• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Weight - Is this about right?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Claire K

Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
374
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Stevenage, Hertfordshire
I have had my 2 piggies for 2 weeks now and they are now 10 weeks old.

I have today weighed them and one weighs 11.9 ounces (340g) and one weighs 12.6 ounces (358g).

Is this about right for their age as I have been going along the lines that providing they weighed 3 ounces when they were born and that they out on a minimum of 1 ounce per week then they should weigh at least 13 ounces by now but they are a little under that.

I have just purchased a pair of digital scales and the ones that I did have were just the usual basic kitchen scales with the little moving hand type thing and each time I put them in the scales, they weighed differently so i am not even sure of an accurate weight for them last week!

Is this anything to worry about ?
 
No, they are completely within the acceptable range, if on the lower side, and should grow into lovely adults with your good care! After all, they have 9-12 months of growth still before them and have only about one third or one quarter of their adult weight, yet.

Once the little ones get used to being weighed, they will sit still, and it will be a lot easier to get their weight.
 
Thanks Wiekbe,

In your experience, what range should their weight be within at this age and is there an average weight gain that I should be looking for?

Because I can not tell accurately what they weighed last week, i can not tell if they have gained or not (they look like they have but I cant be sure)

Claire x
 
They can be anything between 350g to over 550g. If they won't hold still; just look at the trend; they should put up some weight, or at least stay even.

If they won't hold still, do the butter trick - are they lighter or heavier in your hand than so much butter (1 small block, 1 1/2 blocks, one 500g block) in your other? It is not an exact science, but it can give you an idea. Look for trends instead of exactly so much weight gain!

To ease your mind: my two first shop bought girls were even lighter than yours at that age (one of them pregnant as well!), and yet they grew to a perfectly acceptable adult weight of just under/over one kilo!
 
At that age they should be putting weight on steadily, but later on they will grow more in spurts.

Don't panic, if one has a week when there is no weight gain; you only need to worry when they lose some!
 
"At that age they should be putting weight on steadily, but later on they will grow more in spurts."

Is that from your own observations?

All of the guinea pigs I have monitored have put on weight consistently until they are reaching their mature weight then the rate of change of weight slows down and levels off.
Typically pigs gain between 1.0 to 1.5 ounces per week, however, there are always exceptions!. It would seem that you have small pigs, not underweight pigs.
 
Yes, that is from my own observations that around 12 months the weight gain levels off, but they can have the odd spurt in the three months afterwards.
 
Thanks Alcester Pigs.

Well, having just spoken to the lady that I purchased the pigs from, it appears that they may in fact only be 9 weeks and not 10 !

She had about 4 litters all at the same time and i have a feeling she got confused as to who was born and when (I am now wondering if in fact they are younger than that to be honest as they were the smallest ones there)

The problem I have with the weighing is that the first week that they were weighed was on the scales at the vets as they needed to know their weight for the Xeno 50 - mini treatment, the following week was on a normal pair of scales here that seemed to give me a different weight each time i put them on there and this week they have been weighed on a new pair of digital kitchen scales that I have recently brought so i dont really have the realistic weight gain info due to different scales being used each time !

I guess that I need to wait until next week and use my digital scales again and see what happens.

They certainly look like they have put on weight to me but their Mum was a fairly small piggy to thinking back so maybe they are just going to be smaller too.

They are eating fine and are happy enough.

Is there any particular foods that will help them put weight on more than others ?

Claire x
 
Would you give a small premature baby extra food? It'll ony make it fatter, not bigger! Same goes for guinea pigs.

They grow to their very own ideal size and weight in their own time and don't need anything extra than a good, varied diet!
 
Unlike human beings who will eat" for fun" guinea pigs will eat what they need. Just make sure that food is available throughout the day, they will leave what they don't need. It will give you a chance to see what their individual preferences are. Wild pigs have the chance to make their own choices whereas captive pigs rely on their owner to offer a varied diet.
Don't weight them too often, twice a week is adequate.
Years ago I used to find that pigs were around 12-14 months old at full weight but now I find that 9-12 months is the age at which they "level off". Better diet?
 
Last edited:
This thread is so helpful as I have to say its a worry. I was worried about Lotta and her weight but she now seems heavy reading this thread, although she looks really slender. i am guessing she's just long?

I am just going to carry on as normal - giving lots and lots of different veg and keeping the food topped up and the hay too.
 
Hi Lisajazz,

Glad this thread has been of use to you too - I am fretting over everything at the moment as my piggies are only 9 weeks old. Everyone has been so helpful on here and hopefully others can use the info too.

Claire x
 
We definitely can. And the fretting is a sign that you are really into your baby guineas isn't it? I am really in that zone at the moment too. I love animals and my guineas are no exception. The pleasure I get from them far outweighs the worry though.

Have you posted pics of your 2 anywhere?
 
Hi, I too am well into my piggies - the rest of the family have been a bit left out lately.

I have not yet posted my piccies on her - are yours on here yet?

How many do you have ?

How old are they ?

Claire x
 
Just for the interest, Tegan will be nine weeks on Sunday; but i haven't weighed her yet, as she is still very shy and I have had her for only three days. She's been growing well during the time she's been at her fosterer's, so I'm not worried.
 
I have a long story! Skip it by scrolling down to the ********* for the abridged version :(|):(|):(|):(|)


My hubby and kids were nagging for guineas and for about a year I resisted. Then after a holiday where i saw a group of piggies who pretty much free ranged around a huge area I had a dream about them and deicided yes lets get some. I researched and researched to see the best way to have them and cats and a dog and keep everyone harmonious and how to best keep them and hubby went and picked up 2 peruvians from a pet shop. He brought them home and they lived in an indoor hutch while he was building an outdoor hutch and run. I hated the hutch and so we went and got the stuff for a C&C which started small(ish).
Next I wanted a short haired one as I hadn't expected long hair ones so we made a big mistake and got a short haired from pets at home. She had the symptoms of a URI in a few days and died after a week. I was devastated. Next I got another one and decided she needed to be quarantined for a week after my experience and it turned out quite rightly as one of my peruvians got the URI but we caught it quick and she was fine. But it did mean that the one I got was on her own and very sad indeed so we went back to the same place and got another one to live in quarantine with the other one until they could be introduced. Gosh this is long. Anyway we introduced them and it went reall well. Then after much too-ing and fro-ing with pets at home they paid all vets bills, gave me compensation and the offer of another guinea which I took. She was on her own in quarantine and was again so sad i couldn't cope and got another to live with her while they were quarantined. So that's 6 girls all living happily together and then I fostered 2 of the chippenham piggies for Fi and they live in the redundant hutch and run outside (for now)

Sorry sorry that's such a long tale

******* abridged version - I have 6 girls living indoors and 2 foster girls living outdoors******
 
Thanks Wiekbe - It will be interesting to see how much she weighs as she is approx the same age as my 2 (obviously she could have been bigger/smaller than mine at birth though so that would have to be taken into consideration).

It now seems that the person that I got mine from is not totally sure on how old they are although it appears they are 9 weeks as opposed to 10 (according to her calendar) and she can not remember for sure how much they weighed when born either.

All I can do is continue as i am, giving them their dried food, fresh veg, hay and water and plenty of loving and let them grow as they need to as you suggested.

I know I am being over worried about them but they really are such adorable little piggies and I want to do everything right for them so they grow up healthy. I could not bear it if they were ill or i did something wrong !

Claire x
 
Wow Lisajazz - what started off as not wanting any has resulted in anything but!

How are you getting on with your foster piggies - I would love to foster but think I would become too attached and want to keep them all!

I am working on hubby to let me have some more once I have got to grips with the 2 that I have

Claire x
 
Best stay with only two until you are more comfy with them and can read them better. They'll teach you a lot if you spend time with them!

I've gone from two to five since I joined the forum in spring, though I had been looking for more before that; but I think that is the limit for me, my lawn and my living room!

You may come across particularly gorgeous or heart-pulling piggies in need on here quite regularly; the art is to know where your limits are...
 
Yes it did indeed, wouldn't change it though.

The fosters, well at the moment it's okay and once they are tame as long as they are tame with everyone and the home is really good I think i'll be okay. I don't like them living outdoors though and in 2 weeks they are coming to live indoors with everyone else. I am hoping it will help them tame more and get used to a family. we'll see.
 
OH and if you post some photos of your two i'd love to see them!
 
I totally agree with you Wiekbe - I would not want anymore until I felt a lot more confident with the 2 that I have thats for sure!

Mine have really come on in the 2 weeks that I have had them and I feel like I am getting to know them a bit more now (still not sure how to read their little noises but i guess that will come) and as you say, i will get to know what they are trying to tell me I'm sure.

x
 
Will get some photos on here this weekend Lisajazz so you can all see my babies - hope you will love them just like I do.

I am waiting for their funky hair do to settle down at the mo (they had their 2nd dose of xeno 50 - mini today for their lice and its left their fur looking a little o the spiked side even though they are only short haird piggies) !

Am off out tomorrow to spend some more money on them - they really are spoilt rotten.

Its been good to chat to you Lisajazz - lets hope we can have many more like it !

x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top