How Much Weight Gain Is Normal For Growing Piggies?

[LydiaMinx]

I introduced Pumpkin and Pepper to the forum a week or so ago, and at that point believed they were about 12 weeks old (what we were told when we got them).

I looked up normal weights for 12 week old girls, and it came up around 600g I think. When I first got the girls, they were both dead on 400g...so both very small for such an age.

They had a routine check up at the vets before I got them insured, and the vet estimated them to be at 6 weeks when I got them (so that meets the standard weight for a 6 week old pig, 400g).

That age makes a lot more sense as they were both so small they each fit in the palm of my hand. They would be about 9 weeks old now, with Pumpkin weighing 460g, and Pepper 480g.

They've both been gained about 20g a week, and both have good appetites.

Is there an accepted healthy rate of growth for pigs at 9ish weeks of age?

 

[Wiebke]

I introduced Pumpkin and Pepper to the forum a week or so ago, and at that point believed they were about 12 weeks old (what we were told when we got them).

I looked up normal weights for 12 week old girls, and it came up around 600g I think. When I first got the girls, they were both dead on 400g...so both very small for such an age.

They had a routine check up at the vets before I got them insured, and the vet estimated them to be at 6 weeks when I got them (so that meets the standard weight for a 6 week old pig, 400g).

That age makes a lot more sense as they were both so small they each fit in the palm of my hand. They would be about 9 weeks old now, with Pumpkin weighing 460g, and Pepper 480g.

They've both been gained about 20g a week, and both have good appetites.

Is there an accepted healthy rate of growth for pigs at 9ish weeks of age?

The weekly growth rate is perfectly normal for their age. Please do not obsess about absolute weights; they can vary so much that average weight charts are not worth the paper they are printed on.

Each guinea pig has got a genetically determined ideal adult weight and size, which can differ enormously - even amongst litter mates. The weight differences between my sister pairs/triplets have been between 100-150g as youngsters and that has only got larger as adults. Nerys and Nia were 500g in weight difference at their peak; and yet both were in the normal adult weight range and lived a good lifespan.

On a good balanced diet, guinea pigs will reach their optimum, irrespective of whether they grow very quickly and then stop or whether they grow more slowly for longer. After that, they will grow fat if the diet is too rich.
How you can check whether your piggies are good weight for their individual size at any stage of their lives you can find out in this thread: The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight

 

[LydiaMinx]

The weekly growth rate is perfectly normal for their age. Please do not obsess about absolute weights; they can vary so much that average weight charts are not worth the paper they are printed on.

Each guinea pig has got a genetically determined ideal adult weight and size, which can differ enormously - even amongst litter mates. The weight differences between my sister pairs/triplets have been between 100-150g as youngsters and that has only got larger as adults. Nerys and Nia were 500g in weight difference at their peak; and yet both were in the normal adult weight range and lived a good lifespan.

On a good balanced diet, guinea pigs will reach their optimum, irrespective of whether they grow very quickly and then stop or whether they grow more slowly for longer. After that, they will grow fat if the diet is too rich.
How you can check whether your piggies are good weight for their individual size at any stage of their lives you can find out in this thread: The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight

Thank you Wiebke! I'm still in the worried mindset from my boys, so I'm paying too much attention to things like weight. I'm starting to relax out of that, but it's nice to know the girls are on the right track! I have a feeling Pepper is going to be a porker.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you Wiebke! I'm still in the worried mindset from my boys, so I'm paying too much attention to things like weight. I'm starting to relax out of that, but it's nice to know the girls are on the right track! I have a feeling Pepper is going to be a porker.

Stop worrying - as long as youngsters put on weight every week until they come to the end of their initial growth phase roughly somewhere between 4-6 months of age they are perfectly fine. Remember that they will keep on growing until they reach adulthood between 12-15 months of age and retain the ability to catch up on growth they have missed out on until they are about 2 years old. Piggies are wonderfully flexible. It is more important that they are healthy and active than what size they are!

 

[Adelle]

I dont think theres anything wrong with their weights at all, as long as they are on an upward trend. My two youngsters where both underweight when i adopted them (both skinny, ribs prominent). At 12 weeks old, one was 300g and the other was 200g! The 300g was Poppet, shes now 10 months old and a healthy 1.1kg, the 200g was Rowan, 3 months later shes now 6 months old a BIG girl at just under 1000g.

I really wouldnt worry. Both my girls where actually underweight initially and it hasnt hindered their development.

Check the big bums now.. Its hard to believe they used to be scrawny!

 

[Tiny]

Aw! Can't decide if bum pics or face pigs are cuter! A sassy swaggering rear end is adorable - if you've got it, flaunt it