Dilly's Piggies
Teenage Guinea Pig
My sow had her babies 3 weeks ago, they are doing fabulous, but poor Mum is struggling with her weight. She is still acting normally, super active, always squealing for food, appetite is great, however her body is just not showing how much food she's eating. I know it's normal for the Mum to lose some weight after giving birth as the babies take all of her reserves, but surely they can't be taking THIS much from her? With them being 3 weeks I'm expecting the nursing to slow down, the babies are eating 90% by themselves and don't have milk as much as they used to, when will they completely stop suckling? Since having the babies she spends more time in her hidey with them, I think this is a big part of the problem as obviously she isn't coming out to eat much, I've tried putting the food closer to the hidey but it hasn't improved anything. She gets a buffet of vegetables every day (coriander, parsley, kale, spinach, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes, red grape, kiwi, carrot, cucumber and pepper) etc, but the only thing she will eat is the cucumber and spinach. I don't think she was given such a variety in her old home and was pretty much only fed cucumber, she's very picky and won't even try all of those delicious herbs that my other pigs go crazy for, which is a huge shame as she needs them!
I'm trying so hard to keep the weight on Mum and get her back to normal, but it's so difficult, I'm not sure what to do. She's fed pets at home pellets (unlimited), alfalfa king + burgess timothy hay mixed, with a bowl of porridge oats on the side. She needs alfalfa hay and pellets which I'm going to get this week, it's really hard to find here though, it can only be ordered online, which is why I haven't got any yet, I will though, promise! For the past week whilst the weather has been nice in the UK she and babies have been going outside and eating the lush grass for an hour or two every day.
Do you guys have any other suggestions on how I can gain weight on her? Is this normal or is there something very wrong with her? Poor girl has had a rough life, I just want her to live the rest of it comfortable and happy, don't want her to be sick.
I'm trying so hard to keep the weight on Mum and get her back to normal, but it's so difficult, I'm not sure what to do. She's fed pets at home pellets (unlimited), alfalfa king + burgess timothy hay mixed, with a bowl of porridge oats on the side. She needs alfalfa hay and pellets which I'm going to get this week, it's really hard to find here though, it can only be ordered online, which is why I haven't got any yet, I will though, promise! For the past week whilst the weather has been nice in the UK she and babies have been going outside and eating the lush grass for an hour or two every day.
Do you guys have any other suggestions on how I can gain weight on her? Is this normal or is there something very wrong with her? Poor girl has had a rough life, I just want her to live the rest of it comfortable and happy, don't want her to be sick.
