Interesting observation on weekly weigh ins.

[karonus]

As many will know the importance of weekly weigh ins, but has anybody else noticed the variance in weight if taken at different times of day. We generally weigh ours shortly after morning veggy breakfast on a Sunday morning but in the last month we have weight twice now late afternoon and what a difference.

Range of weights between 1 Jan and today.

After Breakfast.

Astro - 1359 gm to 1397 gm (averages 1374)
Star - 973 gm to 1055 gm (averages 1020)
Twinkle - 1098 gm to 1185 gm (averages 1121)
Cosmos - 1122 gm to 1212 gm (averages 1157)

late afternoon

Astro - 1337 gm to 1349 gm
Star - 981 gm to 1000 gm
Twinkle - 1086 gm to 1096 gm
Cosmos - 1118 gm to 1131 gm

The difference seems to be 30 to 60 gm fluctuation when compared to previous week. For example

Astro

10/02/13 am - 1391 gm
17/02/13 am - 1370 gm
24/02/13 pm - 1337 gm
03/03/13 am - 1395 gm
10/03/13 am - 1397 gm
17/03/13 pm - 1349 gm

be interested in any comments.

 

[MargaretB]

Hmm, interesting. Now I know why they say to always weigh at the same time every day. I don't know why there should be fluctuations depending on the time of day. I'm sure there's probably a scientific explanation.

 

[Dindypig]

I had the same thoughts some time ago and did a little experiment. I weighed my piggies just before and just after evening veggies. I was surprised to find an average difference of about 55gms. If you then think about whether a piggy has had a drink, dropped umpteen poos, several wees and an afternoon of hay munching or sleeping, then you begin to realise that a regular scheduled weigh in is preferable. However, if you are like me and don't have a built in alarm clock, I weigh my piggies on a fairly regular basis and go on instinct where any 'odd' weight discrepancies show up.

 

[Jerrybelly]

I've noticed the same thing. My boys always weigh around 30-40g more in the morning, than they do in the evening.

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

50g in an approx 1kg piggy is about a 5% weight difference. That's quite a bit.

For a 10 stone person 5% would be half a stone or 7 pounds.

Piggies eat a lot in volume, getting most of their water from food and needing to eat a lot of vegetation to get enough energy from it. Even so, that is a big weight difference morning to evening. Fascinating. Small children who have eaten a big meal can gain a good percentage, but I don't think humans can match a 5% weight rise from eating/drinking. No wonder we worry so much about digestion/poos/bloat etc etc etc. It is kind of vital to keep a piggy's tummy going!

 

[Dindypig]

50g in an approx 1kg piggy is about a 5% weight difference. That's quite a bit.

For a 10 stone person 5% would be half a stone or 7 pounds.

I wonder what the % weight difference would be for the amount of poos the little 8uggers do. Pinky and Perkence are a pair of rescue born skinnys and they don't half shift it. Their breed characteristics are that they have to eat more to fuel their higher metabolic rate as, they are hairless they have to generate more heat.

Remember these two Sarah?

 

[piggyfan]

Oh they are so cute!

 

[Sarah from Chucklebunnies]

Oh yes, I remember. They are fabulous boys! Thank you for the pigture, that's made me smile so much!

I have never measured the weight of poos, it wouldn't be accurate anyhow as most of the moisture is gone from the poos and they are about two thirds bacteria. You would have to measure the wees as well to get a good indication of the amount of food mass passing through the system. I bet the result would be surprisingly high. Piggies do eat a lot of roughage so that would be a lot of the mass of food consumed. Maybe someone will one day do some kind of paper on all of this, I know I'm interested because the state of the poo is such a good indicator of the state of the digestive system.

As I try to remember, I think poo has come up as a topic on every single piggy meet I have been to!