New baby sows

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Boarworld

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After losing both of our boys very recently, I have brought two baby sows home today. They’re beautiful very fluffy sheba mini yaks.

They were originally intended to be lady friends for my remaining 18m old boar after we lost his brother, but horribly, he passed away overnight after I had him neutered last week. I was going to keep them next to but separate to him until he was 6w post-op, but no need now.

I’ve never had sows before, only boars. I had my boys from 12w old but they were big lads (the healthy one was 1.6kg at passing but not overweight, just a really big boy!) but these little ladies are tiny! They’re 6w old and can fit in my hand. They’re all settled into their nice roomy indoor cage. Super shy, hiding as you’d expect and I’ve not heard a peep from them noise wise as yet.

I’ve put the lid on and covered them over loosely to make them feel less exposed, left a big pile of hay, water, a sprinkle of their usual dry food and a few bits of spring greens for them close by. They’ve got hideys and little cuddle cups to snuggle in.

Is there anything else I need to do to help them settle in? I thought it best to leave them be, we gave them a quick stroke in their cuddle cups when they arrived and then we’ve left them alone. When we had the boys they initially lived in an outdoor cage/hay run before I decided to make them indoor pigs after about 3m. The girls will be living indoors from day one, so it’s a bit different this time!

We don’t have any other pets which could cause an issue. I do have two children but they’re old enough to be quiet and calm so as not to frighten them (7 and 9) they’re brilliant with animals so no worries on that front. They could handle, hand feed and have laptime the boys independently, but I’ve already had a chat and they know not to handle the babies without me supervising until I tell them otherwise.
 
Thanks, I had a read of that too.

They don’t seem to have moved this morning! I’ve just popped some cucumber in near them so they have something nice and hydrating close by.
 
Boarworld said:
Thanks, I had a read of that too.

They don’t seem to have moved this morning! I’ve just popped some cucumber in near them so they have something nice and hydrating close by.
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Just put/peg a sheet or towel over the cage to give them an added feeling of safety as - if they are breeder bought, they are likely used to hutches and some protection overhead. The need to eat and drink will take over at some point. Make sure that the hay is closer to where they are denning since it makes over three quarters of the daily food intake and refresh any veg - they may not be used to them, either.

Here are more practical tips for dealing with very skittish new arrivals:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
 
Thanks. They’re covered overhead and have lots of hay. They did come from a small breeder. We will just leave them be today, they must think we’re big scary predators, so we will let them settle.
 
Boarworld said:
Thanks. They’re covered overhead and have lots of hay. They did come from a small breeder. We will just leave them be today, they must think we’re big scary predators, so we will let them settle.
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Don't rush this phase but establish a daily routine with different melodies for different actions. Piggies don't listen to the words but to the pitch and the emotion. Picture what you are going to do and how careful you are going to be around them. They will come out whenever there is nobody around.
Announce yourself as soon as you come into the room or before you are making sudden movements, like getting up - a predator who is making their presence known is not hunting.

Above all, be patient with any piggies who are not used to a human household and who don't have an older piggy to guide and teach them. I am so sorry that it was not to be. They are currently quite simply feeling very, very lost but they will come out the more nothing happens to them and you will know that they have started to settle in once you can hear and see dominance behaviours behaviours between them as they start to establish their own group in their new territory. It is generally more noticeable the more insecure the new group leader is.
Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)
 
I’m sorry for your losses. Yes young piggies are tiny. 🥰. Can’t wait for pictures of these beauties once they’ve settled in.
 
So sorry for your losses.
Time and patience is needed to help the little ones settle.
Just sitting chatting to them helps them get used to your voice.
When Moses and Miriam first arrived they were very scared so I read them stories.
It doesn’t matter what you say, it’s your voice.
Looking forward to pictures when they’re more settled
 
A few days in and we certainly have some progress. We’ve barely handled them as we’ve left them to just ‘be’ and my children were away with their grandparents this weekend so they had a very quiet home to just begin to settle.

They’re so beautiful, honestly the cutest little fluffballs! I will certainly post a pic when they stay still enough for me to get one that’s not a blur of fluff!

I took them out of their new home briefly yesterday to do a bit of a clean up and the good news is there were lots of piles of poo and lots of patches where they’d done a wee so I’m happy they’re eating and drinking well. I left a handful of the dirty hay to maintain the smell for them (they actually don’t smell to me, but I know they’ll be able to smell themselves).

I had to pop them in their carry case whilst I did it which they didn’t like much, but they’re too small and skittish for my children to hold them whilst I clean up at the moment. Children are older and perfectly capable/sensible, but still, I won’t risk them hurting themselves if they’re understandably scared and try to bolt out of hands.

Anyway, this morning was a bit of a breakthrough, when we’ve come downstairs instead of burrowing or hiding away, one of them has been zooming around the cage, making ‘putt putt putt’ happy noises, doing the odd popcorn leap and eating/drinking when we’re in the room. She came right forward and was drinking from the bottle which we’ve not seen either of them do before (we can tell they are drinking as the water level has noticeably dropped, but we’ve not spotted it). So she must be feeling a bit more comfortable. The other one has come out of the hidey that she’s been in mostly and whilst she’s still burrowed into a hay pile, the fact that she’s out of the hidey is progress.

Small steps, but they’re good ones so far!
 
I
Boarworld said:
After losing both of our boys very recently, I have brought two baby sows home today. They’re beautiful very fluffy sheba mini yaks.

They were originally intended to be lady friends for my remaining 18m old boar after we lost his brother, but horribly, he passed away overnight after I had him neutered last week. I was going to keep them next to but separate to him until he was 6w post-op, but no need now.

I’ve never had sows before, only boars. I had my boys from 12w old but they were big lads (the healthy one was 1.6kg at passing but not overweight, just a really big boy!) but these little ladies are tiny! They’re 6w old and can fit in my hand. They’re all settled into their nice roomy indoor cage. Super shy, hiding as you’d expect and I’ve not heard a peep from them noise wise as yet.

I’ve put the lid on and covered them over loosely to make them feel less exposed, left a big pile of hay, water, a sprinkle of their usual dry food and a few bits of spring greens for them close by. They’ve got hideys and little cuddle cups to snuggle in.

Is there anything else I need to do to help them settle in? I thought it best to leave them be, we gave them a quick stroke in their cuddle cups when they arrived and then we’ve left them alone. When we had the boys they initially lived in an outdoor cage/hay run before I decided to make them indoor pigs after about 3m. The girls will be living indoors from day one, so it’s a bit different this time!

We don’t have any other pets which could cause an issue. I do have two children but they’re old enough to be quiet and calm so as not to frighten them (7 and 9) they’re brilliant with animals so no worries on that front. They could handle, hand feed and have laptime the boys independently, but I’ve already had a chat and they know not to handle the babies without me supervising until I tell them otherwise
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I’m so sorry for your loss - I recently had to let go of one of my boars too. Sounds like the girls youre welcoming into your family will have a lovely life :)
 
Boarworld said:
A few days in and we certainly have some progress. We’ve barely handled them as we’ve left them to just ‘be’ and my children were away with their grandparents this weekend so they had a very quiet home to just begin to settle.

They’re so beautiful, honestly the cutest little fluffballs! I will certainly post a pic when they stay still enough for me to get one that’s not a blur of fluff!

I took them out of their new home briefly yesterday to do a bit of a clean up and the good news is there were lots of piles of poo and lots of patches where they’d done a wee so I’m happy they’re eating and drinking well. I left a handful of the dirty hay to maintain the smell for them (they actually don’t smell to me, but I know they’ll be able to smell themselves).

I had to pop them in their carry case whilst I did it which they didn’t like much, but they’re too small and skittish for my children to hold them whilst I clean up at the moment. Children are older and perfectly capable/sensible, but still, I won’t risk them hurting themselves if they’re understandably scared and try to bolt out of hands.

Anyway, this morning was a bit of a breakthrough, when we’ve come downstairs instead of burrowing or hiding away, one of them has been zooming around the cage, making ‘putt putt putt’ happy noises, doing the odd popcorn leap and eating/drinking when we’re in the room. She came right forward and was drinking from the bottle which we’ve not seen either of them do before (we can tell they are drinking as the water level has noticeably dropped, but we’ve not spotted it). So she must be feeling a bit more comfortable. The other one has come out of the hidey that she’s been in mostly and whilst she’s still burrowed into a hay pile, the fact that she’s out of the hidey is progress.

Small steps, but they’re good ones so far!
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Aw, that's lovely❤️ You sound very sensible and I'm sure they will soon learn to trust you and your family and you'll see their little pigsonalities emerge 🥰
 
It is so lovely, I’m so relieved that after our terrible bad luck with our gorgeous boys that it was going to continue.

They’ve actually had a totally bonkers afternoon, they’ve had the zoomies several times! Both of them. They’re chasing each other through their tubes and hideys, making a huge (happy) racket, popcorning and when one of them gets in either of the cuddle cups she goes wild, spinning and leaping about like a mad thing. So they’re obviously feeling much more at home.

Now I’ve just got to catch them (or just get in the run with them briefly, if they won’t let me!) to do a quick spot clean and refresh their veggies. Tiny baby poo is harder to sweep up than fully grown boar poo!
 
As promised, pic from today when I’ve managed to get one when they are actually still. Litter sisters, 7.5 weeks old now and settling beautifully. They’ve already grown so much, but still only adult hand size.

Daisy (the white one) looks like she’s wearing a tutu from a different angle. Felicity (the dark one) seems the slightly more timid pig so far but I’ve not seen or heard any actual dominance behaviours yet.
 

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Wow, they are beautiful girls! And I love their names!
 
They were named by the children! They actually look a lot bigger than they are, they’re tiny under all the fluff. They’re so soft! I’ve only ever had long haired pigs (one of our lost boys would’ve grown a full on carpet surrounding him as he walked if I’d not have kept him trimmed!) so at least we’re used to grooming.

Although so far so good, they’re keeping themselves nice and tidy at the moment. Grooming can come more once they’re used to and happy being handled. Apparently sheba mini yaks are known as the bad hair day/permanent bed-head pigs anyway, so I’m expecting them to look a bit wild!
 
What beautiful piggies. Glad to hear that they are settling in well.
 
Awwh they’re gorgeous! I’m sure I recognise these girls 🤣 a friend was looking at a pair the spitting image of these two 👀.

It’s so lovely when they start to come out of their shell 🥰 and become more adventurous.
 
I’m so very pleased for you that your girls are settling in well and sound very chuffed with their new home! Baby antics are so much fun to watch! Enjoy them and take lots of pictures as they grow very quickly! 🥰
 
How funny! We had to travel to collect these, but they came from a small breeder in Wokingham.
 
I’ve potentially been offered another single baby girl from a newly born litter who would be ready in six weeks or so. Not sure whether to consider taking her or whether adding a third baby who is a stranger to these two (who’d be approx 13w by then) might be tricky to manage.

Obviously any bond has the potential to fail even with sisters but not sure if I want to push my luck with introducing a third. Three seems nice though from the perspective of if you lose one one day then you don’t have to worry so much about having a lonely solo piggy.
 
Boarworld said:
Three seems nice though from the perspective of if you lose one one day then you don’t have to worry so much about having a lonely solo piggy.
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I found three a good number for that very reason. And also when you have even a little herd of three instead of just a pair, things liven up in the cage. One piggy napping, the other wants to 'socialise'? Well, good chance number 3 is awake. Less chance of boredom.
 
Boarworld said:
How funny! We had to travel to collect these, but they came from a small breeder in Wokingham.
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It must be the same breeder then as they were based in Wokingham. How lovely to see where they’ve found a home!

Edit
Before my herd I always kept trios. For the most part I never had issues, barring the odd squabbling. You have the beginnings of herd behaviour without the stress of multiple pigs 💕.
 
The little ladies are settling in well. Now it’s cooled down they’re in our extension, in their ‘real’ home cage. I had temporarily homed them in the run in the main part of the house, as it was cooler for them whilst we’ve been having very hot weather.

It’s a C&C cage on a stand. The main rectangular part is 5x2 with a shallow ramp up to a 1x2 ‘floor’ (which gives them a nice hidey for their beds) plus they have a 1x4 extension running off of the main part.

If it were entirely rectangular, it’d be 7x2 with a 1x2 addition uo the ramp.

They also have a 6x2 run for outdoor exercise, weather permitting, which can come indoors if needs be.

This will be big enough for three sows, won’t it? We currently have the two 9 week old girls and may add a third when she’s ready to leave her Mum.

We have started to see a little bit of dominance behaviour but nothing aggressive, they’re litter sisters and seem to play nicely a lot. Just a bit of rumble-strutting and nudging of noses in the air. It’s becoming clear which one is dominant! They have tons of zoomies (they LOVE to run laps and the full length of the long side of the cage, then belt through their various tubes with scary accuracy at high speed!) and they popcorn lots too so I think they’re happy.

They’re not fans of cuddles yet! I’ve still not managed to weigh them as 1) they’re still terrified of being picked up and 2) when I tried to weigh one using my kitchen scales and a box on the floor, she leapt out (who knew she could jump like that!) and took off at the speed of light. Luckily there’s nothing in the room that could hurt her. I had to seal off the room and just wait until I could gently drop a thin fleece on her and scoop her back up. However, I can see by eye that they’re definitely growing and their poos are getting bigger, which indicates some nice healthy growth to me.

I shall just have to be patient with gentle handling over time and if all else fails I’ll get them weighed at the vets when I take them in for a nail trim (they are far too skittish for me to attempt this myself yet). We spend lots of time in the same room as them, chattering to them and they no longer (always) run away and hide from us. They’ll often come out happily in the cage, play and eat when we’re close by in the room. So it’s a good start after only 3 weeks, they are still very young.

Just wondering about veg variety. They have big handfuls of fresh hay every day and daily fresh water. They also have a scattering of complete pellets and a few pea flakes each day. My dearly departed boars would devour ANY veggies they were pigs in the truest sense of the word, they’d sit on our laps hand feeding chucks of cucumber as fheir favourite past-time. These little lovelies seem much fussier with their veg. They love kale, they will eat a bit of spring greens and spinach, and they (unsurprisingly) like a couple of carrot ribbons. I peel a half a small one into ribbons so they’re thin pieces and they don’t have too much.

Other than that though they don’t seem to like other veg!

I’ve tried fresh parsley, celery, little gem lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, red and yellow peppers, even some strawberry tops (minimal fruit, just a nibble, but my boys loved the green leaves!) and a tiny bit of apple as a treat. Nope. Not interested, all untouched.

Is this just like fussy toddler stage with children and I just need to keep offering, or do I have some picky little pigs? The boys were 12 weeks when we got them, so I’ve not had babies this young before.
 
They sound like they are doing well!

Yes the enclosures are big enough.

Re veg: I’m sure you’re aware but they can’t eat kale, spring greens, parsley and spinach much and I wouldn’t feed them all at the same time as they are all high calcium veggies (they can have just one of them, once a week in a tiny amount only).

I would keep trying with the four safe daily veggies - coriander, lettuce, pepper and cucumber - in small quantities. They will learn from each other so hopefully if one tries it, the other will too
 
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