[otto]

Hello, I picked up my first weaners, a Gloucester Old Spot and Tamworth on Monday. They both seem happy enough, eating and drinking normally...not too interested in scraps though, but happily chomp on their nuts. I can't pursuade them to sleep in their ark though....they cuddle up together in a hollow they have scooped. Today, the GOS has a very watery diorehea. When should I start to worry? Also, any tips on getting them to make friends?

[SmallHolderVirgins]

Hi Otto

Sara and I are new to this too

We got our British White Lop weaners two weeks ago and have them in an old building.  They dont like getting up very early and when I go to let them into the field at about 8am have to wake them up...  They do sleep lots though and love snuggling under the straw

They have the odd scraps and we are also feeding them on pig nuts.  Neither of them seem to have runny poos and it mainly looks like small dog dumps lol

As for them making friends, they now seem a lot more confident with us (as humans) and have made great friends with the 7 tups and 1 horse they share the field with

I dont suppose this has really answered your question but yours was the first post i saw xx

[MiriMaran]

Both of my weaners had runny poohs for a couple of days after being collected - I put this down to stress and it cleared up very quicly as they got used to their new surroundings.  Mine have been quite slow to eat veg as I don't think they have ever had any before.  They eat the nuts first as that is what they know, but I'm sure they'll like the veg more and more as they get used to it.

[ Also, any tips on getting them to make friends?/quote]Is that with you or with each other?  To get them to make friends with you put the food on the ground and then approach very slowly and start to gently stroke them - they get used to this very quickly.

Hope this helps a little bit!

[Rosemary]

Apple slices and patience (and grunting if you can face it) have never failed me yet in the friend-making stakes.

[Hilarysmum]

Make sure the "runny" one is drinking.  If it fails to improve after a couple of days get the vet.  Hilary had a passion for apricots when very young, and peeled banana works well too. 

[Paid]

Hi, had my 2 wieners (kune kune X Oxford sandy and black) for a week now, and one was
a bit runny for the first 3 days, but has cleared up now, I also put it down to stress, as its the one
that is a little more highly strung.

They too prefer the pig nuts to most veg scraps, but apples, carrots or dried nuts really
get them going, and there eating more leafy veg (old purple broccoli plants, old leeks ext) as
they get used to it.

every day they are more friendly, and now seem very content with each other, and other visitors
like me, the dogs, the kids ext. I'm sure yours will settle more and more as time goes on.

[otto]

Thanks everyone......very reassuring and pleased to have found this forum. We are now 2 pigs, 2 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats and 7 chickens.  Funny, except  for the chickens they're all male and all "been done"or in the case of the piggies, immature.........not sure the future looks good for me! 

[Paid]

Forgot to add, on the first night, at dusk, i had to catch them and put them in the arc, then
block them in for the night, i only had to do that the once, now they go in on there own.

[otto]

Thanks Paid, I'll save that one for tomorrow........I'm the one in bed today with man flu...........no jokes about what animal I picked that up from!

[sausagesandcash]

On the veg front I found that boiling it into a stew made it far more paletable for them. They just aren't that hot on raw veh. Apples, Bananas, pears grapes, melon etc,. they just love but I only use it as a treat really, otherwise they're fed on rolled oats, rolled barley, ground maize etc. I often soak this in a bit of milk and they just love it.....and all the grass they eat...which is just phenomenal. Then again my Tamworths are descendants of the 'Irish Grazer'.

Morgan

[HappyHippy]

On the veg front I found that boiling it into a stew made it far more paletable for them.

I could be wrong here but I'm sure that under UK legislation, you can't feed anything that has been in a kitchen - if you intend consuming the meat.
 I'll check back through old posts - I'm sure that's where I read it.

[sausagesandcash]

I'm not living in the uk, and I boil it on a stove in the garage....it never goes near meat. I want lots of things in life....but not an outbreak of foot and mouth.....the other locals would shoot me....well maybe not shoot, but a good sound thrashing!!

[Hilarysmum]

Its not if you intend consuming the meat its regardless.  Its also really rather silly (imho).  Especially as the EU are now considering allowing meat products into pre produced pig food!!!!! 

[HappyHippy]

I'm not living in the uk, and I boil it on a stove in the garage....it never goes near meat. I want lots of things in life....but not an outbreak of foot and mouth.....the other locals would shoot me....well maybe not shoot, but a good sound thrashing!!

Sorry, didn't realise you weren't doing it in a kitchen - you're way ahead of me !

Its not if you intend consuming the meat its regardless.  Its also really rather silly (imho).  Especially as the EU are now considering allowing meat products into pre produced pig food!!!!! 

Thanks for that HM, in my baby fuddled brain state I got mixed up ! I agree that it's silly law because as Morgan said, none of us want any diseases so obviously wouldn't feed meat - but where's the harm in preparing / cooking veggies inside ? Government legislation.........................don't ya just love it !

[Hilarysmum]

Well of course we smallholders cant feed our pigs stuff from our kitchens however careful we are, we have to leave all the stupid stuff to HMG who manage to infect the whole country by their own bad hygiene/drains/practices.  Which you as smallholder/tax payers had to foot the bill for.