How Can You Estimate Age?

[Reenie]

So - when I collected my two new boys, the girl said they were about 6 months old. I had thought quite a bit older, just by the size of them and the sheer length of their hair, and now that they're here, I still think they're older. They're more subdued than my other 3 -to be expected just now, but they don't run off so skittishly if that makes sense, and they don't seem young in their behaviour. When I was giving them the once over to check for obvious health issues, even their 'bits' look more erm.. lived in?

Is there any way to roughly estimate age?

 

[gizzy]

The nails will thicken as they grow! A very young bub will have tiny pointy nails!
The back end will spread with age, this is more visible with sows!
The testicals of a male will start to show from around 6 weeks and get progressively bigger with age !
Very subtle changes in incisor shade of white, the older they get the whiter they get
Feel the cervik bones at the back end of a sow! the 2 bones most prominent ! the cartilage between the cervical bones stiffens at around eight months of age.
NB ! This makes it difficult/impossible for the bones to separate during birth, thereby greatly

 

[Wiebke]

So - when I collected my two new boys, the girl said they were about 6 months old. I had thought quite a bit older, just by the size of them and the sheer length of their hair, and now that they're here, I still think they're older. They're more subdued than my other 3 -to be expected just now, but they don't run off so skittishly if that makes sense, and they don't seem young in their behaviour. When I was giving them the once over to check for obvious health issues, even their 'bits' look more erm.. lived in?

Is there any way to roughly estimate age?

You generally can age younger piggies from the time they slow down and then stop growing.
Older piggies you guess at how thick ot twisty their nails are and from how bony they are over the hips compared to their general state of health. But generally, all you can end with is sub-adult, young adult, mature adult in their prime (ca, 2-3 years), older citizen (4-5 years onwards) - but that is often only a rough guess.
There is no easy way to age a piggy.

 

[Reenie]

Thank you both. Their nails are certainly a lot thicker than my other boys who are supposedly around the same age. Because they are so hairy, it's hard to tell hip width etc. I'm going with young adult for the time being.

 

[Janice C]

So - when I collected my two new boys, the girl said they were about 6 months old. I had thought quite a bit older, just by the size of them and the sheer length of their hair, and now that they're here, I still think they're older. They're more subdued than my other 3 -to be expected just now, but they don't run off so skittishly if that makes sense, and they don't seem young in their behaviour. When I was giving them the once over to check for obvious health issues, even their 'bits' look more erm.. lived in?

Is there any way to roughly estimate age?

I rescued my choc Agoutis and supposed to be 8 months or so though person couldn’t quite remember! Well, one had a full blown cataract and all had really twisted overgrown nails and very large spread out butts! Took them of course! But I feel they are quite old as they’ve never done much more than toddle about! Love them to bits of course!
Good luck with your lovely new boys!

 

[Reenie]

Thanks Janice. I'm pretty sure they're nothing like 6 months, but I don't think they're old either.

 

[Janice C]

So - when I collected my two new boys, the girl said they were about 6 months old. I had thought quite a bit older, just by the size of them and the sheer length of their hair, and now that they're here, I still think they're older. They're more subdued than my other 3 -to be expected just now, but they don't run off so skittishly if that makes sense, and they don't seem young in their behaviour. When I was giving them the once over to check for obvious health issues, even their 'bits' look more erm.. lived in?

Is there any way to roughly estimate age?

I like the “ bits more lived in”!

 

[Elwickcavies]

I took on a rescue sow who the previous owner claimed was an "old girl". I noticed that her feet seemed much younger - no twisting of the nail and very nice and neat. Once she had put on some weight and grown back her hair it was clear that she was 1-2 rather than 5-6!

 

[Janice C]

I took on a rescue sow who the previous owner claimed was an "old girl". I noticed that her feet seemed much younger - no twisting of the nail and very nice and neat. Once she had put on some weight and grown back her hair it was clear that she was 1-2 rather than 5-6!

We’re t you lucky as it means you’ll have lots of time with her,

 

[Elwickcavies]

We’re t you lucky as it means you’ll have lots of time with her,

Absolutely! And she's gorgeous!