I'm back ... with 2 more piggies!

What A Boar!

What A Boar!

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
May 10, 2020
Messages
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170
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Location
Alton, Hampshire
Seemed like I didn't get off to a good start on here so I'm gonna try again.
All piggies are now on nuggets, back on fleece and still very spoilt!

I have also grown the boar family to 7 piggies now adding a nine week old teddy/texel/alpaca not sure which, maybe one of you can help me identify his breed?

Also adding a very skinny, stunted, matted and scared lilac Peruvian.
He was very neglected poor thing. Took me an hour to gently clip off his matted fur 😔
I was told he was around a year and a half but he's more like a 6 month old according to his nails and teeth.
Got him and the baby on unlimited alfalfa nuggets hoping to bulk him up.
I bonded him with the baby last week and they get on lovely together.
So now we have Bill and Ted, Bill the Peruvian and Ted the teddy.
 
Ah gorgeous photos - sounds like you’ll have your hands full - you did well sorting out his fur and he will feel much better for it ! Lovely family of piggles 😊
 
Bill & Ted said:
😂 That’s two Bill and Ted‘s on the site! Sadly my Bill passed away in February but I’m still keeping the name and their avatar x
Welcome to your too little auditions Bill and Ted 😁
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Sorry to hear about Bill.
Ted was instantly Ted because of his fur and as Bill bonded with Ted I couldn't call him anything else!
Just hope they don't go on any bogus journeys without me! 😄
 
Welcome Bill & Ted #2 :D
I would advise against giving them unlimited alfalfa hay. It is high in calcium and isn't really necessary. Hay and plenty of it is the way to go. How old is the baby?

PLEASEEEEE post some more photos :D:luv:
PS I also have a teddy called Coco
 
Baby Ted is around 9 weeks old, he's a very confident little guy with loads of energy!
I'm really not too sure if he is a teddy or not ... his fur is kinda soft but wiry, he has shorter bum fur, almost looks like abby swirls and he has curly whiskers.
Only had him 2 weeks but sure his fur is growing longer, hence why I'm thinking he could be alpaca instead.
I'll get some more pictures when they've settled a bit more.
Only had Bill Just over a week and he's very skittish and shy. Slowly coming out of his shell since putting him with Ted though.
Bill often tells Ted off for too many popcorns 🤭
I've added a picture of Bill from his previous owners. He's since had a very drastic haircut but is now able to walk around and popcorn along with Ted.
 
Well done on taking him in. I'm sure with time and love from you he will settle in and become a fine (young) boar :)
 
Siikibam said:
Welcome Bill & Ted #2 :D
I would advise against giving them unlimited alfalfa hay. It is high in calcium and isn't really necessary. Hay and plenty of it is the way to go. How old is the baby?

PLEASEEEEE post some more photos :D:luv:
PS I also have a teddy called Coco
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On the alfalfa pellets.
They'll only be getting them for another week then going back to regular pellets. Bill is gaining weight nicely and eating a tonne of meadow hay.
They'll still get unlimited pellets though cos Ted is still under six months.
 
It’s not unlimited pellets while under six months. Its two tablespoons per pig while under four months if they are normal adult pellets and then one tablespoon per pig of normal adult pellets from 4 months onwards.
If you are giving them baby guinea pig pellets then it is still one tablespoon per pig per day as the nutrients have been adjusted within the pellets accordingly.
Plenty of grass hay will help them gain weight at a good rate over time, not overfeeding pellets as that will then be unhealthy weight gain
Alfalfa is only really used in nursing sows and very small babies
 
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Piggies&buns said:
It’s not unlimited pellets while under six months. Its two tablespoons per pig while under four months if they are normal adult pellets and then one tablespoon per pig of normal adult pellets from 4 months onwards.
If you are giving them baby guinea pig pellets then it is still one tablespoon per pig per day as the nutrients have been adjusted within the pellets accordingly.
Plenty of grass hay will help them gain weight at a good rate over time, not overfeeding pellets as that will then be unhealthy weight gain
Alfalfa is only really used in nursing sows and very small babies
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🤦‍♀️ I've been feeding my boys over six months (4 of them) 2 tablespoons a day as it says on the nugget bag and the boys under six months (3 of them) unlimited nuggets.
There is so much conflicting advice when it comes to feeding nuggets.
I can't seem to do the right thing by anyone 😔
I wasn't feeding unlimited until I was told I should be, now I'm being told I shouldn't be.
Was told to feed baby Ted and underweight Bill alfalfa pellets to keep their weight up and now I'm being told it's wrong again.
Was also thinking of cutting pellets out altogether but again I can't get a straight answer whether it's good for them or not ... 😫
 
Yes it is confusing, I understand.
Don’t go by what the packet says - they will tell you whatever they want to sell their product. Unlimited pellets it not suitable (except for sows when they’ve just given birth). They are an unhealthy food source and should never be the main food source. Hay must be the only food they have unlimited access to.

One tablespoon of pellets per day per pig is absolutely fine. Hay is what they need, not the fillers and unhealthy bits in pellets.
Alfalfa is high in calcium and is only given in very limited amounts to pregnant and nursing sows and then tiny babies can have a small amount of alfalfa but again they need more grass hay than alfalfa. Alfalfa is not a grass hay, its a legume so isn’t suitable as a replacement in any event.

Has a vet told you that Bill is underweight? Again though grass hay is the best thing for him to be eating to gain weight, not pellets as I’ve said, it would be unhealthy weight gain if filling up on pellets

I wouldn’t cut pellets out altogether as they do serve a purpose of ensuring all nutrients are given, but do keep them very limited. To cut out pellets you would need to know that you can give the correct amount and balance of nutrients through their supplementary veg diet. I wouldn’t recommend doing it for youngsters
 
Mattsbabe said:
🤦‍♀️ I've been feeding my boys over six months (4 of them) 2 tablespoons a day as it says on the nugget bag and the boys under six months (3 of them) unlimited nuggets.
There is so much conflicting advice when it comes to feeding nuggets. And :agr: with the above.
I can't seem to do the right thing by anyone 😔
I wasn't feeding unlimited until I was told I should be, now I'm being told I shouldn't be.
Was told to feed baby Ted and underweight Bill alfalfa pellets to keep their weight up and now I'm being told it's wrong again.
Was also thinking of cutting pellets out altogether but again I can't get a straight answer whether it's good for them or not ... 😫
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I would move them to normal ‘Adult’ pellets now and only give a tablespoon each. They should put on healthy weight if they’re eating plenty of hay.
 
From memory, packaging says something like 30g of pellets per pig but if you weigh out the recommended one tablespoon of pellets it usually comes to around 6g of pellets, so you can see how much over weight the packaging states beyond the recommended one tbsp. It comes to something like 10-12 individual pellets per day. I actually only feed around 10g of pellets between my two piggies, so around 5g/half a tablespoon each of pellets per pig
 
Piggies&buns said:
Yes it is confusing, I understand.
Don’t go by what the packet says - they will tell you whatever they want to sell their product. Unlimited pellets it not suitable (except for sows when they’ve just given birth). They are an unhealthy food source and should never be the main food source. Hay must be the only food they have unlimited access to.

One tablespoon of pellets per day per pig is absolutely fine. Hay is what they need, not the fillers and unhealthy bits in pellets.
Alfalfa is high in calcium and is only given in very limited amounts to pregnant and nursing sows and then tiny babies can have a small amount of alfalfa but again they need more grass hay than alfalfa. Alfalfa is not a grass hay, its a legume so isn’t suitable as a replacement in any event.

Has a vet told you that Bill is underweight? Again though grass hay is the best thing for him to be eating to gain weight, not pellets as I’ve said, it would be unhealthy weight gain if filling up on pellets

I wouldn’t cut pellets out altogether as they do serve a purpose of ensuring all nutrients are given, but do keep them very limited. To cut out pellets you would need to know that you can give the correct amount and balance of nutrients through their supplementary veg diet. I wouldn’t recommend doing it for youngsters
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Siikibam said:
I would move them to normal ‘Adult’ pellets now and only give a tablespoon each. They should put on healthy weight if they’re eating plenty of hay.
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Thank you both.

So from tomorrow I will switch Bill and Ted to normal nuggets and make sure each pig only has one tablespoon and not 2.
They all eat regular hay like it's going out of fashion so no problems with that.

Just been reading old threads about going pellet free on here but I'm still unsure on doing that. Especially with baby Ted.
 
Mattsbabe said:
Thank you both.

So from tomorrow I will switch Bill and Ted to normal nuggets and make sure each pig only has one tablespoon and not 2.
They all eat regular hay like it's going out of fashion so no problems with that.

Just been reading old threads about going pellet free on here but I'm still unsure on doing that. Especially with baby Ted.
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Pellet free can be done but you need to know what you’re doing regarding nutrient balance. I don’t think I’d do it for a youngster though.
There are some days when my two don’t get given their pellets, in the summer when they’re on the lawn more, I’m giving them pellets probably 5 days a week but mine are two year olds with good weights and big hay eaters
 
I just get so confused and hate to do the wrong thing by them. I took them in to make their lives better after all.
 
Mattsbabe said:
I just get so confused and hate to do the wrong thing by them. I took them in to make their lives better after all.
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You are making their lives better, please don’t think you’re not. Nobody gets it right all the time, and all we can do is follow the advice of the time.

The feeding guide on this site is so valuable
Hay, hay and more hay! One cup of veg per day per pig, and one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day. Follow that and you can’t go far wrong! Pellets are the least important part of their diet - they contain grain fillers (unless they’re grain free) which aren’t good for them, but pellets do have their place in ensuring that all the essential nutrients are being provided
 
Mattsbabe said:
So ...
Unlimited hay ... unlimited filtered water ... 1 tablespoon of nuggets ... one cup of veggies.
Per pig per day!

It's welded in the brain cell now 😁
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Yes!

Just make sure you introduce any new veggies slowly to the young ones if they aren’t used to eating veg, so as to not cause a tummy upset.
 
You are doing a fabulous job. We know it can be difficult with all the information that is out there. You can sometimes feel like you're doing the wrong thing, but I'm pretty sure you aren't. So enjoy them becoming more accustomed to their new home and settling in and generally being happy boars :)
 
They are gorgeous and just think of the difference you are making in their lives. Hope they flourish under your care.
 
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