Uh oh!!!

RubySimon

Post   » Sun Aug 21, 2022 5:41 pm


I got an email from our local shelter that they were getting 8 pigs and 4 baby rabbits and were looking for foster homes. My foster rats just got adopted, so I have time for another foster critter. I volunteered to take one of the pigs. Well, they found fosters for 6 pigs and have two left (siblings). So they asked me to take both. I wish I had a bigger cage, but they can be in a large floor pen for most of the day, and the cage basically overnight. It is about 6 sq feet. Definitely too small, but as I said their time in it will be minimal. I don't have room for a bigger cage right now. Anyway, that is not the real issue. I have never had two pigs together. I like my pigs to be in adjoining pens, but separate. I think it is easier to monitor feeding, poop, etc. But the shelter wants these guys housed together. How do I do pellet feeding? They are seriously underweight, so I know I need to feed much differently than I do for all the many pigs I have had in the past. I have some alfalfa hay which I can use for supplementing their regular hay while we are trying to get them to a healthy weight. They have been living outside, so they are very skittish, but I will be weighing them daily for a long time. They are being checked by a vet tomorrow to make sure their weight is their only issue. If they have anything that can be transmitted to my pigs, this is all a no go. But any hints and info on keeping two pigs in one cage would be really appreciated.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I don't get on her much, it's been rather nutty around here for a long time.
TIA

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Aug 21, 2022 11:03 pm


Are they the same sex? Very important to not end up with young pregnant pigs! If two females - or two males - they should do fine in a cage together.

RubySimon

Post   » Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:02 am


Oh, yes, of course same sex. This is a very good shelter, just very crowded in the small animal area. But I will check them to make sure they are both boys.
I was mostly concerned that if one eats faster than the other and gets the most food, or vegs. Kind of hard to separate them long enough to eat and I certainly can't just stand and watch till they finish. Both my guys eat their pellets slowly, they eat, then leave some, go back and eat, etc. No competition, so they don't rush. Plus, they like "junk" pellets and don't get them so the Oxbow is just not as desirable. I just don't want one foster to balloon up and the other stay skinny. Hmmmm, I am now hoping they think my cage is too small!!! (Not really) I just overthink everything and right now I am super stressed over a friend I have known for over fifty years having a very scary health issue, so I am obsessing about the pigs to take my mind off that I think.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:29 am


Regular weighings should let you keep track of that. If one is particularly slow, you can plop him in his own space with extra food.

Sorry about your friend. Home the health issue resolves for the better.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Mon Aug 22, 2022 1:47 pm


Does the shelter have a bigger cage they can let you use while you foster? I know that the humane society in Reno did that. They provided everything needed to foster their animals out except for food. Cages for small animals, leashes and collars for dogs and cats and they provided all of the medical care for the foster pets.

As for feeding the pair, all I do is make sure there's enough food for both and I cut up the veggies into smaller pieces. That way, they are more likely to each get an equal share. Another thing you can do is watch them eat for the first few times and make sure they both are eating an equal share. If you see that they aren't, you can do like lynx suggested and feed them separately. I think it's very big of you to foster them. I only wish I could, but 10 guinea pigs is a handful for me.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Mon Aug 22, 2022 6:10 pm


I've had male pairings for years and never really had to be concerned about one getting a lot more food than the other unless there was an illness. Somehow they have always worked out sharing the pellets and veggies, but I have always used two bowls. If the two that you're fostering are siblings and accustomed to being together, they should already have that worked out.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Mon Aug 22, 2022 10:14 pm


The only one of my pairs that I had an issue with was Sammy and Dean. Guinea pigs don't all eat at the same speed. Dean was the slow eater and Sammy gobbled down his food. Cutting the veggies up made it easier for Dean to get his share. He learned to horde some of the food before Sammy could gobble it up. He even defended it by scolding Sammy if he tried to get his little stash. Now that Sammy has passed on (RIP, little man), he can take his time. The rest of my pairs all eat at the same speed so they all get an equal share. So what Sef says is true. Unless one of them is sick and not eating, they'll each get their fair share.

RubySimon

Post   » Tue Aug 23, 2022 1:33 pm


Renonvsparky- I don't have the room to put yet another cage in my room. I have a 4ft x 10ft rabbit pen, two 2.5' x 5' pens for my pigs, a double Critter Nation cage for my chinchilla, plus my computer desk, and a spare dresser in this room. I asked the shelter if I was ok having them in such a small cage and they are so desperate to get them into a foster home, they agreed. I will make sure they are going to get plenty of floor time to give them enough exercise. My boys get floor time in the morning and they ramrod around like crazy. But I have often thought that they really don't need their 12.5 sq foot pens. Once I put them back, they don't do any real running around, they mostly go back and forth to the hay and hang out in their hidey house. The new ones will definitely be spoiled while I have them, I need them to learn life is good, and they will have enough food and a safe quiet place to live.
Cutting the vegs into small pieces is a great idea, I will do that, it makes sense. Good advice about watching them and adding a second bowl for pellets. I have two hay feeders already.

Lynx, I can do the separate feeding, if I need to. Good idea, thanks.

Thanks Sef, they are sibs, so as you said, they will probably work it out better than I would.

Ok, off to pick them up. I will try to post pics of them, but I never have good luck doing that on here.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Tue Aug 23, 2022 2:52 pm


Looking forward to seeing pics. Sounds to me like they'll be fine.

RubySimon

Post   » Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:06 am


Don't have pics yet, but they are stinking ADORABLE. They are actually 6 months old, though one is much larger than the other. They do seem to do ok eating together, which I am greatly relieved about. They are completely TERRIFIED of everything. It is glaringly obvious that no one ever handled these pigs. I have had skittish pigs before, but these are not just skittish. They are so scared of everything. I expected them to need the normal settling in time. I only got them yesterday afternoon so I expected them to hide, and be nervous about things. But they are just so frightened of everything. I will spend extra time just sitting on the floor with them to get them used to me. Any hints on getting them less worried about the world in general are greatly appreciated. I have had quite a few pigs over the last many years, and never any that are this scared.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:54 am


Maybe spend some time sitting next to their cage and occasionally talking to them? Bits of food? Sit there when you are reading or have something else that you can do quietly.

RubySimon

Post   » Wed Aug 24, 2022 11:33 am


Lynx-that's what I am actually doing now. I was just working around the cage and they were not freaking out, which they were doing earlier. I think it will be handling that will be the challenge. That is where I want to make the most progress with them. If they go to a home that has kids and they are this freaked out by being picked up, I don't think that will be good for any one.

I ended up obsessing about how I really felt the cage was too small. So I decided to get out my floor pen and I made a bigger area for them. Not a lot bigger, but I think it is better. I have more panels, but just am running out of room. I keep telling myself that they got a major upgrade from where they were living before they were surrendered to the shelter.

Back to work, thanks all.

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