The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Daisys Mum on June 14, 2010, 06:46:48 pm
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I collected my 3 OSB boys on Saturday and am a bit concerned that they are only 6 1/2 weeks old, they do not seem keen to eat their sow and weaner pellets although this is what they were being given, they did enjoy their banana and grapes with a little bread, as they are so young should I give them some milk. They are grazing as there is a lot of grass in their pen.
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DM, you may have answered your own question !
"They are grazing as there is a lot of grass in their pen." vs dried hard feed !
As long as they are lively, moving around, drinking ok, then the chances are that what you are offering simply doesn't match the great natural diet they are finding.
No I would not give them milk, either
they are ok and just eating nature in which case milk would be a waste of time or
they are not well and milk will not help - if they are lethargic, not keen on moving round etc. - then come back and tell us, or tell us what they are and are not doing.
Otherwise relax and enjoy - you pigs are just doing what comes naturally.
Finally a thought - if you are feeeding in a trough, did they do this with their mother. Many weaners find food on the ground, and are not used to a trough.
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Don't know who let you take weaners at 61/2 wks old but they want a darn good slap!! >:(
We wean at 7wks and then keep them a week on their own to make sure they're eating ok and can manage away from mum.
Were they properley weaned when you collected them or were they taken straight from mum, in which case double slapping required!!! ::)
As Oaklands says keep an eye on them, watch for the runs and make sure they're drinking plenty of water.
They'll soon get into your routine and learn nuts are yummy.
Good luck.
Mandy
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I would agree Mandy I did not realise when I got the message to pick them up on saturday that they were quite as young and as you say another slap as yes they were still with the sow, I got the impression before I went that they had had to wean them early as the sow was fed up with them.
They do actually seem fine they are eating lots of grass and drinking well, I am sure that the pellets will go better soon.
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Try offering them a few soaked pellets, they are more pallitable when wet for small pigs.
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Glad to hear they're doing ok.
Even if the sow was tired of them, they should have taken the sow out and left the piglets on their own for at least a weeek before fobbing them off on unsuspecting customers. When we were new to pig keeping this happened to us twice until we spoke to a few people, now i won't take them unless they've been properley weaned.
Its all a learning curve and thats pig keeping! ;) :pig:
Best Mandy
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This is a picture of Ham, Curly and Rusty, they have settled in ok and are now eating well.