A responsible breeder will not sell you a baby pig until it has
been weaned from it's mother. This should be done at 6-8 weeks of
age at the earliest! Any breeder that tells you that a baby pig
has been weaned earlier than this is trying to make a sale at the
expense of the baby piglet's health.
But, things do happen, and in case you end up with a very young
baby potbellied pig for one reason or another, here are a few
suggestions to help you along.
First, you have to understand that this baby pig was taken away
from its Mom way too early. It doesn't know how to eat, misses
it's Mom and siblings and is confused, scared and lonely, does not
know it's surroundings. The piglet is SCARED.
While some think this will make for a stronger bond with its
people, it is very tough on the baby! I would never ask that
people take on a one week old baby piglet unless it's a case of no
Mom at all. Even for the oldies out there that have done this for
years, the mortality rate of raising one week old piglets is about
50%. Not very good odds for the babies.
Piglet's should be raised in a playpen where they are confined
and safe from picking up things that they don't need. Did you know
that baby pigs do not generate their own body heat for
about their first two weeks of life? Mom usually takes
care of that!
The ideal temperature for a baby is 90 degrees. Put a heating
pad on low and wrap it in a towel in the playpen. She does need a
playpen to keep her out of drafts. If you have air conditioning
she is going to be cold so keep this in mind. The wrapped heating
pad also feels close to Moms body heat. If she is cold she will go
to it. Give her soft blankets and a soft stuffed toy for her to
sleep with.
Another thing to use if you want to stay away from using
electric is tie about 2 pounds of dry beans in a pillow case and
knot the top. This is then warmed in the microwave oven (do not
make it so hot it will burn the baby!). They are able to snuggle
over it (it will conform to the shape of their body) and will hold
the heat for almost 2 hours. Because it conforms he will be able
to rest his tummy or butt against it and make his own nest.
Most new pig parents don't know it, but momma pigs do not nurse
their babies all the time. When you see those kids hanging on to
Mom it is like a kid with a pacifier for good feelings only (LOL).
Momma pigs only drop their milk when they nurse, about four times
a day. When you hear the soft grunting "call to dinner", this is
the only time that anything is really coming out.
It is very hard, even for those with lots of experience, to
raise a healthy baby pig from very young ages. You cannot provide
what Momma did, so it is a hard battle. The main concern with ones
this age is diarrhea. Once that hits it is hard to keep them
going.
Don't change their food anymore than you have to at the
beginning. Goats milk is best, formula with baby rice cereal is
also good. At about age 3 weeks start adding the pig pellets (Heartland Mini Creep, Mazuri Pig
Food, etc.).They will not be crazy about the pig pellets at
first so you can powder the pellets in a blender, or add them to
the milk or formula.
You can give them liquid vitamins with iron (made for puppies)
that you can get from the vet. Another option is to give them a
flat pan of clean dirt in a cookie sheet so they can 'snuffle' in
it. That is how they normally get their iron, from dirt.
Feed the same thing mixed the same way each time. Try pouring
the goats milk into a flat pan. You can use an ash tray for this.
Then stick their nose in it or hold the pan up till you stick
their nose in it. She needs to get a taste of it before she is
going to eat it.
12 hour old piglets will eat out of a pan, but you have to
teach them. For the first time hold the piglet in one hand and put
the pan to the nose and dunk it. It may take a few times, but you
have to remember all she knows is Mom and Mom's dinners. This is
not Mom, so you're going to have to teach her. Start with the flat
pan.
Use the goats milk and baby cereal and feed small amounts
often. A couple of spoons doesn't sound like much, but this is a
tiny baby with a tiny stomach. If you overfeed she will get the
poops. A couple of spoons every four hours until you teach her to
eat will keep her going, but sure won't make any weight gains.
It's hard to tell you how much a baby should get ....it depends
on the age and the size of the piglet. With really young
ones...one to two weeks or under it's all different cause they
grow so fast. For newborns only half an ounce or so at a time and
one week olds an ounce, if they will take it. Ususally the piglet
will let you know when they have had enough and won't take any
more. You don't want to push them to eat more cause that causes
diarreah.
Feel their little tummy and when it's rounded quit, but most
babies will tell you when they have had enough and you don't want
to push it. Their tummys are small and it doesn't take a whole lot
to fill it up. Three week olds will for sure tell you they are
full. This holds true whether you are using a dish or bottle.
Remember, do not try to force more into a these young piglets.
It may not seem to you like they are eating very much, and their
not, because at that age their tummies are about the size of your
finger!!
A two week old baby piglet should be able to last over the 6 or
7 hours of night time while you sleep. You do not need to get up
to feed them. Five meals during the day is one more than Mom would
give her as a rule. Try for feeding every four hours during the
day, but no feed during the night. Last meal may be at 11 or 12
midnight, but then they don't eat again until 6 the next
morning.
You will need to increase the cereal part, making it a little
thicker as the days go on and for sure on the last meal of the
night before bedtime. If you mix it and put it in a flat ashtray
she would be able to get it herself if she is really hungry.
I was recently told that baby pigs that were taken away from
their Mom's too early do good when given either Cottage Cheese or
Yogurt till they are 6 months old. Start with only a tablespoon
and work up to a half a cup a day. This will also help to
discourage E-coli from forming and your baby getting diarrhea
which can be deadly.
Piglet Sight: Baby pigs are born with eyes
open and able to see unlike dogs and cats. A pigs eyesight is not
really great at the best of times and they go by smell and hearing
more than their sight. Don't worry about piglets not seeing as
well as they hear or smell, as they depend on those things more
when still with their mommas. It is rare to have a blind piglet
unless its due to injury.
Sometimes these babies that are hand raised come from mom
without the afterbirth sac being removed completely after birth.
It can dry and completely covers the piglet. Sometimes even the
head or face. In that case, usually the eyes are not completely
open as they should be after birth and you have to use warm water
and gently, repeat GENTLY remove it.
It is transparent, but you can feel it as being kind of dried
out skin and eventually it will make dry skin like flakes as it
peels off. But if your babies head is soft to the touch without
dry scaly feeling and eyes are completely open than just give him
some time to adjust his smeller and hearing.
Another Thing: Remember to take lot's of
pictures. Baby pig pictures are priceless and you only get the
chance while they are little. After all, it is tough to get baby
pig pictures when your pig is 100 pounds!
Bottom Line: Avoid getting a piglet younger
than 8 weeks minimum. Yes, they are really cute younger than this,
but their chances for survival away from their Mom at these early
ages are not good, even for those who have lot's of experience
with pet pigs.
You do not want to go through watching your little angel die,
so avoid this at all costs. If you do end up with one, know
that YOU will become the Mother and
YOU will be spending lot's of hours feeding, warming,
cuddling, and keeping your piglet alive. It is NOT an
easy thing to do.
been weaned from it's mother. This should be done at 6-8 weeks of
age at the earliest! Any breeder that tells you that a baby pig
has been weaned earlier than this is trying to make a sale at the
expense of the baby piglet's health.
But, things do happen, and in case you end up with a very young
baby potbellied pig for one reason or another, here are a few
suggestions to help you along.
First, you have to understand that this baby pig was taken away
from its Mom way too early. It doesn't know how to eat, misses
it's Mom and siblings and is confused, scared and lonely, does not
know it's surroundings. The piglet is SCARED.
While some think this will make for a stronger bond with its
people, it is very tough on the baby! I would never ask that
people take on a one week old baby piglet unless it's a case of no
Mom at all. Even for the oldies out there that have done this for
years, the mortality rate of raising one week old piglets is about
50%. Not very good odds for the babies.
Piglet's should be raised in a playpen where they are confined
and safe from picking up things that they don't need. Did you know
that baby pigs do not generate their own body heat for
about their first two weeks of life? Mom usually takes
care of that!
The ideal temperature for a baby is 90 degrees. Put a heating
pad on low and wrap it in a towel in the playpen. She does need a
playpen to keep her out of drafts. If you have air conditioning
she is going to be cold so keep this in mind. The wrapped heating
pad also feels close to Moms body heat. If she is cold she will go
to it. Give her soft blankets and a soft stuffed toy for her to
sleep with.
Another thing to use if you want to stay away from using
electric is tie about 2 pounds of dry beans in a pillow case and
knot the top. This is then warmed in the microwave oven (do not
make it so hot it will burn the baby!). They are able to snuggle
over it (it will conform to the shape of their body) and will hold
the heat for almost 2 hours. Because it conforms he will be able
to rest his tummy or butt against it and make his own nest.
Most new pig parents don't know it, but momma pigs do not nurse
their babies all the time. When you see those kids hanging on to
Mom it is like a kid with a pacifier for good feelings only (LOL).
Momma pigs only drop their milk when they nurse, about four times
a day. When you hear the soft grunting "call to dinner", this is
the only time that anything is really coming out.
It is very hard, even for those with lots of experience, to
raise a healthy baby pig from very young ages. You cannot provide
what Momma did, so it is a hard battle. The main concern with ones
this age is diarrhea. Once that hits it is hard to keep them
going.
Don't change their food anymore than you have to at the
beginning. Goats milk is best, formula with baby rice cereal is
also good. At about age 3 weeks start adding the pig pellets (Heartland Mini Creep, Mazuri Pig
Food, etc.).They will not be crazy about the pig pellets at
first so you can powder the pellets in a blender, or add them to
the milk or formula.
You can give them liquid vitamins with iron (made for puppies)
that you can get from the vet. Another option is to give them a
flat pan of clean dirt in a cookie sheet so they can 'snuffle' in
it. That is how they normally get their iron, from dirt.
Feed the same thing mixed the same way each time. Try pouring
the goats milk into a flat pan. You can use an ash tray for this.
Then stick their nose in it or hold the pan up till you stick
their nose in it. She needs to get a taste of it before she is
going to eat it.
12 hour old piglets will eat out of a pan, but you have to
teach them. For the first time hold the piglet in one hand and put
the pan to the nose and dunk it. It may take a few times, but you
have to remember all she knows is Mom and Mom's dinners. This is
not Mom, so you're going to have to teach her. Start with the flat
pan.
Use the goats milk and baby cereal and feed small amounts
often. A couple of spoons doesn't sound like much, but this is a
tiny baby with a tiny stomach. If you overfeed she will get the
poops. A couple of spoons every four hours until you teach her to
eat will keep her going, but sure won't make any weight gains.
It's hard to tell you how much a baby should get ....it depends
on the age and the size of the piglet. With really young
ones...one to two weeks or under it's all different cause they
grow so fast. For newborns only half an ounce or so at a time and
one week olds an ounce, if they will take it. Ususally the piglet
will let you know when they have had enough and won't take any
more. You don't want to push them to eat more cause that causes
diarreah.
Feel their little tummy and when it's rounded quit, but most
babies will tell you when they have had enough and you don't want
to push it. Their tummys are small and it doesn't take a whole lot
to fill it up. Three week olds will for sure tell you they are
full. This holds true whether you are using a dish or bottle.
Remember, do not try to force more into a these young piglets.
It may not seem to you like they are eating very much, and their
not, because at that age their tummies are about the size of your
finger!!
A two week old baby piglet should be able to last over the 6 or
7 hours of night time while you sleep. You do not need to get up
to feed them. Five meals during the day is one more than Mom would
give her as a rule. Try for feeding every four hours during the
day, but no feed during the night. Last meal may be at 11 or 12
midnight, but then they don't eat again until 6 the next
morning.
You will need to increase the cereal part, making it a little
thicker as the days go on and for sure on the last meal of the
night before bedtime. If you mix it and put it in a flat ashtray
she would be able to get it herself if she is really hungry.
I was recently told that baby pigs that were taken away from
their Mom's too early do good when given either Cottage Cheese or
Yogurt till they are 6 months old. Start with only a tablespoon
and work up to a half a cup a day. This will also help to
discourage E-coli from forming and your baby getting diarrhea
which can be deadly.
Piglet Sight: Baby pigs are born with eyes
open and able to see unlike dogs and cats. A pigs eyesight is not
really great at the best of times and they go by smell and hearing
more than their sight. Don't worry about piglets not seeing as
well as they hear or smell, as they depend on those things more
when still with their mommas. It is rare to have a blind piglet
unless its due to injury.
Sometimes these babies that are hand raised come from mom
without the afterbirth sac being removed completely after birth.
It can dry and completely covers the piglet. Sometimes even the
head or face. In that case, usually the eyes are not completely
open as they should be after birth and you have to use warm water
and gently, repeat GENTLY remove it.
It is transparent, but you can feel it as being kind of dried
out skin and eventually it will make dry skin like flakes as it
peels off. But if your babies head is soft to the touch without
dry scaly feeling and eyes are completely open than just give him
some time to adjust his smeller and hearing.
Another Thing: Remember to take lot's of
pictures. Baby pig pictures are priceless and you only get the
chance while they are little. After all, it is tough to get baby
pig pictures when your pig is 100 pounds!
Bottom Line: Avoid getting a piglet younger
than 8 weeks minimum. Yes, they are really cute younger than this,
but their chances for survival away from their Mom at these early
ages are not good, even for those who have lot's of experience
with pet pigs.
You do not want to go through watching your little angel die,
so avoid this at all costs. If you do end up with one, know
that YOU will become the Mother and
YOU will be spending lot's of hours feeding, warming,
cuddling, and keeping your piglet alive. It is NOT an
easy thing to do.