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Weight for a baby GP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pippa & Sandy's Mum
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Pippa & Sandy's Mum

Hi all

My gp Pippa had 4 babies (3g's & 1 boy) 4 1/2 weeks ago now & the boy...Patch doesnt seem to be puuting on any weight!

I weighed him on Tues/Weds & he only weighed 152g. I weighed him this morning & he the scales dithered between 152/153g so I'm getting worried.

Is this the right weight for his age or do I need to feed him up? Help I dont want him suffering.

He is still in with Mum & sisters @ mo as I was advised by the vets & a rescue home not to remove him til he's @ least 300grams. Is this right?
 
hmmm thats a tough one but your girls could quite possibly be pregnant if he is in there at that age,boys will start trying to mate at 3-4 weeks and sometimes even a little earlier,i would get him to a vet to be honest as he needs to be gaining weight and that weight seems far to small for his age x
 
At four weeks the baby boy is capable of impreganting mum and sisters - so be very careful. Keep an eye on his behaviour - if he's rumbling and shoving his nose up mums bum remove him immediatly. What was his birthweight? As it is difficult to say what a baby's weight should be at any age unless they were born small/large etc. For example a baby pig born at 60 g - 152 g would be great at four weeks. a baby born at 100g, 152 by four weeks is troubling.

If you are worried about how much he is eating you could supplement his diet with some puppy formula(lactol, you should be able to get it from you vets or pets at home) or some goats milk.

What do his sisters weigh? What time of day did you weigh him? As all these things can contribute to different weights. Two days between weighing isn't very much time for a baby to put on weight/for you to notice a difference. Weekly weighing is better, or if you are concerned weight him once a day at the same time and make a graph - if he's moving steadily upwards he will be doing just fine. :)
 
He needs to be removed from his mum and sisters right away. A boar can get his mum pregnant from 3 weeks and sisters from 3/4 weeks. I wouldn't chance it at all. He could mount mum or his sisters when you aren't around. :)

Perhaps it is pecking order and he is not getting his share of the food. I would of course seperate and see how he does once he is away from the girls. He may pick up. I'd watch him eating too if he goes off his food then I would contact a suitable vet.

Good luck!

:)
 
i agree with S&T,also wanted to add that if you do seperate them which i hope you do the best thing would be to have him divided from the others so that he can't get to them but he doesn't feel to lonely x
 
would anyone recommend syrinde feeding?

Is he on solids? he may need a surroagate dad to show him the ropes.
 
Teaspoon feeding is fine in babes. Syringe feeding is frowned upon just incase the fluids go into the lungs.

You could give that a try mash some pellets with hot water and let it cool and feed off the back of a tea spoon. Oh he will wringle and protest as most of them do but I found wrapping in a blanket, in this case a very small flannel (awww) and hold him as you feed him. Not easy with babes I can imagine but its worth a go to give him extra bulk.

Although he may just be a small lad. When I got Eccles he was only 250g at 4 weeks old! he is just below 2lb now at fully grown! :)
 
Patch was tiny when born so I knew he would be smaller but when I weighed him that was when shock hit *** I thought surely he should be more by now but I'll give him his due he's the 1st one in the food bowl & when I check on them he is always eating lolol

I will get my Husband to help me seperate them tonight when he gets home as I struggle to catch them lolol. I will put little man in a hutch of his own & put Sandy 'Auntie' back in with the Mum & sisters (hopefully they will all get on ok).

I feel quite thick when constantly asking questions but because they live outside in hutchs I dont know all their behaviour habits like you guys so am unsure of my next moves. I haven't got any room inside the house for them plus when I bought them from the Farm they said they would be ok living outside but maybe I made a mistake & should have brought them in! :{
 
Ah it's a learning curve I knew nothing when I got Sunshine. :) I don't know a great deal about illnesses and meds but you learn these things as you face problems.

Yeah they are little imps to catch! I have to get my boyfriend to catch them mostly! And don't get me started on the bunnies! rolleyes :(|)

Good luck with him and keep us posted! Oh any pics of the babes? drool
 
Pippa & Sandy's Mum said:
Patch was tiny when born so I knew he would be smaller but when I weighed him that was when shock hit *** I thought surely he should be more by now but I'll give him his due he's the 1st one in the food bowl & when I check on them he is always eating lolol

I will get my Husband to help me seperate them tonight when he gets home as I struggle to catch them lolol. I will put little man in a hutch of his own & put Sandy 'Auntie' back in with the Mum & sisters (hopefully they will all get on ok).

I feel quite thick when constantly asking questions but because they live outside in hutchs I dont know all their behaviour habits like you guys so am unsure of my next moves. I haven't got any room inside the house for them plus when I bought them from the Farm they said they would be ok living outside but maybe I made a mistake & should have brought them in! :{
Click to expand...

goodluck,make sure with the boy on his own that you give him exta bedding to keep him warm x
 
Yes, at four and a half weeks a boar is capable of mating. If he is weaned now, then it is best to separate him.

All baby boars mature differently, some "rattle and roll" early while others are just content being with mum and don't appear to have any manly urges. When you separate him then I am sure he will have lots of choice food where perhaps he wasn't getting to the food in time due to his size and he will put on weight.

Will he be alone then? If he is, then it is a good idea to have him near the others to hear, see and smell them.

If you are in doubt about his weight gain or his health, pop him to the vet. If he was tiny when born then he is obviously a fighter. He shouldn't need syringe feeding now but don't dismiss this option if it will help him.

Keep us posted.
 
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