to her name in less than a year. Enjoy.' I'd have thought you were mad. Yet here we are.

Jupiter
Also 13 months old and huge. Family keep saying how much of a monster he is (in size). Love's nose scritches and will accept them multiple times a day. Chin rubs are reserved for lap time only and all he does is pancake and relax. I didn't think he'd be this relaxed when I got him as he's always been very nervous and flighty. I thought maybe a few years time but not yet. He's a lovely little character and will always stick his nose through the bars for a quick nose scratch and greet me. He doesn't feel the need to hide now.

Apollo
Chief Wheeker does an amazing job at alerting the group when food is coming. I can't believe he's almost 1. Doesn't seem that long ago I was watching him be born. He's the same size as Jupi now and they've seemed to have bonded really well despite them being only 3 months apart and going through teenage stage at the same time. They eat together, sleep together, popcorn and do zoomies together. They groom each other and give each other kisses. It's lovely to watch.

Dysnomia
10 months old and heaviest in the group at the moment. She greets me every time I see her, coming right up to me in the cage/hutch. Rarely I can give her a nose scratch but she's my only piggie that isn't a fan of being touched. That being said, we had a nice cuddle so that might change. There's nothing else really to say about her. She makes her mum look small and is a law to herself. (Which is funny as Dysnomia is the goddess of lawlessness). Someone chewed your coat? That'd be Mia. Peed on you, yup Mia. Jumped out the hutch and refusing to go back in. You guessed it, Mia. Lol she's just a character and wouldn't change her for the world.

Cyril
The little squirrel is growing in confidence everyday. Little guy eats like a horse and loves a cuddle. He's come out of his shell really quickly. Both he and Basil do everything together.

Basil
15 weeks old now I think and no doubting he's a boy! Currently he's the loudest wheeker of the group. He's currently going through a phase of rumbling a lot followed by a lot of pop-corning and zoomies before going back to rumbling. Which Cyril then joins in on and they both go zooming around the cage like nutters.

Outdoor pigs have been bought inside. I tried the pads but piggies were so cold to the touch and dropping to 8° in the hutch. Tonight's meant to be colder still and the next 2 weeks is looking the same so I've bought them in as I don't want them to be out in the cold. Everyone's settles. Boys are next to each other in the same configuration as they were last time. I think they remember each other. Both boys greeting the babies through the bars with kisses and lots of wheeking and poporning.

There's 5 piggies in this photo, can you spot them? 😁
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Done and topic renamed to show all 4 boys, if you want it changed to anything else, let me know. 👍
 
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