FarmGirl's Herd

FarmGirl

FarmGirl

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 15, 2019
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Location
Essex/Herts
Thought I'd start a thread in about my herd, especially with the newest arrivals having been rehomed through the forum!

So, to start, a brief intro to the current members:

Holly is my oldest girl at approx. 7 years old- she's very laid back and loves grass
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Pearl is estimated five years old and a bit of a big gal- she likes nothing better than to pancake in a hay tray
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Bubbles and Squeaky are four year old sisters, who couldn't be more different from each other!
Squeaky- is very vocal (mostly squeaks!) and is the biggest of the herd and the dominant pig
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Bubbles- is a quiet girl and low in the dominance ranks, but has a feisty streak
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Jasper is the boar of the herd- three years old and is the most laid back boar I've ever had, he likes to poodle about checking on his ladies
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New girls on the block:
Pixel- three years old. So far is a very nervous piggy but is settling down with the help of Holly and Pearl's calmness
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Snowy- eighteen months old. So far is a bold girl full of energy- she likes to sit in the middle of the grass pile and (except when eating) is always on the move
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:luv:
 
So the gorgeous girls had a settled journey back from TEAS- I was a little worried because we got stuck in M25 traffic but I think since the journey was mostly motorway and they were settled in their box in the foot well, they had an easy journey...at least that’s what I think given they ate a whole pile of grass plus some hay, dandelions and cucumber that I brought for them!
 
First couple of days were interesting- Snowy is such an outgoing girl and Pixel so very shy that I had some worried moments, but all seems to be settling down now.
First off, I've never seen Jasper so animated (there was even a little hump!)- he's usually so laid back he's almost horizontal, but two new younger ladies was too exciting. Pixel was the recipient of the hump which seemed to terrify her and she then kept hiding from Jasper. Snowy wasn't having any of it though and kept bouncing away from ole' romeo!
Secondly, trouble came in the form of Bubbles, who decided Snowy was too big for her boots- cue lots of teeth chattering and a very concerned Pig Slave, especially when Bubbles then seemed to fall out with Jasper and Pearl too! Luckily this has settled down now, but I'm still keeping a close eye. Pixel and Bubbles seem to rub along nicely, and I spotted Bubbles and Snowy sharing a log tunnel today so fingers crossed they're working on their relationship, and all has settled with the 'old' relationships too, phew!
Pearl and Holly have been absolute gems, especially with Pixel- at one point Pixel was hiding in the corner of the run not grazing and looking scared and Pearl went over to check out the grass and was just grazing next to her not getting to close but hanging out and this got Pixel out of her panic. I've found Pixel hanging out with these two a lot as she builds her confidence. Snowy did try and get Pearl to move from where she was pancaked under a log tunnel today though and was greeted with a firm no (probably because Pearl could pancake while eating a good patch of grass there!) so our Pearl isn't a push over.
Squeaky is so sure of herself that she gave the new girls a cursory sniff and that was her done, aside from bulldozing her way to the food when they're 'in her way'!
This is the gang in the bonding pen :luv: :luv:
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The gorgeous girls have started to be braver at veg time, sharing bowls with the gang rather than nabbing a bit and running off with it or just hiding (that's mostly Pixel, Snowy now happily sits in the middle getting her share!)- not got any pigtures yet as don't want to disturb them too much! Was very proud of Pixel today she was out and about grazing with the others and not hiding in the tunnels too! I think Snowy may start to rival Holly in the chooken department as she likes to relax with her feet hanging out. We're working on getting used to the sound of the bolts on the Piggy Palace being opened and seeing the Piggy Slave watching them, but slow and steady wins the day!

Now we're up to date, I promise to keep up better with the news, and supply pigtures once the herd settles more...without spamming too much hopefully!
 
Had a tough couple of weeks- with my wee boy Jasper being poorly and losing my old lady Holly.

Holly was between 7 and 8 years old and was active an eating like a horse and was enjoying life despite her advancing years. She'd come inside for winter for extra TLC as she's only tiny- then one morning I found her in her final moments, we had a cuddle and then she passed. I'm glad it was quick for her but miss her cheeky greetingsevery morning. R.I.P. Holly.

Jasper picked up a URI a month or so ago and I thought the Baytril had cleared it up but then it arrived back with a bang a few weeks ago. Another course of Baytril didn't seem to be working so I took him back to the vet who agreed his lungs were noisier! So Sulfatrim and Metacam were the next step which *fingers crossed* seem to have done the trick. Jasper is not a fan of meds, syringe feeding (even with added banana!), fibreplex, or me listening to his lungs but he deigned to be fussed with and now his lungs sound clear and his weight has started to creep up again and he's eating like his old self. I think I'm going to take him for a 'just to make sure' vet check though to ease my mind though!

The magic moment was when he wheeked for his dinner for the first time in two weeks, I almost cried with relief!
 
Soooo, things have been busy in my herd the last couple of months...

After mourning Holly I began to think about adding to the herd again as we have space and there are so many needy piggies out there, so I looked up the recommended rescues in my area and Wood Green deemed me an acceptable home...I preferred the idea of adding a pair and asked the rescue for the pair of girls that had been waiting the longest. It became third time lucky due to the first set being chosen by someone else just before me, and the second were still with their original owner who then couldn't be contacted, but the third option worked out! And turned out to be a pair of wee bairns...12 and 7 weeks old when I got them, I haven't had babies this young for a very long time!

So I'd like to introduce Rose and Ivy (named in remembrance of Holly) two mischievous and speedy bundles of joy who have merged into my herd as if they'd always been there! The oldest girls are very good 'mums' to them and they're growing so fast (have put on 225g each in the month I've had them!) and as they are pretty much the same size/weight, I suspect Ivy (the younger) was probably a single baby!

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Rose on the left is all grey with a lighter stripe on her back and Ivy on the right has a grey head and white body with grey spots...and both have gorgeous red eyes :luv:
 
I've had some poorly piggies too, unfortunately- Jasper's URI has returned again but seems to be responding to the antibiotics, luckily he's been bright and eating throughout altho he has lost some weight again so we're working to get that back on. Fingers crossed third times the charm!

My oldet girl Pearl developed an abscess under her chin and one lower incisor looked longer than the other. The abscess had burst and she was still eating well, but after a not particularly helpful visit to my normal vet we took a trip up to the famous Cat and Rabbit clinic and saw the amazing Simon who said it was a tooth abscess (my first fear) and (once he found out how far we'd come) took her off to remove the offending tooth then and there! Pearl is now on strong antibiotics and metacam and is luckily still eating and although a little sore the wound is looking good, so fingers crossed she's going to be fine. Definitely worth the trip!

Here are my two convalessing piggies, Jasper on the left and Pearl on the right, love them!

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And finally to not leave out the other half of the gang...

My large ladies Squeaky and Bubbles have been very good 'mums' to the new babies, providing a piggie to follow around the new spaces and a snuggle when all tired out. They are lovely good girls, Squeaky on the left and Bubbles on the right.

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And of course not forgetting my teenagers, Pixel and Snowy are doing great and have settled down lovely in the herd having found their places and kept the babies (thus far!) from usurping their positions. Snowy seems to be having a colour change, she's developing light grey patches which will be interesting to see how they develop! And I think her nose is darker now too. Pixel is now the second biggest piggie in the herd due to her love of all things food related :-)

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(Pixel on the left, Snowy on the right)

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